Gridplane shows off what the NXE could have been

by Xav de Matos { Jan 29th 2009 at 9:15PM }

Design and animation studio Gridplane has revealed one of the many mock-ups it developed for Microsoft as a potential user-interface update, which later became the NXE. Tasked with creating new ways for users to interact with multimedia, this particular mock-up showcases some of the style found in the NXE. Notably, the use of full retail packaging to list titles and the panes of information, such as the disc in tray image for Halo 3, can be found on current Xbox 360s.

Gridplane also mentions that they dreamt up an "immersive 3D environment" for users to explore games and events within the Xbox Live Community. Which, to us, sounds suspiciously like Sony's Home service.

While the mock-up is stylistically impressive, it all looks a little too much like we forgot our glasses somewhere. Luckily, the final NXE nabbed some of the best ideas and ditched the whole "ethereal plane" look this version seems to evoke.

Gallery: Gridplane: Xbox 360 UI Mock-up

Tags: gridplane, mock-up, nxe, ui, user-interface

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

offday @ Jan 29th 2009 9:23PM

Looks cool, but also kind of confusing.

Shadowfire56 @ Jan 29th 2009 10:28PM

Agreed, this is much more cluttered than the NXE.

bleachedsmiles @ Jan 29th 2009 9:30PM

looks clean, looks nice, looks GROWN UP

D dogg @ Jan 29th 2009 10:04PM

"Grown Up" is subjective.

How about this point of view - "The creative adult is the child who has survived."

I prefer the current NXE as opposed to this mock-up - I'm 34 years old.

mattclarkie @ Jan 30th 2009 3:18AM

I like it because it is more Texty in the key areas. I hate having to press the GUIDE on the NXE to view my messages and friends because the main NXE is useless for it.

I think with a few changes the concept shown could have been better than the NXE, integrate the Avatars if you must and make the concept slightly easier to navigate and I think you have a good dash.

McWilly @ Jan 29th 2009 9:27PM

Bland and boring. Too much like the original dash which I used to put on at night to help me go to sleep.

D dogg @ Jan 29th 2009 10:00PM

"...the original dash which I used to put on at night to help me go to sleep."

That made me laugh!

offday @ Jan 29th 2009 10:16PM

Personally, I use the weather channel.

Rhamsey @ Jan 29th 2009 9:44PM

meh, not really a fan.

john paul @ Jan 29th 2009 9:45PM

Looks like the Mirror's Edge Time trial dlc...

izikavazo @ Jan 29th 2009 9:55PM

It looks like the DiRT menu. It's not bad, but I imagine that themes wouldn't look like much. I wouldn't be surprised if updates look a little like that.
- izi

max @ Jan 29th 2009 10:18PM

honestly, the NXE doesn't look very good and doesn't offer a ton more functionality than the original interface. i prefer the clean and contrast filled look of this design.

JDUDE11 @ Jan 29th 2009 10:30PM

If you go to the flash version of their site, they have a video of that dashboard as well. It looked sleek and much better than the NXE imo.

sjs2626 @ Jan 29th 2009 11:17PM

You're right about it looking slicker (the transitions were amazing!), but that just looked SOOOOOO cluttered. It would be impossible for someone to find something in that.

jdac @ Jan 29th 2009 10:29PM

I only had two weeks of the old dashboard so I didn't get too atached to it. The current NXE is fine, and looks better than this mock-up.

But more importantly: drempt? Come on! A typo is excusable...

ice~ @ Jan 29th 2009 10:47PM

Ya know now that i think about it...if they hadn't released the NXE, xbox would have gotten pretty old....and everything about the NXE is great, they should expand upon the party system function though....

WTFox @ Jan 29th 2009 11:02PM

I'm not really feeling the NXE. The best thing to come out of it, imho, is the party system and group chat (which people had been asking for for a long time). I had no problem with the original "blade" interface. Sure, it needed some tweaks here and there (a better organization and search function, for starters), but I felt that it was rather straight forward in it's purpose and design. With the NXE, I feel like I'm toggling all over the place - up to see my friends, back down to see my profile, then to the right for who-knows-what. I'll admit that the avatars have started to grow on me, but why are my wrists halfway up my arms? Seriously, though...I don't mind NXE, but I would have rather seen the original interface get a face lift rather than a transplant.

happyfaceslapslap @ Jan 30th 2009 12:06AM

Im so tired of using NXE..

Sarth @ Jan 30th 2009 6:55AM

"Which, to us, sounds suspiciously like Sony's Home service." Yep this is no longer 360 Fanboy :P

CABALLOTE @ Jan 30th 2009 3:59PM

I've been saying the same thing for a while now. You're not the only one that notices.

I heard someone over @Joystiq-PS3 side likes his xbox360 a little too much, we'll be more than glad to trade Xav for him...

CABALLOTE @ Jan 30th 2009 4:09PM

on topic/
I actually like this mockup, except it doesn't resolve the issue of "clutter", not to mention themes or gamerpics. I couldnt care less about themes or gamerpics, the more streamlined the better but clutter would be something that would hinder it's potential like what psn store is experiencing right now.

L4MB @ Jan 30th 2009 8:06PM

If it had sound, maybe i would prefer it. i would prefer anything right now that actually works properly.
maybe i'm making a big deal out of the fact that my dashboard does not make any beeps or boops. but here's the thing. microsoft admitted within the FIRST WEEK of NXE that there is an issue with some HDMI connections. the first week was TEN weeks ago. come on microsoft. ten weeks to patch the audio is way to effing long.