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Free Xbox Live Gold this weekend, help out with a Guinness world record attempt

by Griffin McElroy on Apr 21st 2011 4:30PM

Even if you've never joined the prodigious ranks of the Xbox Live Gold subscribers, or whether you've simply allowed your honorable title to fall by the wayside, you can get a temporary pass to the Gold Zone this weekend. From today through Monday, free users will find their status upgraded, giving them access to the online multiplayer functionality usually reserved for their premium counterparts.

Of course, there's no such thing as a free lunch -- Microsoft is asking that folks participating in the freekend help break an extremely specific Guinness world record using Kinect Sports: "The most people running a virtual 100m dash at one time." That ... that can't be a very large number to beat, can it? Regardless, if you'd like to participate (and grab a free Avatar shirt at the same time), check out the details on Rare's blog.

Source: Major Nelson

Tags: guinness, kinect, Kinect-Sports, microsoft, rare, xbox, xbox-live, xbox-live-gold

Reader Comments (38)

Never not enjoying those free Gold weekends.

What an awkward and almost meaningless record to break. If it didn't involve the Kinect, I would take it a smidgen more serious but alas, I can't...

@Negatron

Damn, Negatron. Why do you always have to be so negat... never mind.

@Uncle Jesse

"Why am I so negative?" says the man who slept with my wife. Oh the irony!
Revenge is sweet Uncle Jesse, bitter sweet...

*stares at a pic of the Olsen Twins with an evil plot in mind*

I am rather disappointed to see that this story was not about Guinness the drink.

How do I get that shirt. Is it free?

@ImakeCheese Read the last sentence.

"Regardless, if you'd like to participate (and grab a free Avatar shirt at the same time), check out the details on Rare's blog."

@ImakeCheese
Run. Run so far away.

Should of been free since day one!

@Mustang Fanboy

It's a big money maker for Mi¢ro$oft. Without it we might not have Windows 7, WP7, or Kinect.

@(Unverified)
Or like in Xbox Live! or how bout get disconnected everytime in zombies for Black Ops in Live! awesome!

@Mr Hett And it's a big money sink for Sony. Don't expect PSN to be free come the next console.

Nice, since PSN seems to be down

How can you break a record that doesn't exist? Set is the word they were looking for. Set.

Freekend?

No.

Just, no.

The line must be drawn HERE.

This far, no further.

@XaiaX
You just wrote pretty much exactly what I was planning to. Glad to see someone else exhibiting such sense.

I'll use it as a backup for Netflix if PSN is down I guess.

@aughscreennames but doesn't Netflix on the 360 have an inferior and intrusive UI? That's what I heard at least from a few friends.

Doubt I'll even power on my 360, free weekend or not.

@Weiji

The 360 has a party room for Netflix, so you and your friends, that don't have Netflix, can watch movies together.

@aughscreennames

Netflix for PS3 also doesn't let you stretch the screen size.

The PS3 version is better, supporting higher quality video and 5.1 surround sound, but if the 360 version actually works while the PS3 one doesnt then I dont care.

@Mr Hett Wouldn't everyone need gold for that though?

If I'm going to watch a movie with someone, it's going to be at my house either way. I only watch Netflix for tv shows, movies are streamed to my PS3.

@deaftly Why on earth would you want to stretch the screen of a source that isn't meant for full screen? It'll totally distort the AR.

@aughscreennames

The 360 version has upscaling for consistent video output resolution no matter the stream quality.

Video quality is arguably better on the 360.

@Ordeith No its not, the PS3 streams 1080p, the 360 does 720p, you can easily tell the difference. The 360 possibly has better looking SD content but the HD content is noticeably blotchier on the 360 and I believe the 360 still doesnt have 5.1 audio which is a huge drawback. I dropped Gold because the PS3 version was so much better.

No.

I refuse to buy Kinect but I really want that shirt. LOL

How about beating the "Longest Time XBL Is Free" record?

@ch3burashka
If I wanted to do a 100m run I would go outside

I dont understand the whole "Free" Weekend thing? Its says it starts Thursday and it still wont let me go on xbox live?

Might want to clarify that it's for EUROPEANS ONLY. Got my hopes up for nothing.

@Ignatius

Good point. I just checked Major Nelson's blog for confirmation about free Live and it clearly states European only. :(

Of course I went out and bought a year subscription just an hour ago. This is why I should always check Joystiq before I leave my house.

Microsoft's taking advantage of the situation by giving Xbox Live Members free Gold membership for a weekend while Sony's PlayStation Network Members have no access online for the weekend.

Great. -_-

is Bungie against these free weekends or what cuz i cant play Halo 3 or Halo Reach online cuz it says that i dont have a gold membership on this "free" weekend "

This is Europe only Joystiq!!

@Clinton O

Yeah, looks like Griffin failed to even read the first sentence of Major Nelson's release.

Xbox Live Gold is only free for European users. Silver users in other regions will have access to Kinect Sports online to help with the record, but don't have multiplayer access in any other games as Gold would provide.

Well I think I just participated in it. Who knows? A 100 meter dash takes what, 9 seconds? I guess I'll see if I get a shirt...

Breaking News

Kinect Sports

Free Xbox Live Gold this weekend, help out with a Guinness world record attempt

Reader Comments (38)

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 4:33PM SMTDante said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 4:37PM Negatron said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:18PM Uncle Jesse said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:54PM Negatron said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 4:40PM Cranky Penguin said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 4:42PM ImakeCheese said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 4:45PM SMTDante said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 4:47PM Special Agent Steve said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 4:50PM Mustang Fanboy said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 4:54PM Mr Hett said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:38PM Mustang Fanboy said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:58PM SirUrza said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 4:57PM DrMacTavish said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:00PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:09PM XaiaX said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:17PM jrr said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:17PM aughscreennames said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:29PM Weiji said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:32PM Mr Hett said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:45PM deaftly said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:47PM aughscreennames said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:48PM Weiji said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:51PM Weiji said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 7:03PM Ordeith said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 7:55PM aughscreennames said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:28PM Hookah said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:28PM ImakeCheese said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:29PM ch3burashka said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 7:46PM Mazrael said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:41PM DJRuff20 said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 5:48PM Ignatius said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 7:29PM FlashJS said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 7:00PM MiceInATank said

Posted: Apr 21st 2011 8:55PM KNRasengan said

Posted: Apr 22nd 2011 2:06PM possdoom said

Posted: Apr 22nd 2011 8:43PM Clinton O said

Posted: Apr 22nd 2011 9:02PM dalfiuss said

Posted: Apr 23rd 2011 2:03PM Hoops said

Kinect Sports Info

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