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.
_thumbnail.jpg "i am 8-bit: 2008")
(Page 1) Reader Comments
/clap
Good show my dear fellow, good show.
Reply
http://www.gamespot.com/features/6145320/
Reply
:| Need more swag.
Reply
Reply
Reply
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.
Reply
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.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Fucking RAWR.
Reply
Reply
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.
Reply
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.
Reply
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.
Reply
I read that as referring to future challenges, not the current Old Spice challenge.
Reply
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.
Reply
Reply
I just hit 10k gamerscore too, time to buy some arcade games and Crackdown.
Reply
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.
Reply
DOH! Come on MS, give up something...we love you up here in the frozen north.
Reply
Now where did I put those two 1000point gamesaves??
=)
Reply
Reply
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.
Reply
Burgers handed out: 533
Gamerscore: 5
Reply
Reply
Looking at you "razer"!
Reply
Reply
Reply
"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.
Reply
Reply
Reply
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.
Reply
Either way, I think I will be in that pile of lucky jokers to get fuzion frenzy 2.
Reply
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?
Reply
Well put.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
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?
Reply
Reply
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).
Reply
And any points before February 11th 07 have no bearing on this right?
Reply
Reply
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
Reply
Reply
Reply