When Microsoft gave the interface of Xbox 360 a complete makeover this week, an Orem-based game studio was at the center of the newly designed universe.

The idea — with the launch roughly the equivalent of releasing a new Windows package for the PC — is to put players in the more user-friendly system via an avatar. Navigating through menus or meeting fellow gamers socially is now done with a representation that looks roughly like the user, or radically different if the user chooses.

While the avatars took effect upon launch, only one experience takes those figures into the game experience, "Kingdom For Keflings," available for download purchase the moment the new menus went live.

"There are other games launching that include avatars in the game, but they aren't playable," said the Orem company's president, Steve Taylor. "At this point, we are the only game."

NinjaBee is part of Wahoo Studios/NinjaBee, which develops games that are smaller downloadable games available on the Xbox Live system rather than bigger, more expensive games on store shelves. The Wahoo half of the studio involves the same cast of employees, but on portions of games the company doesn't own.

"Every time we release a game, there is a bump (of attention) anyway, people get interested. In this case, there is a whole lot bigger bump than usual. Absolutely it results in more eyeballs and raises the company profile."

The game is family-friendly and is a city-building game where the avatar from the dashboard works as a giant in the game and helps the tiny Keflings build their village into a thriving metropolis. Up to four users can co-build the city, all with avatars.

The studio has developed a solid reputation in the Xbox community with games like "Outpost Kaloki" (space lemon-aid stand), "Cloning Clyde" and "Band of Bugs." When approached for the avatar game, things fell into place.

"We have become one of the top Live Arcade developers," Taylor said. "When we originally designed the game, we didn't have Microsoft's avatars in mind. It was a bit of good fortune; it turned out to work extremely well. We made their avatars work really well in-game."

The night before the launch was something like Christmas Eve for Taylor and his company.

So how is the game? How is the next Xbox interface?

"I think it's pretty cool," he said. "I was not sure what to expect, but playing it, I was quite happy. It is more realistic than other similar services, and playing in a game is just great. It's like, 'That's me playing a game!' That is pretty cool."

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E-mail: LC@desnews.com