Microsoft explains motive behind ‘casualisation’ of the 360 interface

According to Ben Kilgore, Xbox Live general manager, Microsoft has moved to change the dashboard – which will ditch the ‘blades’ style interface with its lists of content and ad slots – as an investment in the 360 platform’s future as it starts appealing to a wider audience.

At E3 last week, Microsoft unveiled a number of new games that have been designed with wider demographics and age groups in mind – but the console itself needs to reflect that also said Kilgore.

“It’s become difficult for our users to see the depth and breadth of what is out there. We weren’t doing a great job to get all that out there,” he said.

So, in building new features, Microsoft has been designing them visually with casual gamers in mind – hence the simpler and sleeker appearance. Specifically, the firm has been prototyping and testing ideas and design that are ‘equally desirable’ to core gamers and wider gamers at the same time, and make the machine more accessible.

“A lot of people as - why are we bothering doing this? Why right now in the middle of a console cycle? No one has done this before,” he said.

“The reason is because we have so many years to come on the platform and we need to address the broader market and the casual gamer.”

The new look interface will “set us up for the future” he added.