Microsoft to reward Xbox Live achievers with freebies
by Kyle Orland 
{ Feb 6th 2007 at 6:50PM }
It seems that the recent rumors about real world rewards for virtual world Xbox Live Achievements are true. Microsoft has just announced a cross-marketing promotion with Old Spice deodorant to give some freebies to American Xbox Live users who add at least 1,500 Achievement points to their gamerscore between Feb. 12 and April 12.
Players have to be at least 13 years old and register at Xbox.com/rewards after Feb. 12. Prizes are divided in to three tiers, depending on the participant's "annual gamerscore" (which we can only assume is the number of points you've gained in the last year):
- Level 1 (Gamers who have an annual gamerscore between 0-4,999 at time of entry): Game Picture, Dashboard theme, Contra for Xbox LIVE Arcade
- Level 2 (5,000-9,999 annual gamerscore): Level 1 Package, 100 Microsoft Points and a contest T-shirt
- Level 3 (10,000+ annual gamerscore): Level 1 Package, 200 Microsoft Points, contest T-shirt and Fusion Frenzy 2.
All told Microsoft will be giving away $500,000 in prizes to gamers who would probably be earning these Achievements for free anyway. Sure, T-shirts and a few hundred MS points aren't anything to write home about, but Fusion Frenzy 2 is a $50 game that can be had for nothing but some diligent gaming. We applaud Microsoft for showing a bit of tangible recognition to some of its most loyal customers. Sony, Nintendo, the freebie ball is in your court.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Aex @ Feb 6th 2007 6:58PM
Wow!
/clap
Good show my dear fellow, good show.
qbix @ Feb 6th 2007 6:59PM
Here's how to score a t-shirt:
http://www.gamespot.com/features/6145320/
Miniboss @ Feb 6th 2007 7:00PM
But... but... Nintendo gives you a 90-day extension on your warranty when you register your Wii!!!
:| Need more swag.
Nate @ Feb 6th 2007 7:01PM
Sounds good...I'll have to put in some serious work when I get Crackdown and NBA Street Homecourt.
King of Sneak @ Feb 6th 2007 8:56PM
I knew all that covert burger distribution would pay off!
Burgers handed out: 533
Gamerscore: 5
Arturo @ Feb 6th 2007 7:07PM
im already nearing 13,000!! :D yayyy
AirIntake @ Feb 6th 2007 7:10PM
So in order to actually get more recognition than having a 0 gamerscore, you have to get 5000+ points anually??? That's buying quite a bit of games per year, and playing through all of them.
If you unlock 100% of all achievements (not likely), you have to buy 5+ games per year, and complete all of them 100% within that year to get 1000points each game.
Or if you're like me, you unlock about 200 points over the course of completing the game normally, perhaps 300. That means, in order to get some recognition, you have to purchase 17-25+ games per year.
There's no way I'm playing each game 100% or buying 17-25+ per year, just for a damn T-shirt and 100 MS points.
I will however, happily accept Contra and the rest just for being a customer, I guess.
jay @ Feb 6th 2007 7:14PM
Soon Nintendo Europe will link up Stars to Wii Points. Not necessarily a freebies it IS a damn fine reward system. Why would I say that? 9k points :) Very nice when I thought these points were going to lead to sweet frig all.
I've got 4 DS Lite Star cards too... if anyone wants the points from them find my email address and get in touch.
But good move MS.
Zuko @ Feb 6th 2007 7:29PM
Time to rent King Kong, Madden 06, and some other games. The T-shirt sounds sweet.
atlnative76 @ Feb 6th 2007 7:33PM
Did anyone go to the Microsoft web page and read the terms of this contest. It looked to me like only certain games qualify for the 1500 points "For some Xbox Rewards Challenges, you will need to have access an Xbox 360™ console with a memory unit or a hard drive, an Xbox Live Gold or Silver-level subscription, and specific Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Arcade games"
Hannibal @ Feb 6th 2007 7:33PM
Holy crap. I've got 11,000 gamerpoints so all I have to do is buy the couple games I could have gotten anyway and I get a free game and a ton of goodies?
Fucking RAWR.
Jaded @ Feb 6th 2007 7:38PM
The smart business move for developers is to now make all of the achievements in their games easy to get. If you thought that easy achievements were a selling point before, now they actually MEAN something.
NintendoFanbot @ Feb 6th 2007 7:44PM
@ 3
Your warranty extends for a Full Year by registering your Wii. You might be thinking of 3 months of Nintendo Power though.
Anyways, I don't buy too much stock in any of Nintendo freebie services. For America, you have to be of a high status in Nintendo's NSider community for free stuff. In Europe, Star Points gets you stuff. But for both regions hardly any of the stuff you can get are really that great. You can get some cool stuff from time to time with Nintendo Power deals though. In Japan, Club Nintendo has cool stuff but I heard the inventory isn't that huge.
While I might criticize the viability of my favorite company's 'freebie system', I'd rather have the games be the one reason for buying games.
But I'm not one to ruin anything for people who like incentive. Free Contra is good anytime. Unless you already bought it. :P
Good job MS. I think for something like this to succeed you need a pretty good Online/customer interaction. XBL is a really big factor and probably unintentially creates a better case for an XBL-type service. While my friends and I are okay with Friend Codes, XBL is really spot-on in its progressiveness.
carg0 @ Feb 6th 2007 8:02PM
wow, are you kidding me? this is their idea of rewards? i mean, the level 1 requirements are ok. it's a start but gets ridiculous to the point of insulting after that. the amount of money you'll have to spend on games alone to rent or buy just to reach the level 2 requirements instantly cancel out the so-called rewards.
if anything, it rewards Microsoft by virtually guaranteeing them a boost in games purchased and/or rented. i knew eventually we'd be able to get stuff for our scores but this particular plan is absolute garbage.
SeNiLe @ Feb 6th 2007 8:03PM
"depending on the participant's "annual gamerscore" (which we can only assume is the number of points you've gained in the last year)"
I hope they clarify this better. I am hovering right around 10,000 points but have had my Xbox 360 for over a year so some of the points might not be counted possibly. I really want to get the level 3 package. Give us a update if you find out more on this.
Wraith Eight @ Feb 6th 2007 8:04PM
@atlnative76
I read that as referring to future challenges, not the current Old Spice challenge.
blank @ Feb 7th 2007 1:36AM
Wow, i wonder if it averages the time since release. I have over 21,500, but I have hardly played in the last 4 months because of classes and work.
Either way, I think I will be in that pile of lucky jokers to get fuzion frenzy 2.
Hannibal @ Feb 6th 2007 8:07PM
@13:
If you expected MS to give you a plan where you would gain money by buying and playing games, you sir need a dose of reality.
blamecanada @ Feb 6th 2007 8:13PM
I might be able to get the rest of the points off Need for Speed MW, but my Xbox likes to freeze during every race.
Daran @ Feb 6th 2007 8:14PM
I love it.
I just hit 10k gamerscore too, time to buy some arcade games and Crackdown.
Arturo @ Feb 6th 2007 8:17PM
@16: Very well said. #s 13, 6, and others with this mentality are idiots.
People are so stupid. "Omg I have to buy all these games just to get me something? But i dont want to and I still get nothing? That's crap!" Thats practically what they're saying lolz. It's to reward(duh)people like me that naturally play a lot of games.
Thryon @ Feb 6th 2007 8:20PM
31k points, but no love because I live in Canada.
DOH! Come on MS, give up something...we love you up here in the frozen north.
razer @ Feb 6th 2007 8:26PM
..Pulls out his trusty memory card & Transfer Kit..
Now where did I put those two 1000point gamesaves??
=)
LordMinogue @ Feb 6th 2007 8:28PM
I have almost 4,000 points, so I'm gonna rent King Kong and borrow Viva Piniata, Dead Rising, and Double Agent from a friend, then rent a few more compelling titles over the next month to get the swag.
Liraco @ Feb 6th 2007 8:41PM
I agree, Sony and Nintendo should be taking notes. I always dreamed of a freebie VC game, that's be sweet (provided that game isn't NES Soccer or something similar).
This is awesome, makes me want to have had a 360 but money won't allow that just yet. Pretty sweet though, that's a mighty nice way for MS to reward its loyal fanbase.
Jake @ Feb 6th 2007 9:10PM
www.gamefly.com
SeNiLe @ Feb 6th 2007 9:35PM
I love it, "Cheaters need not apply."
Looking at you "razer"!
David @ Feb 6th 2007 10:08PM
Wow... The second thing is shit. A game is better than a tee shirt.
Eric @ Feb 6th 2007 10:57PM
To #14 and the OP: I'm pretty sure you have the wrong idea of "annual gamerscore". If you read the entirity of what they have up, it says a reward for completion of a challenge includes a level upgrade for 2007. That statement, combined with the fact that tier 3 includes a free retail game, makes me think that "annual gamerscore" means just that: points earned year-to-date. I.E.: only those earned in the calendar year 2007, not the past year. Very few people are going to have earned 10000 in a month and a half. A LOT of people will have earned 10000 over the last year. I might be wrong, but I seriously doubt it. Personally, I have a GS of almost 38000, but I don't think I've gotten even 5000 this year so far, much less 10000. This really favors those who have recently purchased a console. There's better than 10000 worth of easy points, but those of us that have had the system for awhile, got them long ago. Hell anything is better than nothing, but I bought contra when it came out, so all there is for me, in this one at least, is a gamerpic. Woo hoo... I feel a LOT of new profiles being made right now and a lot of 2k6 games being played on those profiles...
Ash @ Feb 6th 2007 11:11PM
For all the people who are getting all excited about getting free shit read it again
"Xbox Live users who add at least 1,500 Achievement points to their gamerscore between Feb. 12 and April 12."
that means you have to accumulate that amount of points within that period of time... and that I makes more sense.
evildoer @ Feb 6th 2007 11:21PM
what a crappy rewards program... i mean Fusion Frenzy??!!! what garbage.
Eric @ Feb 6th 2007 11:45PM
Hell, apparently I need to read more closely too. The line "Rewards Levels are based on how many Gamerscore you gain each calendar year." is in the text, I just missed it somehow. So Jan 1, 2007 to Feb 12 is what determines your initial level. Without starting a new card, or unless you just got a system, 10000 in that span would be pretty hard. I just did the math and I've only gotten 1980 YTD. And to #29, 1500 points in two months is nothing. All you need is two easy games, of which there are several. 10000 in a month and a half though, is another story.
mike @ Feb 7th 2007 12:52AM
I have a better rewards system:
1. This system is open to the entire world
2. For every 1000 Gamerscore you aquire, you get 200 MS points
3. For those with high gamerscores already, you will get your points worth. so if you have 10 000 points, you will instantly get 2000 ms points.
4. This promotions lasts forever.
This way, It would not hurt the bank at all for microsoft (they could afford it), and every 2 retail games you 100%, would equal 400 ms points (or basically, a free arcade game. If they were even more generous, the would allow 400ms points per 1000 gamerscore.
Jason @ Feb 7th 2007 2:21AM
wow...
just .... wow....
ms gives free stuff away, and you crybabies whine about not getting enough....
jesus christ the audactiy of some people...
want MS to just give you a free xbox anytime you drop a crap in the toilet also?
how bout stock options anytime you blink?
Arturo @ Feb 7th 2007 2:28AM
@34.
Well put.
Mr BoomStic XL @ Feb 7th 2007 7:52AM
What the heck is the matter with some you?? MS is giving away free stuff and your complaining about what their giving away, did any of you forget that you play games to play games and getting a rewards program is a bonus!! It amazes me how some peole complain about eveything!!
jduke @ Feb 7th 2007 8:56AM
i'm a bit confused. right now my gamerscore is 585. so if i gain anything during the two month period, i will get contra?
Dadidito @ Feb 7th 2007 9:10AM
And some of you laughed at the BK games... thats filler right there... :)
SmartriX @ Feb 7th 2007 9:57AM
I do applaud Microsoft for adding more incentives to the achievement system, free is free in the end. I was somewhat enthused by this news until I read the fine print, screw that sir! I have plenty of gamerscore but I didn't gain it all in a month. Too bad for me but after thinking about it, this first reward program is really for people who just picked up a system last christmas. Kudos to the people who will be able to pick up the first wave of rewards!
FoxHoundADAM @ Feb 7th 2007 9:46AM
I don't understand the Level thing completely.
Right now I have 8,535 gamer points. So I think that puts me in level 2. But after I get the 1,500 points I will have over 10,000.
I really want that free Fuzion Frenzy, do I have to have 10,000 point at the start of the program?
elektrokuter @ Feb 7th 2007 2:09PM
Its a great deal to finally see Microsoft offering something up for points finally. It was well speculated that this would happen and it will build up a lot of customer good will. Especially after all the negativity toward the marketplace.
Sony doesnt even have achievements (yet anyways) and Nintendo's "Club" doesn't offer half the cool things as Asia does. But if this works it may be possible.
Free Online Games
Frankie @ Feb 7th 2007 12:45PM
So regardless of the points you have, a Live user starts at ZERO and has two months to accumulate 0 to 10,000 gamerscore points?
And any points before February 11th 07 have no bearing on this right?
Eric @ Feb 7th 2007 12:45PM
Explanation: (aka RTFA)
The Levels are where you're at on February 12th (when the competition starts). Between Feburary 12th and April 12th you need to gain at least 1500 more points to be eligible for the prize in your category. That is all, this is just the first leg of this competition. As an added bonus, if you complete the first task you get upgraded one level for the next competition.
Examples:
I have 0 Xbox Points on February 12th. On April 12th I have 1612 points. I'm eligible for the level 1 prize and I'm automatically "leveled up" to level 2 for the next task (which they haven't announced yet).
SeNiLe @ Feb 7th 2007 1:32PM
No Frankie, the points before Feb 12th will put you in one of the 3 Levels. The question everyone has is, when does the calender year start so we can figure out what our annual Gamerscore is? Does it start from the day we got on the Xbox 360? Does it start on Feb 12th, 2006? Does it start on Jan 1st 2007? Who really knows? We need an insider to get this clarified before Feb 12th so if we need to gain a few more point to get to the level we want we then have some time to crank out a few more points.
Jack @ Feb 9th 2007 12:39AM
DAMNIT, Canada never gets anything good from Xbox.
Mike @ Feb 13th 2007 8:59PM
Those are some lameass prizes. Even the "top" prize isn't even enough Microsoft Points to buy anything. But, then again, that's the whole idea behind Microsoft Points: giving you less than you need to ensure you buy more than you need for that extra few to cover the cost of anything.