Microsoft beta testing Avatar awards

by Xav de Matos { Jun 27th 2009 at 6:00PM }

Joystiq tipsters -- and Xbox.com regulars -- have noticed a strange Beta 2009 icon appearing on some Xbox 360 'Played Games' profiles. While speculation (or hopes and dreams) was that the icon was related to something important, sources tell Joystiq that Microsoft is internally testing Avatar awards. Sorry, no megatons here.

From what we've been told, the test is an executable built for Beta users to play with the awards program before it launches. Avatar awards are triggered by in-game achievements: when a player unlocks an award -- clothing was the only specific award mentioned -- it is made available in the Avatar customization menu of the NXE. Select Xbox 360 users are already sporting fancy new threads, which are presumably related to this beta test.

Avatar awards were one of the many new features coming to the NXE revealed at E3 2009 -- including the smart evil idea of charging users for the real "cool" stuff.

http://xbox.joystiq.com/photos/avatar-marketplace-pricing/2065346/

Wonder what all they are going to be doing with this awards thing.  Give certain awards for reaching Gamerscore milestones and such would be cool.  They should make avatars like an RPG where you get to increase stats and stuff on your avatar using gamerscore points.  What these stats could be used for, I don't know.

RC Warthog is sweet

I would like that RC Warthog... but not for a fee. I hope these will be given out with acheivements, i.e. I complete Halo Wars, so get the RC Warthog! And I complete GeoW 2 on insanity and get a chainsaw!

If i didnt buy a damn thing for home what the hell makes m$ think im gonna waste money on useless avatar stuff...Wow a toy car...Does it do anything besides the 3 same animations? and $3.20 excuse my language but FUCK THAT!

$0.50 Should be more like it (since everyone has a lil left over points after buying things,like now i got 80 points collecting dust).

320 Ms point for an avatar toy ? Bastards... they know how to make money

Co-sign on the RC Warthog.

OT: I still have code for a gold multiplayer gun on Gears 2. I don't really pay for extras, but if I had a reason good enough - like having a spot where I can play with other avatars AND use my toys, sweet. Yeah, a Home knock-off, but I would love to drive my RC Warthog around and terrorize my homies.

I want the RC warthog! That thing looks fun to have around. But still overall limited in it's use. I'll like to see more use out of avatars instead of paying for little things that spice up your avatar, but have very little use outside of people looking at your friends list.

LOL they're copying home.

I'm sure that's a gross misstatement. The idea of micro-purchases for a digital avatar is nothing new. Almost all of those "free" MMORPGs that somehow plastered themselves all over the internet as ads use Micro-purchases. Microsoft is less copying home and more copying that idea, which is again. Fairly common practice.

They would be copying home if they created a virtual world of which you can roam around and communicate with your fellow xbox live membersand... well you've most likely played home.

You mean Home is copying Second Life