Microsoft giving away free XBLA game

360 News | To say sorry for holiday performance issues.

Only a few days ago we reported that Xbox Live was undergoing a few performance issues. Since then the issues haven't really improved, with several users experiencing issues with connecting online.

Well, an official message from Xbox Live GM Marc Whitten has been posted up on MajorNelson and sheds a bit of light on what Microsoft will be doing to compensate users for the downtime.

The statement reads as follows:

"Dear Xbox LIVE Members:

During this past holiday season you helped us break a number of Xbox Live records. This included our largest sign-up of new members to Xbox Live in our 5 year history and just yesterday you broke the record for the single biggest day of concurrent members ever on the service.

As a result of this massive increase in usage we know that some of you experienced intermittent Xbox LIVE issues over the holiday break. While the service was not completely offline at any given time, we are disappointed in our performance. I would like to take this moment to thank you each and every one of you for your patience and understanding as our team has worked around the clock to return the service to a stable state.

At the same time we would like to offer a token of our appreciation to all of you in celebration of record success for the service. And as a thank you for your loyalty during this holiday period, we will be offering all of our Xbox Live members around the world access to a full Xbox Live Arcade game that will be available to download free of charge. In the coming weeks we will be sharing the specific details of this offer with you.

Thank you again for helping make Xbox LIVE everything that it is today!"

Exactly what game Microsoft will be giving away is currently unknown, nor is it known whether the free game will be restricted to gold users or will also include silver users. We'll let you know either way once Microsoft send word.

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22 Comments

LeonJ

4 years ago

It better not be a game I already own like last time. Why don't they just issue points to it's users?

Skiller

4 years ago

LeonJ wrote

It better not be a game I already own like last time. Why don't they just issue points to it's users?

Because if they gave you the MS points then MS couldn't buy the game in bulk at a huge discount, remember while it's available to us for like 800msp MS could probably negotiate to get it for less than 50msp per licence since they'd be buying a few million licences all at once. Or if they already own the licence then it'd only cost them potential future sales which really isn't costing them anything at all.

If they gave us the MS points then MS would cop the full cost of several million dollars.

El Taco

4 years ago

It should be Exit or Boom Boom Rocket. Just so everyone can play those games.

GroovySamurai

4 years ago

LeonJ wrote

It better not be a game I already own like last time.

Same, I hate it when you pay out for a game and then it gets released for free or the price drops but I spose thats just what you get for jumping in early

Boom Boom Rocket would be awesome because I've been planning to buy it for a while now.

Passa

4 years ago

Again, do you think the developers of game x would be happy if suddenly heaps of people started downloading the full version of their game for free?

Unless Microsoft paid the developers of whatever games people purchase with 800 free points.. but then it just gets messy. It's far easier for Microsoft to organise one game to be given away for free.

What I'm curious about is who it applies to - my Gold account expired today.

Qbert

4 years ago

Awesome, if this is for silver users, I'm going to be stoked.

Lord Halo Nerd

4 years ago

I was hoping to would be a free username change I really want to change LordHaloNerd1.
Oh well, at least it should be a new game. Wouldn't mind Exit or Battlestar Galactica.

critter2003

4 years ago

Qbert wrote

Awesome, if this is for silver users, I'm going to be stoked.

Major Nelson posted on his twitter that it will be for both Gold and Silver

ret the roman

4 years ago

O gosh I hope its super mario bros.

Infested Jibbs

4 years ago

Minesweeper ftw!

DancesInUnderwear

4 years ago

Right when my Xbox is dead. What a surprise.

TheAnswer

4 years ago

Im sure they will pick a game that more Live users own over others and one thats been out for ages.

Luke

4 years ago

Or a new one that isn't out yet so no-one owns it.

slapshakle

4 years ago

Luke wrote

Or a new one that isn't out yet so no-one owns it.

Hopefully, since it's a 50% chance I'd already own it.

TheAnswer

4 years ago

Luke wrote

Or a new one that isn't out yet so no-one owns it.

So another Yaris?

A13x

4 years ago

Yaris 2: The Wreckoning

BurnZ

4 years ago

I may not be an Xbox fan or really fond of MS but I say kudos to you!

You may have crapped up the system during the holidays but good for you for giving people something for their troubles.

I take my hat off to you. *takes off hat*

Baad Woolf

4 years ago

I suffered 2 whole days without xbox live because of their recent problems. But now i get to enjoy a free xbla game =D

ZNMS

4 years ago

I hope the game will be the original TMNT arcade game. I missed out on getting that one for free first time round.

NeoSanity

4 years ago

Bad__Wolf wrote

I suffered 2 whole days without xbox live because of their recent problems. But now i get to enjoy a free xbla game =D

I'm sure you were shattered. You may need to see a doctor, you might have gotten a bookworm in you after those two days.

Yes it was annoying, Call of Duty 4 played like a dog for the last few weeks for me though compensation or not these sorts of outages will undoubty occur on the internet from time to time even on a paid service so really many of us should come to expect it from time to time instead of whining why our Xbox Live connection sucks and what's the problem.

Microsoft has gone above and beyond by offering any sort of compensation so in that respect good on them, at the same time if your relying on Xbox Live to enjoy playing on your Xbox them maybe you need to re-check yourselves with some old-school offline linear storyline games. I mean Bioshock will be just as much fun the second time around...right?

[That wasn't an attack you Bad Wolf, it just highlighted the point I was making out quite well.]

Daniel Primed

4 years ago

The game is going to have to be one of these titles:

Zuma
Worms
UNO
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
Street Fighter II
Small Arms
Pac-Man
Marble Blast Ultra
Lumines Live
Gauntlet
Galaga
Frogger
Doom
Cloning Clyde
Castlevania: Symphony of Night
Bankshot Billiards 2
Assault Heroes
Word Puzzle
Switchball
Shrek-n-Roll
Screwjumper!
Undertow
Asteroids
Arkadian Warriors
Gripshift
Sensible World of Soccer
Metal Slug 3

Because this is the list of Indian Xbox Live Arcade games and they have the smallest selection out of all of us. I got this one from Siliconera