Will NXE Cause More Red Rings?

I know that I have made the NXE the subject of the past few entries and at this point it seems that it is without end (my box is still in transit to Texas). Trust me the NXE will probably stop being the topic of conversation once I get my hands back on my box (I'll have had proper fiddling time). And since I find it the topic of my thoughts whenever I am thinking about my Xbox, subjects like the one titled above are often what I come up with.

I know that a question such as, "Will the NXE cause more red rings," is a loaded question (seeing as, insert event here, always causes the red ring for an unlucky bunch of people) but allow me to explain. The real question here is will the NXE improve upon the average user play time with the console? With features such as Netflix and Parties, will we be spending more time overall on the user experience that the NXE is here to provide -Microsoft certainly hopes so. Plus, with this amazing library of games to play (looking at you Fallout), you can only count on more time gaming this holiday than not.

But seeing as games are somewhat of a no brainer (that's you Left 4 Dead) let's concentrate on Netflix.

My co-author of this blog is obsessed with the Netflix feature. He has already watched 10 movies (using this feature) and counting as I write this entry. He is arguably equally obsessed with gaming as I am (his gamescore is what it is in a much shorter period of time than it took myself to achieve mine) and this feature alone has him spending hours more time on his box than he already does. This fact alone leads me to believe that user spent time will be increased, at least, by a person remotely interested in movies.

For those out there that are not avid movie fanatics do not pick up Scene It? Box Office Smash. But seriously, for those who are more into the playing together aspect of the Xbox Experience, parties were built for you. Hop into a party and have voice chat with your best [gaming] friends without being in any of the same games. Use it as a conference call tool while you are not even using your Xbox. Drag your party to the game you are playing. Whatever the instance you need group chat for, you can probably accomplish it. I believe that this feature will cause longer conversations, longer multiplayer sessions, and yes more overall time with the 360 console.

So yes the NXE will probably cause more red rings but of course we will never see any numbers to prove this (or at least anything remotely conclusive). The reason I say this is because it is only a matter of time before your next red ring. We as Xbox owners know that the 360 is a blessing (great games in great numbers) and a curse (well that goes without saying). When my Xbox returns from this long long journey it will only be a matter of time before it happens again. What game, what event? Only time will tell.