The first to really introduce avatars to a gaming console was Nintendo. With the Miis, Nintendo presented customization in a fun, and friendly way. Then of course with one great idea comes many followers. Soon after, Sony comes out with avatars that feature various forms of customization, and have announced at their press conference yesterday that they will be having a full online community for them. And since Microsoft does not want to get left behind in the console war, it was only a matter of time before they too, came out with avatars for the 360. Honestly in my opinion, this is a reaction to the other two major companies. Microsoft is trying to present a more family-oriented, friendly feel to their hardware, and in my opinion, is trying to copy Nintendo. Of course they are entitled to do whatever they want, but I believe they are going overboard. I believe that changing the original dashboard into an entirely new interface is definately overkill. I think that Microsoft has to come out from behind stage, and show Nintendo and Sony that they can think of innovative new ideas, and not just react.