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f13.net  |  f13.net General Forums  |  Gaming  |  Topic: Microsoft to offer Live users 1 free downloadable game... 0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
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Author Topic: Microsoft to offer Live users 1 free downloadable game...  (Read 19222 times)
Velorath
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Posts: 8996


on: January 04, 2008, 03:07:19 AM

As an apology for recent service issues with Live:

Quote
Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it will offer a free downloadable video game to users of its Xbox online gaming service after the network was plagued with connection troubles over the holidays.

 Xbox Live General Manager Mark Whitten said the problems stemmed from a "massive increase" in new users of the service over the holiday season, when sales of video game hardware and software surge.

"While the service was not completely offline at any given time, we are disappointed in our performance," Whitten said in a statement.

Whitten said all Xbox Live members around the world would be able to freely download one game over the service. Games sold on Xbox Live typically cost from $5 to $20, and Whitten said Microsoft would give details of the offer in the coming weeks.

Before the holiday sales surge, Xbox Live had more than eight million members, many of whom were paying $50 a year for the premium service that lets them play online against others.

Whitten did not give details of the cause of the problems, but gaming Web sites and forums have been filled in recent days with complaints from users frustrated with the inability to sign on to the service or play online.
NiX
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Locomotive Pandamonium


Reply #1 on: January 04, 2008, 04:04:29 AM

Rez HD please!
Moaner
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Reply #2 on: January 04, 2008, 07:44:13 AM

I hope they mean an Xbox original, but I doubt it.

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schild
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Reply #3 on: January 04, 2008, 07:54:16 AM

I expect it, like all of their giveaways to be bad. Carcasonne was better than I ever expected them to give and that was pretty recent. So... yea. I would take Pac-Man CE. What? It's Pac Man!
Riggswolfe
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Reply #4 on: January 04, 2008, 08:15:25 AM

My choice would be some free MS points but it will probably be a shitty live game.

"We live in a country, where John Lennon takes six bullets in the chest, Yoko Ono was standing right next to him and not one fucking bullet! Explain that to me! Explain that to me, God! Explain it to me, God!" - Denis Leary summing up my feelings about the nature of the universe.
Yegolev
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Reply #5 on: January 04, 2008, 08:17:45 AM

Space Giraffe?

Why am I homeless?  Why do all you motherfuckers need homes is the real question.
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schild
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Reply #6 on: January 04, 2008, 08:18:44 AM

Space Giraffe?

FRUIT FUCKER

CUNT, CUNT

HORSE SMEGMA
Yegolev
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Reply #7 on: January 04, 2008, 08:19:57 AM

It gave you epilepsy, too?

Why am I homeless?  Why do all you motherfuckers need homes is the real question.
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schild
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Reply #8 on: January 04, 2008, 08:28:18 AM

It gave you epilepsy, too?



I can't believe I remembered what it said. First released screenshot.
Yegolev
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Reply #9 on: January 04, 2008, 08:36:45 AM

MY EYES!

Also: good one, I hadn't seen that.

Why am I homeless?  Why do all you motherfuckers need homes is the real question.
They called it The Prayer, its answer was law
Mommy come back 'cause the water's all gone
NiX
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Locomotive Pandamonium


Reply #10 on: January 04, 2008, 11:37:21 AM

Wait, WTF? That's in a game?
Rendakor
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Reply #11 on: January 04, 2008, 11:53:02 AM

That image just divided by 0, oh shi-

Think they'll give us free credit, or just a worthless game for free?

(Round 2 posting here, from a computer this time so no new/reply thread!)

"i can't be a star citizen. they won't even give me a star green card"
Moosehands
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Reply #12 on: January 04, 2008, 11:59:29 AM

Looks more like "fluff" than "fruit" to me.  Which makes even less sense.
schild
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Reply #13 on: January 04, 2008, 12:00:22 PM

I meant fluff. Damn.

Sigh. Whatever. Still, that game is weird. And whathisname is even more weirder.
Jain Zar
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Reply #14 on: January 04, 2008, 03:36:15 PM

I expect it, like all of their giveaways to be bad. Carcasonne was better than I ever expected them to give and that was pretty recent. So... yea. I would take Pac-Man CE. What? It's Pac Man!

Pac Man CE is worth buying PERIOD.  Its possibly the best version of Pac Man ever made.
Tairnyn
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Reply #15 on: January 04, 2008, 03:42:05 PM

If they give away a specific game then everyone who has purchased it already will be pretty ornery, I'm sure.
Velorath
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Reply #16 on: January 04, 2008, 03:44:40 PM

If they give away a specific game then everyone who has purchased it already will be pretty ornery, I'm sure.

Unless it ends up being something they release the day they announce the details.
sidereal
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Posts: 1712


Reply #17 on: January 04, 2008, 03:46:48 PM

A specific game is the only way I can think they'd be able to do it.  Otherwise, how would they manage the logistics?  Would you get some kind of coupon in your live account that sits next to your points?  Does every one of 50 different Desktop screens have to be updated to show whether or not you have a coupon?  Does the whole backend have to be updated to manage coupons?  Doubt it.  My guess is they'll either just give out free points to everyone (like 800 or so. . whatever the average is for a live game) or pick a specific game they're about to launch (so no one could have already bought it).

THIS IS THE MOST I HAVE EVERY WANTED TO GET IN TO A BETA
Strazos
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Reply #18 on: January 04, 2008, 04:51:13 PM

I had no problems, so this sounds good to me.

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Tairnyn
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Reply #19 on: January 04, 2008, 04:52:04 PM

While some sort of flag that makes your first XBox Original game free would be pretty nice I'd have to guess that they'll choose something small to avoid hosing the servers when the rush to download the new game hits. Considering they probably don't want to shell out the bucks to buy out a third party game they'll probably spend 2 weeks making some crappy mini game to appease the masses.
Azazel
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Reply #20 on: January 04, 2008, 05:35:28 PM

I'd expect it to be either 400 points for free or a "new" low, low-end arcade game.

Expecting an XBox Original for free? That way lies only disappointment and ruin. And the lamentations of de wimmin.


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Lantien
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Reply #21 on: January 06, 2008, 12:32:44 AM

Any suggestions on a good XBox Live Arcade title?  Off the top of my head, I'm leaning towards Bomberman, although honestly with the exception of Street Fighter, I don't think I've played any of the other games arcade or otherwise extensively/at all.  I got Carcassonne and Puzzle Fighter, for what it's worth...
schild
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Reply #22 on: January 06, 2008, 12:51:25 AM

Pac-Man.
Yegolev
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Reply #23 on: January 06, 2008, 06:21:29 AM

Symphony of the Night, if you really haven't played it.

Why am I homeless?  Why do all you motherfuckers need homes is the real question.
They called it The Prayer, its answer was law
Mommy come back 'cause the water's all gone
Azazel
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Reply #24 on: January 06, 2008, 06:32:34 PM

What's the deal with all the pac-man CE love?


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Jain Zar
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Reply #25 on: January 06, 2008, 11:21:39 PM

What's the deal with all the pac-man CE love?



Its completely fucking awesome?
Hearing about it does nothing.  Playing the demo shows how cool it really is.
If you like Pac Man, its Pac Man perfected in a tournament style design.
Lantien
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Reply #26 on: January 07, 2008, 01:26:29 AM

looking at SOTN, because yeah, I never played it before at all.  Although I tend to gravitate more towards games with mindless replay value.
Bunk
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Reply #27 on: January 07, 2008, 06:45:36 AM

Any suggestions on a good XBox Live Arcade title?  Off the top of my head, I'm leaning towards Bomberman, although honestly with the exception of Street Fighter, I don't think I've played any of the other games arcade or otherwise extensively/at all.  I got Carcassonne and Puzzle Fighter, for what it's worth...

Catan?

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Slayerik
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Reply #28 on: January 07, 2008, 07:19:13 AM

I was at my friends house, I couldn't believe how poor XBox live was. He could not get in a game of COD4 for the life of him.

I went home and instantly fragged the hell outta some people when I got home. And I got to choose my own server!!! YES!

PC > XBox Live


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Yegolev
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Reply #29 on: January 07, 2008, 07:51:48 AM

looking at SOTN, because yeah, I never played it before at all.  Although I tend to gravitate more towards games with mindless replay value.


You will probably like SotN.  Murder innumerable monsters for rare drops, become a demigod.

Why am I homeless?  Why do all you motherfuckers need homes is the real question.
They called it The Prayer, its answer was law
Mommy come back 'cause the water's all gone
Azazel
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Posts: 7735


Reply #30 on: January 07, 2008, 08:50:50 AM

I was at my friends house, I couldn't believe how poor XBox live was. He could not get in a game of COD4 for the life of him.
I went home and instantly fragged the hell outta some people when I got home. And I got to choose my own server!!! YES!

PC > XBox Live

XBox Live arcade, which is what we're talking about here, is an entirely different beast to what you're talking about.

http://azazelx.wordpress.com/ - My Miniatures and Hobby Blog.
Strazos
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Reply #31 on: January 07, 2008, 04:39:41 PM

No, CoD4 service has been complete shit as of late. COMPLETE. You get into a lobby, the game goes to start, and you're booted out.

Or sometimes, you actually get a game in, but the lobby closes right afterwards, starting the join-and-hope process anew.


Also, bad lag in some games does not help at all.




Just makes me realize how much I wish I could reasonably run this on my old rig. All people do in the 360 version is spray-and-pray (mostly) and nade spam. Fucking talentless nade spam.

Fear the Backstab!
"Plato said the virtuous man is at all times ready for a grammar snake attack." - we are lesion
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Jain Zar
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Reply #32 on: January 07, 2008, 04:48:33 PM

Im coming to see that XBox Live Gold isn't worth crap.  Every game I want to play online (Arcade games) seems to have asstastic netcode.

Even more sad?  I was playing some Aliens vs Predator 2 before bedtime, getting under 70 ping, and generally coming in 1st or 2nd place.  (I kick ass as the marine.  Smart gun that hardly gets to autotrack at range, SADAR close in or when Predators come for my head.  WE GO TO HELL TOGETHER YOU YATUJA BITCHES!!)  Smooth as silk, solid, and suprisingly low asshattery.

Bomberman doesn't even play all that hot online.  FUCKING BOMBERMAN.

Plus less racial, homophobic, and antisemitic slurs.

I gotta make sure I cancel my Gold account before it re ups.  Its not worth 50 bucks a year.

Shit, its not worth 5.
WayAbvPar
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Reply #33 on: January 07, 2008, 04:55:01 PM

Quote
All people do in the 360 version is spray-and-pray (mostly) and nade spam. Fucking talentless nade spam.

That is what you get from thumbaimers!  DRILLING AND MANLINESS

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Strazos
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The World's Worst Game: Curry or Covid


Reply #34 on: January 07, 2008, 04:58:08 PM

No way, I can actually aim.


Also, not exactly a Xbox knock...but I sometimes really hate the random spawn point system in this type of game. Being taken unawares by a freshly-spawned guy is really annoying.

Fear the Backstab!
"Plato said the virtuous man is at all times ready for a grammar snake attack." - we are lesion
"Hell is other people." -Sartre
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