This morning, before all night owls crashed but long after sound sleepers hit the sack, Microsoft quietly distributed a system update for Xbox 360.

The download, which gamers had to accept before signing onto the Xbox Live multiplayer gaming service, lasted maybe a couple of minutes and installed without incident. At least it did on Game Guy’s system..

More remarkable however was what happened afterward: nothing. The box didn’t cough, sputter or hesitate. The disc-read errors Game Guy periodically sees following updates did not return. The system itself did not lock up and require a hard restart, as sometimes has been the case.

But nor was there any visual indication after startup that an update had installed.

So, what gives?

Don’t know. Got a call in to Microsoft, but given Game Guy’s previous criticism of Xbox he doesn’t expect a response. However, Major Nelson, the preeminent blogger on all things Xbox, says he was told the update mostly prepares “for future growth of the service.”

And here Game Guy thought that’s what all updates did. Silly him.

Regardless, everyone online who talks trash or nice about Xbox 360 sounds just as perplexed. One of them hopes it solves his disc-error woes in the new Xbox he purchased to replace yet another that suffered from the infamous “red ring of death.”

“I don’t know about anyone else, but this is seriously hampering my experience with the Xbox 360,” writes thewilleffect at The Xbox Domain. “So, hear this Microsoft. Something is wrong with the Xbox 360 dashboard code and it needs to be fixed badly. … Hopefully, whatever this update has done or is preparing for us will alleviate these issues, because this is getting really fraking annoying rally fraking quick.”

From your lips to Gates ears, Will.