New 360 Dashboard features entirely optional

As are the Avatars if you're boring.

Although we're not sure why you wouldn't, if you don't like the look of the shiny new Xbox 360 Dashboard unveiled at last weeks E3 then fear not, you won't be forced to use it according to Microsoft's Larry 'Major Nelson' Hryb.

In his latest podcast Hryb says "I know that there are some people that aren't going to like the happy, happy, shiny New Xbox Experience. For whatever reason it's not flipping their bit,”

"Here's my message to you: you don't actually have to use it. You can never go there, just leave your game disc in and pretty much do everything that you could before but on the Guide level - one button press away in every single game.

"The Dashboard as you know it today, in other words the 'blades'; Games, Live, Media and System, We've taken those blades and moved them to the Guide. Every single function that you can do today in the Dashboard you are going to be able to do in the New Xbox Experience in the Guide.

"When you press the Guide button on the Xbox 360 controller, the new Guide will come up and you're going to be able to do everything in there. You're going to be able to contextually browse Marketplace, did you know that? So when you have Gears of War 2 of Halo 3 in there you're going to be able to go straight to that section."

The freedom to ignore all Microsoft’s hard work isn't limited to just the new Dashboard either, the Mii like Avatars are also 100 percent optional. "If you don't like the avatars, they're not required. You can use your Gamer Pictures," said Hryb.

The all singing all dancing update is due out later in the year so plenty of time to consider your options before then.

By Paul Newcombe