During the Xbox 360 era,XboxAvatars were the focal point of the console’s social features. They were Microsoft’s answer to the Mii and operated as the face of the player. Not only would they appear on the home screen of the console, but there were also video games made with these avatars in mind. They were a major part ofXbox, but they seemed to disappear during the Xbox One era. In 2018, the Xbox avatars made a big comeback with a large-scale update that introduced brand-new avatars to the system, making them the face of the player once again.
The return of Xbox avatars was great to see, but the avatar video games have yet to return.The Xbox 360 erasaw a whole host of different games that included the Xbox avatars, much like the Mii-centric games of the Wii era. However, the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S have not seen any games utilizing the Xbox avatars. While the games were never groundbreaking, they did offer a decent amount of fun and gave the avatars more of a purpose. With the newer avatars introduced in 2018 and a brand-new console era, now is the time to bring back these avatar video games.
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The Xbox Avatar Games Gave the Avatars a Purpose
The Xbox Avatars were introduced during the Xbox 360 era and allowed players to create their own personal avatar torepresent them on Xbox Live. These avatars could also be used in games that were rated E10+ or lower, as Microsoft wanted to keep them suitable for children. This spawned all sorts of different video games on the Xbox 360 that players could check out. These ranged from AAA games made by the likes of Activision to many smaller titles through the Xbox Live Arcade. They ranged heavily in quality and fun factor, but they gave the avatars something more to do than just sit on a person’s profile.
The games that utilized the Xbox Avatars came in all sorts of shapes and sizes. There was the management series that made the avatar a giant amongst little people calledA Kingdom for KeflingsandA World of Keflings.They couldcontrol their avatars inGuitar Hero 5,Minecraftclones likeCastleMinerput the avatar at the center of its blocky gameplay, they could run through obstacle courses withDoritos Crash Course, and players could even have their avatars gamble inFull House Poker. In total, there was around 48 different games that put players in control of their avatars. However, all that ended when the Xbox One rolled around and made the avatar games a thing of the past.
The New Avatars Would be Perfect for New Video Games
The Xbox Avatars were mostly pushed off to the side when the Xbox One rolled around, and many of the avatar games did not make the leap over whenXbox began its backwards compatibility program. The avatars mostly went unused until 2018 when they received a brand-new look and a host of new customization features. The avatars became a part of Xbox Live profiles again thanks to their new look, but the update did not bring new video games with it.
The Xbox One era went without any new avatar video games, andthe Xbox Series X/S should not sufferthe same fate. Xbox Avatars are a core part of the Xbox Live identity, and the video games gave them far more to do than just representing the profiles. The new look would also look really nice in new versions of games likeDoritos Crash Course, A Kingdom of Keflings,and as drivers in anotherSonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. Letting players actually control the avatars in certain games would make some people care about the look of their avatar more, and it would give Microsoft a reason to pump the Avatar Store with new cosmetics.
Much like Nintendo’s Miis, the Xbox Avatars have sort of fallen off ever since the end of the Xbox 360 era. While they got a makeover, they have served little purpose besides dressing for a player’s profile. The return of the Xbox Avatar games with the Xbox Series X/S would give these avatars more to do, and it would put the makeover to good use. It is very unlikely thatXboxwill bring these smaller games back, but it really should.
