More evidence Xbox Live on Xbox 360 may become free
**Update**7/29/08 - We contacted Microsoft and received a statement as to what is exactly going on why cross-platform games can be played for free with the silver account on Xbox Live.
We contacted Microsoft asking if this was a glitch or if it was intentional, and if intentional what is exactly going on.
A Microsoft spokesperson said:
“This is not a glitch, but a limited time promotion to give Xbox LIVE silver users a taste of cross-platform gaming,”
There you have it folks, it’s a unannounced limited time promotion so you might want to get cracking and don’t miss the opportunity to play some games online for free.
**Update End**
Not even a couple days after I posted “Will Xbox Live be free on Xbox 360? Maybe sooner than you think” article, rumors are abound on the web about speculation of this happening sooner than you think! As many of you may know its Xbox Live Weekend going on right now meaning Silver account members can sink their teeth into some real multiplayer action.
This is Microsoft’s way of swaying the free Silver members to upgrade their membership to Gold. This is a chance for Xbox 360 owners that have been reluctant to “Jump In” and play some online gaming to try it out for free over the weekend.
It seems like Kotaku is reporting their own rumor that Xbox Live (XBL) will become free as well. As we reported here, Microsoft has announced Games for Windows Live (GFWL) will stop charging PC gamers a subscription fee to play games online in order to compete with the vast majority of free PC online gaming services.
Reports are coming in after this new policy went into effect other games which are available cross-platform on PC and Xbox 360 such as Shadowrun, Lost Planet and Universe at War all were playable for free straight from your Xbox 360! What is going on here? According to some sleuthing Kotatu did, players who are reporting this show Silver account members playing Shadowrun two days before Xbox Live Weekend even started.
Could this be a case of some engineer in Redmond pulling the wrong lever in Microsoft Game Studios laboratory or could this be intentional? Maybe it’s Microsoft’s plan to balance out users buying games that are available on both the PC and Xbox 360.
If this is true then that means Microsoft is willing to bend on the pay-to-play model they have in place currently, which can only be great news.
I will have an update to this story as soon as I find out more.
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49 Responses to “More evidence Xbox Live on Xbox 360 may become free”
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July 28th, 2008
Hopefully your right. I just started playing Shadowrun and man is that a game that got slept on. It is a lot of fun but I never noticed anything because I already Pay.
July 28th, 2008
Sweet, if Xbox Live becomes free, does that mean i’ll be credited my remaining ‘paid’ time with Microsoft Points? I have my eye on a few arcade games….
July 28th, 2008
Harry- yeah, good luck with that!
July 28th, 2008
If it becomes free, I may well pick up a 360. See Microsoft, it works.
July 28th, 2008
Actually, there were two different times during the original Xbox’s lifespan that I got a cheap subscription card after my account had been charged and MS refunded my account on both occasions. I think the cards just extend your subscription now, but I am sure that the refunds will come.
Live Gold could become more like Sony’s pay subscription, where it is cheaper and contains exclusive demos and other content. I think Sony calls their “online magazine” Qore or somesuch.
That said, I don’t mind paying for Live. It costs less than the price of one game per year and I use it constantly. Btw CAD, I am usually playing Shadowrun on Sunday nights. My gamertag is Lord Geoff. The friends list is full, but keep an eye out for me.
July 28th, 2008
If it becomes free I may use it.
Wow Rozy you’re right!
July 28th, 2008
YEAH! make LIVE FREEEE!!
thenb maybe I can play Geow 2 and hopefully bug kevin in an online match…hehe
July 28th, 2008
If it becomes free, well… I still can’t use it because the 360 doesn’t have wi-fi… dammit.
-Arvis
July 28th, 2008
Ah yehh…no wifi…damn.
Though I think I still have a spare slot on my BT Hub. I guess I could label it as a 360’s.
The day it becomes free….will be a good day.
July 28th, 2008
If it becomes free will MS still throw money into the online service and at exclusive content? When a business is used to that kind of money coming in it would be hard to just let it go and keep your expenses that high. I know MS has the money, but I’m sure they want to make money, not lose money!
July 28th, 2008
not the first time silver members game for free. it has been ongoing for sometime now, usually with sponsors (Nike).
i will laugh if it does become free, however, as this removes the best (only) selling point of PSN….
July 28th, 2008
Kev- that’s wrong the best selling point of the PSN is that it is on PS3!
July 28th, 2008
On the PC it might be free duh but on the Xbox 360 it will never happen plus $50 is nothing.
July 28th, 2008
hey have you ever heard the phrase – “You cant polish a turd”…*cough 360 cough*…. you cant polish this turd of a machine by cutting the price because thats all you’re going to do…cut the price rather than improve an already free service with PSN.
July 28th, 2008
i use it with the ps3 bourne because thats all the console is a turd no games FREAKING ABYSMAL ONLINE SERVICE and the ps3 is 3rd in the next gen wars you sir FAIL SO BAD.
July 28th, 2008
maybe theyll give existing subscribers MS points as refund when they make it free. i hope theyre reading this.
DD
July 28th, 2008
It’s clearly evident that the PS3 swings the bigger cock compared to 360’s small tweener
July 28th, 2008
Arvis – Wireless sucks anywhoos
(well except for ‘borrowing’ internet from time to time 
)
Kev – It should all be free. Can’t fault MS for wanting more $$$ tho, I know I would if I could get suckers to pay for it.
July 28th, 2008
dont call the 360 a turd guys…
LIVE has subscriptions that can match (if not blow away) the subscriptions of world of warcraft… and thats saying something…
bravo 360… now I may buy a pimped out elite in 2009… yay…
July 29th, 2008
wylie – all you guys claim psn is “better” because it’s free.. now? oh… well it’s “better” because it’s on the ps3? omg… could you get get any more pathetic? lol.
bourne – LOL. the ps3 is being killled in the market by a “turd”.. doesn’t say much about the ps3 now does it… lmao..
July 29th, 2008
What figures are you looking at to say that 360 is killing the ps3 Kev…don’t bother stating the unit lead it has at the moment…360 had a 18 month head start. Give us recent monthly sales figures showing this so called “killing”.
July 29th, 2008
Being Killed? For the past few months the ps3 is killing the 360 ( i draw your attention to last months npd sales (400,000 ps3’s to 200,000 360’s)
July 29th, 2008
spidey – a first to market approach didn’t stop sony from claiming “we’ve won the console wars” at E3 only 5 months after the xbox launched. if it was good enough for sony then, it’s good enough for them now. if the 360 was really a “turd” like you fanboys claim, the early launch wouldn’t matter… but alas…. there the ps3 is; in LAST place and set to fall farther with the 360’s price reduction…
bourne – one month? wow…. with the claimed “120 million loyal ps users” that sony and their fanboys screamed about, it should be EVERY month. it’s funny you think one month means more than the year+ the 360 has been outselling the ps3 according to NPD….
face it; you called the 360 a turd and it’s STILL ahead of the ps3… that doesn’t speak well for the ps3…
to say the main selling point of psn is BECAUSE it’s on the ps3 is the same arrogance that landed sony in last place. you need to deliver what gamers want and not depend on a name.
July 29th, 2008
to those who think it “should be free”; i suppose all the employees working for xbox live should work for free too, right? and maybe the developers creating d/l content should work for free too, right? why stop there? i use gasoline everyday… shouldn’t it be free too?
geez…
July 29th, 2008
Nice post kev! They’ll probably call you a homosexual or something now, seeing that they can’t really have an intelligent response to that.
July 29th, 2008
Hey Kev- while your at it, don’t you wish you could have sex for free?
July 29th, 2008
$50 per year for all I can get on XBL it’s nothing. I spend around $150 on games per month for my Xbox 360, and for all what I’ve read around internet I’m pretty sure that Xbox Live service is better than PSN. And you even get a free headset with your gold account !! I have some friends who bought Live gold accounts just to play with us as they don’t even have Xbox 360 (planning to get one, though)!! That good is the service
July 29th, 2008
wylie – don’t need to wish. for me it’s a reality. ask bourne, dwh or spidey. i have a feeling they may know the going rate..
July 29th, 2008
kev, how is your;
‘i suppose all the employees working for xbox live should work for free too, right? and maybe the developers creating d/l content should work for free too, right? why stop there? i use gasoline everyday… shouldn’t it be free too?’
…even relevant?
People can give things for free and be paid for it, like someone handing out leaflets. They get paid, because their employers make the profit elsewhere. Microsoft happen to make A LOT of money elsewhere.
July 29th, 2008
jham, Kev, and fellow Xbots-
I don’t think too many PS3 fanboys will argue which is the better online. XBL is better right now and more than likely will be in the future. What I say is for being a free service I don’t mind the PSN. Also if I had to trade bluray for XBL, I for one wouldn’t! I got the PS3 for more than just gaming and downloading movies doesn’t interest me unless I’m putting it on my PSP for a flight, or road trip. In other words I wouldn’t trade my PS3 for a better online!
July 29th, 2008
Kev – I guess the ps3 is a turd gaining momentum soon to throw the master turd (360) out of the toilet basin altogether then, especially when on a monthly basis the general gaming population agree’s with me.
July 30th, 2008
royzy- the fact you even had to ask that question only underscores your ignorance.
bourne – come back when the ps3 actually DOES unseat the 360 for second place. in the meantime, enjoy the view from last place.
must be huge scene change from #1 only a couple of years ago.. lmao..
“monthly basis”? check npd again, noob. the 360 has been outselling the ps3 in most months since the ps3 launched. ouch…
July 30th, 2008
Haha Kev, that lovely little insult clearly underscores your own.
July 30th, 2008
royzy – get your own material, sport.
July 30th, 2008
oooooooh, fight fight fight
July 30th, 2008
bourne – hee, hee… i’m thinking of changing my name to Hughe Jorgan. Has a nicer ring than “kev”. got the idea from harry. whatcha think, should i?
July 30th, 2008
kev – don’t get teasy because it took you so long to think up.
It was quite clear you were on the defensive, like usual when someone starts picking at the gaping holes in your bullshit.
July 30th, 2008
Kev,
This whole time I’ve been telling myself that you’re far and away more mature than Douchebag Harry. You don’t want to disappoint poor old Arvis now, do you?
-Arvis
July 30th, 2008
arvis – aw, c’mon…harry’s just having fun. you got dwh and we got harry. we’re even. hey, at least we’re not ivan.
July 30th, 2008
Sorry Arvis but he has a point there on not being Ivan. To bad we couldn’t trade Ivan away! He’s alittle over the top!
July 30th, 2008
Kev – as long as we can still comment on your opinionated bile, you can change your name to DAVE PARRACK or santa claus for all i care. Just make sure you inform us.
July 30th, 2008
“there the ps3 is; in LAST place and set to fall farther with the 360’s price reduction…”
We will just call you Michael Patcher from now on eh Kev…..you deluded freak…..lol
You seem to be setting yourself up for a very nasty fall Kev…you keep harping on about “enjoying the view form last place, etc etc” And you know as well as we do that the ps3 will eventually overtake 360.
July 31st, 2008
spidey – so far, every prediction of the ps3’s success over the 360 has fallen flat.
why is it that price drop “guarantees” sales for the ps3 (as promised by sony and their fanboys)but not the 360? more hypocrisy… nice…
bourne – nothing “opinionated” about the fact the 360 is wiping the floor with the ps3 in the largest and most important markets. congrats on japan tho…
July 31st, 2008
Kev,
*faceplam* I’m starting to think you’re doing this on purpose.
Again, the 360’s been losing out in every market for the majority of the 2008 calendar year.
Speaking of Ivan, do you guys remember that short period where he was attempting to front a weak facade of neutrality so his fanboy garbage might have more validity? Man, I wanted to punch him we he posted “I like the PS3 AND 360!”
-Arvis
July 31st, 2008
arvis – wtf are you smoking.
this is only the second month the ps3 has outsold the360 in NA.
http://www.thestreet.com/s/sonys-playstation-3-regains-1st-place-over-xbox/newsanalysis/tech-update/10427339.html?puc=googlefi&cm_ven=GOOGLEFI&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA
get your facts straight. someone might actually think you know what you’re talking about. thankfully, i’m here to set you fanboys straight..
July 31st, 2008
Kev,
Really?
http://www.edge-online.com/news/ps3-outsells-360-january
That’s January.
http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/03/february-npd-ps.html
That’s February.
And of course, there’s both June and July….
That makes HOW many months again?
-Arvis
July 31st, 2008
LMAO kev, the 360 is wiping the floor, thats the funniest thing EVER.
August 1st, 2008
arvis – oops..hee, hee… that’s what i get for believing what i read on the ‘net.
congrats on your 4 months, but i still stand behind my belief it will sink again next month thru the holidays due to 1. it already blew it’s wad with mgs4 and gta, and 2. the 360’s price reduction.
but it is funny watching you guys only use 08 numbers while ignoring the months in 07 the 360 was killing the ps3.
besides, the ps3 is still millions behind the 360.. no worries.
August 1st, 2008
Kev,
Your belief may very well come true. It’s way too early to tell how the holiday season will pan out. And while you believe the PS3 has already “blown it’s wad” as you so concisely put it, I think both the PS3 and 360 have enough quality titles lined up for the next 6 months to ensure consumer interest through to 2009. Not to be all sugary-hand-holdy, but I’d like to believe that both you and I will have a victory over the Wii to celebrate after the holidays. The Wii has NOTHING worth purchasing for the rest of the year. It’s line-up SUCKS, and if people keep freaking buying it in these numbers, I will personally beat them in the head with their frickin wiimotes. STOP BUYING THE WII, YOU MORONS!
-Arvis