Xbox Live update? Yes. Avatar items? Not so much...

Hello Microsoft? Can I please have the Avatar items I paid for? Preferably in English...

Note that "Terms of Service," "Accept" and "Decline" are in English: So was everything else leading up to this screen.

This post relates to several issues I may have had with the new Xbox Live Dashboard update. Not just Avatar Item Issues.

So the Xbox Live Dashboard Update process went fairly well considering the problems I was expecting. However, on the final restart of the update (three total I think) you do not get signed into live. You have to select "Connect to Live" and then you are greeted with "there are new terms of service."

Of course there are.

Full Disclosure. I have had my issues with Microsoft in the past:
• HoC node 3916
• HoC node 46
• HoC node 103 (my favourite)
• HoC node 138
• HoC node 145
• HoC node 235 (kind of)
• HoC node 339
• HoC node 412
• or the slightly misconstrued HoC node 224 which could have been their fault. It could have!!
  
  This is just in case you haven't been following the site for long.

So where was I? Right, "terms of service."

I guess, that technically, I could decline them. Thus making all my multiplayer games that I bought previously freaking useless. Yes, let's do that. Not to mention the giving up the whole Call of Duty Zombie Mode thing. And the Xbox Live service that I have already paid for through 2012.

Like that was going to happen. Accepting was imminent, even I knew that.

However, I would have liked to have been able to freaking read them!

Yes, I am in Canada, I accept that, but every single other piece of the Xbox Dashboard, before and after the new "terms of service" was in English. You would have thought that the "terms of service" should have been as well!

Do I sound bitter? Good. Cause I am.

Okay, fine. Not like I ever read the damn things anyway. Accept.

And away we go.

Kind of...

What a nice looking Avatar: with a T-shirt I don't recognize...

Wait, who is that Avatar? He has my hat. And my camo pants. But that's not my Zombie Lover T-Shirt.

NoooooOoo!!!!!!

Sure enough. No Zombie Lover T-Shirt.

Which I paid for by the way.

Let's go into the Avatar Editor and try and fix that.

Oh. No problem then: How long could this possibly take?

This may not be as bad as I thought. I just need to update my Avatar items.

Look! An error! On the Xbox Dashboard: I never would have seen that coming.

NoooooOoo!!!!!!

Okay so it is as bad as I thought. You would think I was pretty much used to errors on Xbox Live. But what's with the big green check mark?

Seriously, who on earth would approve a big green check mark right next to a status error.

Status code: 80072EE2, check!

Status code: 80072EE3, check!

Status code: 80072EE4, check!

Did I get all the errors necessary? Check! I mean really. Could I have at least got a big red X? Even a little red X would have been slightly more appropriate don't you think? (I really only received the first 80072EE2 status code, I added the additional two as sarcasm.)

Let's just rub that error code in, shall we?

So I figure, despite Microsoft being Microsoft there is a chance I can go into the Avatar Marketplace and re-download my Zombie Lover T-Shirt. I mean, it's a possibility isn't it?

My Avatar is looking: but he is having trouble believing

I guess not.

I am thinking the exclamation mark in the middle of my Zombie Lover Tee is a bad sign.

Hello? Microsoft? Where's my red Zombie Lover T-Shirt?

I guess it's the stupid blue ON symbol T-Shirt for a while.

Now, I must admit that I thought it strange that paid Avatar items didn't make the transition to the new Dashboard. Even for Microsoft. So while digging through the Avatar Marketplace I clicked on the Most Popular items tab. You know, just for kicks.

Most Popular: 1 - 8

Most Popular: 9 - 16

Most Popular: 17-24

Wow. The entire top twenty four most popular Avatar items didn't survive the new Dashboard. Unfortunately I have no idea whether number twenty five made it or not as it stops after three screens.

Okay. So. About that.

I haven't done any trouble shooting. I have yet to restart. I haven't gone to Microsoft Technical Support. I haven't phoned Xbox support or done a google search.

It is possible there is an easy fix.

BUT...

What I have had to do is deal with a missing, purchased Avatar item immediately after a known, scheduled update.

Regardless of how easy a fix this may be it never should have got past Quality Control. I find it hard to believe that I am the only one of millions of Xbox Live users that has lost an Avatar item and has had to rebuild their Avatar.

What ever the reasons, even with (especially with) Microsoft's Xbox track record, this kind of thing should not have been allowed to happen.

You hear me Microsoft? Don't you dare touch my Zombie Lover T-Shirt again!

And I damn well better get it back.

For the rest of you, if it isn't too late already, I would take a good look at your Xbox Live Avatar before you update as you are probably going to be rebuilding him shortly.

And yes. I am still bitter.