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Microsoft has released more information about Xbox Live for our waiting ears and there is plenty of good news to go around. Xbox Live will be available for the Xbox 360 beginning this holiday season in North America. Every console will come with a free Xbox Live Silver membership. Microsoft has acknowledged that one large barrier for many gamers is the credit card requirement to initiate your subscription. This will no longer be an issue as you may now purchase a twelve month subscription with cash or other payment method in the store. One month, three month, and twelve month subscriptions will be available with a credit card through the Xbox Live Dashboard. Still don’t know whether or not to purchase a Gold membership? Here is a breakdown of the differences between the memberships.
Xbox Live Silver is free. You join the online gaming community with your own digital identity, gamertag, and personalized gamer profile. You may send and receive text and voice messages to other members of the community. You can download game related content like free trailers, demos, new levels characters, and weapons. Arcade areas allow gamers to purchase different Xbox Live games (although a hard drive or memory unit is required for downloads).
Xbox Live Gold will have all the same features as Xbox Live Silver but will also include online multiplayer gaming, enhanced matchmaking and feedback tools, and exclusive privileges and rewards on the Xbox Live Marketplace. A one month subscription will be $7.99, three months will cost $19.99, and the full year will be $49.99.
And if you still have lots of cash burning a hole in your pocket after buying your Xbox 360, you may consider the Xbox Live Premium Gold Pack. The three-month subscription will have the same privileges as the Gold Level along with Joust, and Xbox 360 Headset, a ten dollar mail-in game rebate coupon good for any Xbox 360 game title, and 100 Microsoft Points for use on Xbox Live Marketplace. This is available for $39.99. Bankshot Billiards (a Xbox Live Arcade game), Xbox 360 Headset, a twenty dollar mail-in game rebate coupon good for any Xbox 360 game, and 200 Microsoft Points for use on the Xbox Live Marketplace will be included with a one year subscription for $69.99.
“Xbox Live on Xbox 360 gives each and every player the opportunity to become a member of the world’s largest online gaming community,” commented Peter Moore, corporate vice president of Worldwide Marketing and Publishing for the Home Entertainment Division at Microsoft. “With a choice of service level and multiple offerings, gamers everywhere will get the most out of their games by experiencing breakthrough features on the most innovative videogame and entertainment system to date. We’re excited to offer our existing two million members this supercharged online experience at the same retail price, as well as introduce new users to the next generation in online gaming and entertainment.”