I like where Microsoft is taking their Avatars. They're not just limited to your profile to put on a face and look all cool 24/7. We've seen them go for a Joy Ride, we've even seen them playing golf. This time, Microsoft and Activision have joined hands to integrate the Xbox 360 avatars into Guitar Hero 5 (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii), where we will be seeing ordinary avatars living out their rockstar dreams.

Wondering what else was in store for Xbox 360 owners when Microsoft announced the Fall Xbox Live Experience? Major Nelson is on the case, with a letter from Marc Whitten detailing some of the new things that'll be made available this Fall. Find out more after the jump!

A lot of us may be expecting a hefty Spring update for the Xbox 360 - thanks in no small part to that rumored list of new stuff we reported about a couple of weeks back - but it looks like this year's update might be a bit on the smaller and less easy to spot side. Details from Xbox Live manager Marc Whitten at the full article.

We've heard about the planned increase of XBLA game size limit, but that's not the only change that Microsoft has in store for its XBLA service. In order to prompt game developers to churn out high-quality games, they will give more leeway in game pricing and - the ultimate kicker - take down games that aren't doing so well. Check out the details in the full article.

We recently reported that Undertow would be a free downloadable for the Xbox Live Arcade as compensation for all those downtimes that occured during the past holidays. Apparently, however, the release of the freebie was plagued with additional Live crashes.

A system message appears notifying users that won't let them get their hands on the game. Details in the full article.

Nothing says sorry like a good peace offering. And for the guys who were stricken with Xbox Live's connection blues during the holidays, that mean you're entitled to a  fee copy of XBLA's Undertow game. More details regarding this are available in the full article.

Still sore about the connection problems you encountered when trying to log into Xbox Live during the holidays? Well, here's a little news that might cheer you up.

Microsoft has announced that it will be giving away a free Xbox Live Arcade game to all members of the service. Check out the full article if you want to know more about this new offer from Microsoft.