The response to Microsoft’s upcoming 360 dashboard update has received mixed reactions at best. When it was unveiled at the E3 press conference, the room was utterly silent until one person, likely a MS employee, started clapping wildly at which point a small smattering of applause was heard. So, suffice it to say, no one was floored by the new look.

While the new design adds some great functionality (Netflix streamed right to your Xbox, the ability to chat and play games with up to 8 friends at once), the general design has been roundly criticized, and many are wondering why Microsoft is abandoning its established Blade system for something that looks a lot more like a menu one might expect from the Wii.

For those fighting the new creation tooth and nail, Xbox Live’s Major Nelson wants to soothe your savage anger. In his latest podcast, the good Major has promised that if you don’t like the the new setup, you don’t even have to use it.

"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."

Major Nelson also promised that gamers won’t have to use the new "Avatars" if they don’t want, and that those who prefer Gamer Pictures can stick with the old way of doing things.

Basically, it sounds like Microsoft wants to ease everyone into this transition, which is probably a good thing. I personally don’t mind the new format, as I was never that attached to the Blades anyway, but I can see how some more adamant fanboys would be upset. Still though, once you get past the initial learning curve, the new setup seems quite slick and intuitive, so it won’t take long to adapt. Of course, I could be wrong and it might be awful, in which case I’ll be right there bellyaching and complaining with everyone else.

- Via CVG