Free Game as Xbox LIVE Turns Five — Also Watch for the Xbox Originals
November 13, 2007 5:02 pm Online Games, Video Game Deals, Xbox 360
Xbox LIVE is hitting the five mark, and Microsoft is ready to celebrate. They are offering Carcassonne (Hexic 2 in Korea) free to all current members between 12:01 a.m. PST on Nov. 15 and 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 16. As an added bonus, for that rare breed of gamer who has been with Xbox LIVE since its inception in 2002 (all three of you can take a bow), they are giving away 500 free Microsoft Points.
Also included in their announcement is that a new dashboard update will be available on Dec. 4 (with unmentioned features) and it will usher in the “Xbox Originals” era. The Xbox Originals will be full Xbox games that people can download and play on their 360. The ones that the press release takes the time to explicitly mention are: Halo, Fable, Indigo Prophecy, Crimson Skies, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex and Burnout 3. For a reasonable price of 1,200 points ($15 in real money), people will be able to download and play these fun games.
Read the full press release after the jump.
As Xbox LIVE Turns Five, Microsoft Announces Next Wave of Social Fun
Xbox LIVE membership soars past 8 million mark, Microsoft unveils new download service for Xbox games direct to your living room beginning Dec. 4.
REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 13, 2007 — On Nov. 15, Microsoft Corp. will celebrate the fifth anniversary of Xbox LIVE. In addition, the company notes that the latest membership figures show more than 8 million members are now actively engaged in the largest social entertainment network on TV. Xbox LIVE has grown from a small community of gamers in two countries, playing a handful of games online with their friends, to a worldwide social entertainment network offering online access to gaming, music, movies and TV shows. As friends across 26 countries and nine languages have connected on Xbox LIVE, it is their feedback and active participation that has guided the service to become what Wired magazine recently called “the king of the online arena.” As a gesture of thanks to the gaming community, all 8 million members will have the opportunity to download a free Xbox LIVE Arcade game,* available for downloading between 12:01 a.m. PST on Nov. 15 and 11:59 p.m. PST on Nov. 16.** In addition to this, every active member who joined the service in 2002 will receive 500 free Microsoft Points.
Starting on Dec. 4, all Xbox LIVE members will receive a free system update with a host of new features and enhancements. Included in this update will be the launch of Xbox Originals, which, for the first time, will enable consumers to download and own full Xbox games, such as “Halo,” “Psychonauts,” “Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge” and “Fable,” among others, directly to their Xbox 360. This new service will launch with an array of blockbuster titles spanning the most popular genres from action-adventure to classic role-playing games.
With no disc necessary, and at just 1,200 Microsoft Points per game, Xbox LIVE members can easily rediscover these hit titles, or check out a game they missed the first time around. This launch lineup is only the beginning, as Xbox 360 owners can expect to see a growing catalog of Xbox games to download and own over the coming year.
“In just five short years, Xbox LIVE has revolutionized the way friends and family have fun in the living room,” said John Schappert, corporate vice president of LIVE, software and services at Microsoft. “On its fifth birthday, Xbox LIVE truly is the place for hanging out with friends and enjoying downloadable TV shows, movies, videos, game add-ons and now downloadable Xbox games on demand.”
More information can be found online about the downloadable games available on Xbox LIVE, the evolution of Xbox LIVE or the Xbox LIVE is 5IVE member rewards at http://www.xbox.com.