GTA IV includes one-month Xbox Live Gold trial [Update]

Update: According to some of our readers not all copies of Grand Theft Auto IV include the one-month free trial card. This does not seem to be based on which version you purchase (regular or special edition) or which region you live in. We're awaiting a comment from Microsoft.

Aside from securing exclusive downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV and being the primary promoter of the game in ongoing advertisements is there anything else Microsoft can do to make GTA IV standout? How about give away a month of Xbox Live service to everyone who purchases the game? According to THEBBPS, and verified when we all cracked open our retail copies, GTA IV includes a one-month free trail for Xbox Live Gold service which allows players to take their experience online.

Ordinarily Microsoft packages 48-hour trial cards with select titles to entice gamers to go online but with the popularity of GTA IV and the potential increase of membership activations this looks like a smart strategic move on their part. Maybe this is what they meant by future growth of the service the last time they did system maintenance?

Reader Comments (45)

Zavvi (previously Virgin Megastores) in the UK gave away 3 months of xbox live with pre-orders of the 360 version too, so i got 4 months altogether. very happy about that:D

Are these actually gold trials or just online play trials?

For example, the previous trial cards let you play online for 48 hours... but you'd not be counted as a gold user. You'd not get access to the early demos, etc. I always found that kind of annoying.

they're full whack gold trials.

On the back of the card in the T&C it says 'only availible for new Xbox LIVE Gold subscriptions'. I was hoping to tack on a free month to my existing subscription but I guess not.

It will add it on to your existing account, trust me I've used these before. If your console breaks down microsoft will give you 1 month live cards that are basically the same thing- you put the redeem code in and it adds 1 month to your service.

Yea, too bad on the front it says "If you have an existing Xbox Live membership, skip to step 4."

It worked for me. Tacked on an extra month.

Really? Is this only the special edition or whatever, cause my $60 copy didn't come with the card. No bother, since I already have two years of LIVE paid for, but unless it went flying behind the couch when I opened up the map for the first time I didn't get one.

Came out to be a good deal for me.. bought my GTAIV at circuit city.. got a 10 gift card with it.. plus this..its a good discount

Maybe they put them in a limited number of copies? Looks YMMV.

Got my copy at a Gamestop in Davenport, IA, no Live trial.

Gamestop opens all their game packages, most likely the employee took out the cards to use for him/her self. This is one of many reasons I don't shop there.

Me and my roommate went and bought our copies today. He got a free month, and I didn't. :( I should have let him get in line before me. Karma.

Doubt my copy was opened, it had the original MS seal stickers and wrap.

Yeah, it seems to be random, or at least weighted. I got one with my copy purchased at Best Buy, but my friend didn't get one with the copy he got from GameStop. Don't know why; either way it blows.

Xav, you might want to mark this YMMV. I just bought my copy at Best Buy here in Tampa, FL and there's no free LIVE card in it.

I did notice my copy had something like "Disc Manufactured in Mexico" stamped on the shrink wrap, so maybe that's why mine didn't have it?

Can I activate this and will it just continue after my 12months into this free 13month?

I bought a special edition and earned a free regular edition in a door prize and both had the free 1 month trials.

Location: Gamestop in Pueblo, CO

Got mine at GS, had the card. Added the code and it extended my existing account by a month. Sweet, a get to post pone paying BGates his yearly stipend for an extra month. Sucka!!!

Sucks that when I get this I'm still going to be at school and I'm leaving soon. I'll just use the two day one that I have from Halo 3.

i dunno what everyones talkin about.. i bought a standard edition and theres no trial card in my box.. i need that month too, running dangerously low on 48hr trials..

good...now even more people can get on xbox live and break it and its gonna take microsoft another 2 months to fix it again

i got a free month and extended my account with it no problem

What? Theres nothing like that in my case.

Are you sure you bought the 360 version? :P All of them were supposed to have it.

Lol im sure its the 360 version. But theres nothing inside. Doesnt have to be special edition does it?

Nah dude, standard edition. Take it back to where you got it and tell them everyone else got it!

Does this make anyone else cringe? I remember when cheating in Halo 2 skyrocketed thanks to easily available free trial cards.

ehhh im getting gta iv no matter what, i have about another 10 months before my live xpires, but i doubt ill play multiplayer much

Xav, pic here if you want to use it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/daking240/2451244587/

Most definitely did not get that in my game... now I'm bummed :(

YES!!!!!!!! I got one, well make that two since i had to send my xbox 2 get it fix and got another one!!!

I had to take back my first copy because it had somehow gotten half of the CD label printed on the back (imagine laser etching on an iPod or laptop with only Nico and the Xbox Live at the top. The 360 was missing) and my 360 couldn't read it. This copy had the one month. My new copy does not. Me, being afraid they wouldn't accept an exchange without all of the materials, returned the original card thinking I would still end up with a 1 month from the new game anyways. Damn this sucks.

My copy from Best Buy didn't come with the Live either. But I called up Xbox and they said to go back to the store and tell them that it din't come with it. They'll either give you a free one or you'll have to call Xbox Live and get a reference # and give it to the retailer.

Mine has it. Got it from best buy (regular edition)

I got this aswell. I bought the game in sweden (Mediamarkt).

I got my standard edition GTA IV from EB games in an Ontario, Canada store and didn't get any free trial card. I feel ripped off.

Well mine didnt come with the free month, but its worth like 5 bucks so i think ill be okay. Im from the UK but am feeling more like a Russian in New York right now so i'm using 'bucks' today!!!!

Any update yet? I did not receive the free card. Purchased at Gamestop.

A friend and I bought ours at a midnight release at Hasting's. His had one, mine didn't. Sorta weird. Oh well. I paid 60 and couldn't be happier. The deathmatch f'n rox.

Anyone else hear anything more on this?

I went back to the retailer and they told me that they have heard of the issue but to contact xbox.

I called xbox who seemed oblivious to the problem (??) and they gave me a runaround for about 40 minutes and then told me to contact the retailer!!!

FU*K!!

How do I contact someone that creates this article. I've been fighting with someone from microsoft about my one month trial. I have some interesting news they may want to know.

what did you find out ... ?

please tell, we would all like to know.

Can i get a redeem code for gta IV???

Silver code(If you now what i mean)

Mine didn't come with it and I bought in GS in Los Angeles, CA ..my friend said his came with it so that's pretty gay

GTA IV includes one-month Xbox Live Gold trial [Update]

Reader Comments (45)

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 12:38PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 12:40PM Softserve said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 12:42PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 12:46PM Ample Salty said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:30PM Coffinfeeder said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 3:20PM DjDATZ said

Posted: Apr 30th 2008 8:40AM xenocidic said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 12:56PM vidguy said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:00PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:48PM vidguy said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:06PM Landosystem said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:44PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:53PM vidguy said

Posted: Apr 30th 2008 2:32AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:22PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:04PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:31PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 1:47PM BigDog969 said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:02PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:04PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:06PM Red Son Rising said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:15PM kastonie said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:18PM meth0dical said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:23PM DarkNightRJ said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:28PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:37PM DarkNightRJ said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:51PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 2:49PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 3:12PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 3:30PM DjDATZ said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 4:18PM vidguy said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 4:11PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 8:39PM Apocalyptic 0n3 said

Posted: Apr 30th 2008 4:04PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 30th 2008 2:23AM nizzy1115 said

Posted: May 5th 2008 2:00PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 30th 2008 8:01PM (Unverified) said

Posted: May 1st 2008 6:09AM (Unverified) said

Posted: May 1st 2008 12:02PM (Unverified) said

Posted: May 1st 2008 9:04PM HazyCloud said

Posted: May 2nd 2008 9:59AM (Unverified) said

Posted: May 5th 2008 10:27PM (Unverified) said

Posted: May 8th 2008 6:03PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jun 29th 2008 3:40PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jul 13th 2008 3:07AM (Unverified) said

Info

Description

MSRP

Release Date

Genre

Developer

Publisher

Rating

Breaking News

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning had to sell 3M 'just to break even,' RI governor says

Featured Stories

Our own Alexander Sliwinski talks 38 Studios with Fox 25 News

The politics of making games: Disconnect between 38 Studios and Rhode Island in quotes

Exploring the patterns of Diablo 3

Engadget

TUAW

Massively

WoW