The second complete overhaul of the Xbox 360's user interface is set to take place tomorrow with the Metro-inspired 2011 system update. A myriad of content provider partnerships were announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo as coming later this year, and a recent Microsoft-issued update clarifies that many of the bigger offerings will not launch until as late as early next year.

The new dashboard rolls out tomorrow, but some of the 360's more anticipated new features will have to wait until next year.

Microsoft announced that while currently available content providers will continue to be available with tomorrow's update, many of the recently announced new partners will be launching later in December or in early 2012. Offerings in place tomorrow will include EPIX, ESPN, Hulu Plus, Netflix, and MSNBC.

In the US, the big ones landing later this month include Sony Pictures' Crackle, iHeartRadio, TMZ, UFC, Verizon FiOS, VEVO, Vudu, and YouTube. CinemaNow, HBO GO, MLB.TV, and Xfinity on Demand have been pushed to early 2012.

In addition to new content providers, the 2011 dashboard update is set to bring the Xbox 360 user interface in line with the Metro design language used in Windows Phone 7 and the forthcoming Windows 8. The Kinect will also be more deeply integrated with the new firmware, allowing for motion-controlled and voice-powered menu navigation. Bing search will also be integrated for Xbox Live Marketplace searches, including support for select content partners.

The 2011 Video Game Awards are shaping up to be as much about game announcements as honoring the year's crowning achievements. Following on from teasers for a new BioWare project, a new Alan Wake project, and the as-yet-unattached Last of Us, Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski has confirmed that his studio will have a "big announcement" to share at this year's show.

Expect something new from Epic's Gears of War studio.

"2011 marks the 20th anniversary for Epic as a studio, and while we've been busy supporting Gears of War and Infinity Blade, we have something new in store for you," Bleszinski said in a Spike TV teaser video. "It's an entirely fresh and new experience we've been crafting here in our North Carolina studio."

Epic's Cary, North Carolina, studio is responsible for the company's biggest franchises, including Gears of War and Unreal Tournament. The developer is coming off Gears of War 3, which closed out the franchise's first story arc on a high note in September. Epic's Chair Entertainment studio released Infinity Blade II for iOS devices last week.

The 2011 VGA ceremony takes place on December 10 and will be broadcast live on Spike TV and MTV2, beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern, 5 p.m. Pacific.