New Xbox dashboard now has a name: Twist Control

[Grim Reaper]

Update: It sounds like "Twist Control" is a generic name for the panel-scrolling UI element which has appeared in various Microsoft products, such as the Zune HD, and not the proper name for the Dashboard.

We thought it was a little fishy -- in an interview with Joystiq earlier this month, Microsoft's David Dennis said the company was calling the updated interface the "new dash," because "we didn't want it to stick like NXE did." We apologize for the confusion.

During floor demos at Gamescom, Microsoft revealed the moniker of its new, Kinect-centric Xbox 360 Dashboard: "Twist Control." We think we can all agree that this is the best name that the platform's navigation tools have had thus far. Well, okay, "Blades" might give it a run for its money, but it'd be a pretty close race.

Then again, we haven't seen much twisting from the interface -- isn't there a more context appropriate title out there? Something like "Space Windows" or "Wizard Buttons" or "The Telekinesis Engine" or "Intangible Frames" or "The Even Newer Xbox Experience" or "Minority Report" or "Bark Commands at Your Xbox Until Your Neighbors Think That You Are a Legit Crazy Person."

[Uniquely]

It looks very much like the Windows Media Center dash, which works very much like the Sony dashboard; except that it goes vertical THEN horizontal where as the Sony dash goes horizontal THEN vertical.

It should be a very usable dash for controlling with voice commands and hand gestures. I personally really like going all "minority report" with my Xbox, and being able to control all of the functions with the Kinect will be fun at times. I'd still use the controller most of the time; but it will be nice to not even have to turn on a controller when I want to use my 360 strictly for multi-media functions.