Microsoft offering free XBLA game due to Live issues

by Alexander Sliwinski on Jan 4th 2008 12:50AM

Microsoft wants to say "sowwy" for the intermittent Xbox Live issues plaguing the service over the holiday, and they'd like to apologize with a free Xbox Live Arcade game. Major Nelson posts a letter from Marc Whitten, general manager of Xbox Live, which has a lot of customer service filler in it until the line about a free XBLA game for "all our Xbox Live members around the world" -- India is going to be psyched!

The letter says specific details are forthcoming, so now we're left wondering if there'll be a couple options or if it's just gonna be free Frogger for everyone. If that's the case, then someone is gettin' thrown under a car! Get it? Sigh.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Source

Tags: BreakingNews, free, free-game, major-nelson, xbl, xbla, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (109)

if its yaris ima get pissed

yaris is already free.
the only way they could make yaris a better deal is if they pay you to play it.... and considering how bad it sucks, they probably should.

Does it really matter? XBL is still not running smoothly up to this very minute with no indication in site as to when it will be back to it's overhyped, overpriced self. Come people. you can do it. get a little angry. just for me. just a little. Don't you feel a little a like a pigeon crapped on your head? just a little? I mean, when does the bleeding stop? HUH??? RROD was one thing, but for heaven's sake, this is "XBOX LIVE" we're talking about here.

dude jack, I started thinking you were just a good old troll, but after that last post, I think you might really be a sociopath.

Sure freaked me out there.

WTF a free game? I dont want that. Currently I dont want to pay for anything on marketplace I dont already own, so why would I want one of those games free? How about extending my live subscription for a week or 2? You take away apples from me and in compensation im giving oranges, how lame.

I think he was joking, but I hope they do a pool of games or a new release.

I see what you mean, Jack. Although I empathize with you (I'm in the same boat you're in), companies don't usually admit when their service suffers and offer anything as an apology. I used to work for Comcast internet support, and they didn't want to compensate people unless the service was completely out for more than a day. The standard line was "We have less than 1% downtime". There is usually fine print with ISPs that the quality of service is NOT guaranteed unless you have deep pockets on a corporate account with a nice service contract.

I'm glad they're doing something, it would be cool if it was like 400 points, but I won't hold my breath.

Knowing Microsoft it will probably be something that they already gave away free like Hold'em Poker or Carcassonne.

Free is always nice, and I'm glad to see MS offering up something free like this.

Whatever it is, I hope I don't own it. But even if I do own whatever they offer, at least it's good to know they're willing to try to make it up when stuff like this happens.

what a wuss. there will be absolutely no vaseline for u next time.

jack (of no trades) in the xbox?

Crono-

Your reply is in the wrong place, but I had the exact same thought the moment I saw that name....whatever happened to that guy?

Crono- He went to better place, one slightly less full of idiots (no disrespect to the majority of people or the writers of Joystiq but the good certainly does come with the bad here). He is well liked in his new home. This is all assuming it's the same guy and not just someone using the same name.

Sorry, that reply was to Booxatron

He's not Jack of no Trades. Remember he has always been 360>ps3>>>>>>wii. I'd say he was the equivalant, but opposite of Fernando.

Wish they'd give us MS Points so we could buy an Arcade game rather than get a "free" one.

I can't get over how awesome your avatar is.

Did you make it you're self?

"Did you make it you're self?"

Here's what you just said:

"Did you make it you are self?"

Your = shows possession, as in "your guitar". You're = you are, as in "you're playing your guitar".

Holy Jesus dude you don't have to be such a grammar nazi.

Yeah I did. It was during the Mario Avatar Blitz that I felt like having a Mario Avatar of my own. The idea came at me and I frantically searched for anything like it. Luckily, no one claimed it, so I got one hell of an avatar. :D

I was just about to post how awesome his avatar still is (said it a few times already) before I saw your post.

Bah here it goes anyway: that avatar kicks ass.

I agree - the best scenario would be a gift of 800-1000 MS points to XBL users to be redeemed towards an XBLA download. That is, unless the decide to make REZ HD a free download for the first week.... I would be more than OK with that.

^^

$10 compensation for $1.50 worth of network downtime? Yeah, MS is one of the most financially sucessful corporations in the world because they continually make business decisions as fiscally responsible as your suggestion.

Is this like the time they gave me Joust for free 6 months after I bought it... accidentally... ?

Or when they gave me a free month of Live for the 6 weeks it took me to get my third replacement box from the service centre... which is a 20 minute drive away...?

Chances are they're gonna give us something nobody wants or everybody already has. Unless they come out with a new game and give that for free, somebody out there is gonna be stiffed.

You are forgiven.

I love your Killer 7 icon! Damn I love that game!

haha, sweet, i called it. ^.^

chances are, if the game is good and released, i already have it.
i hope they make it a new non-craptacular game.

Doritoes dinosaur chaser crap anyone?

Stop complaining guys,, we got what we wanted,, some retribution for the Xbox Live outtage !!!
Hope it a selection of games or a really good new one .... maybe Schizoid since its the XNA game and Microsoft is publishing it !!

No, what I wanted was to play COD4 last night with my friends...

The gamer drama is such a joke - you couldn't play with your frieds, too bad. Go get a cookie.

Things break, phone lines go down, electricity goes out, cars crash, computers lag and sh*t happens. So you and others had some Live problems, now you all want to bitch to get something for free. Oh wait, you are getting something for free and you're bitching for more!

I can't believe you think that everything should work perfect every second of the day or else the world is falling apart.

Them giving anything to you is a bonus and you should be happy they stepped up.

The game in question better be one that is free the day of release (so no one has bought it already) or give us a choice. They'll only make some people angrier if they pick some popular title (even mildly so) that people already owned. Hopefully they'll just let us choose any 400 or 800 MS point game.

so does this mean the free game is for everyone not just gold subscribers because that press release just says xbox live members it doesnt say anything about gold members only

Most likely, since it affected Silver members too (browsing marketplace etc.). They aren't doing it to pay people back their lost days of paid service, but to apologize to the whole Xbox 360 community

That is potentially cool.

Geometry Wars.

I called it.

Wait, nvm... its something that I already paid for.

My friend made his live account today, will he still get a free game?

shut the fuck up troll. Live has trouble for a week for the first time in years and you bitch like someone just stole your boyfriend. Then when they offer you free stuff you bitch more. Go to ps3, and trust me when i say this cause i have one, enjoy doing nothing cause there's not much to do on ps3 (their good games all can be beaten in a day)

@Jack in the Troll

http://youtube.com/watch?v=QuR1iPUOmhI

tmacair: Completely agree. I also own a PS3 and it makes a nice dust collector.

I went thru 3 of them just to find one that would actually read discs. Be warned that the Blu-ray players quality in the PS3 is garbage.

deaftly: nice ownage there. I was going to post a similar video but you beat me too it.

That dog is so damned cute.

On a side note? Does this mean live is actually working properly now? I haven't checked in a few days, because I got too angry every time I tried to play some COD4.

It's working for me.

This is fantastic news, I shall have to get on tomorrow night after work and try and get some COD4 in.

it's been working for me the last few days too, although every now and then it will act up when i try to download a movie or an arcade game. Overall much better than last week though.

Good, and it better not be a crappy game.

Sorry, I did not mean to double post :(
No idea how that happened.

Triple post FTMFW!

| 1 | 2 | 3 | Most Recent | Next 50 Comments

Sorry, you must be logged in to leave a comment.

Breaking News

The most popular posts
in the last 7 days

Vita 'UMD Passport' won't be offered in US 221 comments
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning review: A tempting fate 162 comments
Blizzard taking Valve to court over 'DOTA' trademark 117 comments
David Jaffe leaves Eat Sleep Play, layoffs hit developer [Update] 107 comments
Don't call it a remake: Final Fantasy X is a 'remaster,' to be clear 95 comments

Microsoft offering free XBLA game due to Live issues

Reader Comments (109)

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 12:59AM ChiTownRuler23 said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:15AM hotpuck6 said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 2:46AM movedandunkinected said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 6:05AM Slaziman said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 9:33AM 007craft said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 10:27AM ushman said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 10:34AM Peacefuloutrage said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:01AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:02AM MisterSmith said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:45AM movedandunkinected said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 10:54AM Crono141 said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 12:13PM Booxatron said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:50PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:51PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 5:10PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:07AM ForTheHuynh said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:46AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 2:15AM masterinsan0 said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 2:22AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 11:29AM ForTheHuynh said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 6:08AM Slaziman said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 8:37AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 10:30AM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 2:21AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:09AM ChooChooCharlie said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 2:39AM flameofdoom666 said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:09AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:13AM hotpuck6 said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:14AM charleytony said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 8:16AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 10:38AM Duke said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:27AM Rax Dakkar said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:30AM dosed150 said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 6:11AM Slaziman said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:31AM samfish said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:36AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:36AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:36AM Mike Knew said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 10:03AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 10:10AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 3:18PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:39AM Huey2k2 said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:52AM Huey2k2 said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 2:08AM Vegeta has a ps3 said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 2:10AM Huey2k2 said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 10:05AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:49AM Obienator said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:49AM Obienator said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:51AM Obienator said

Posted: Jan 4th 2008 1:58AM (Unverified) said

Info

Description

MSRP

Release Date

Genre

Developer

Publisher

Rating

Breaking News

Double Fine Kickstarter passes $1 million in under 24 hours, breaking yet another record

Featured Stories

Barricading 'Dead Souls' within Yakuza's red-light district

WRUP: All the Reckoning

Xbox Live Indie Gems: Nyan Cat Adventure

The most popular postsin the last 7 days

Engadget

TUAW

Massively

WoW

The most popular posts
in the last 7 days