Tom's Hardware > News > Special > Miscellaneous > This Weekend: Free Xbox LIVE Gold For All

This Weekend: Free Xbox LIVE Gold For All

11:21 AM - April 27, 2009 by Jane McEntegart - source: Tom's Hardware US

Another one-weekend-only deal to keep you gaming.

Microsoft’s Xtival is back and the company is almost ready to kick off 72 hours of hardcore gaming. But before they do, they want to make sure none of us miss out on the fun, which is why we’re all getting Xbox Live Gold for the weekend. Just to be clear the offer extends from midday (GMT) on May 1 until midday (GMT) May 4.*

Alright, so it’s not quite as exciting as Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2 Episode 1, Half-Life 2 Episode 2, Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, Team Fortress 2 and Portal for a tenner, but let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth, okay?

*Time zone translation: 4am (PST) on May 1 until 4am (PST) May 4.

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tomm09 04/27/2009 5:42 PM

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good deal.

captaincharisma 04/27/2009 5:57 PM

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LOL too bad half of 360 owners are still waiting to get there consoles back from MS

LATTEH 04/27/2009 5:59 PM

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ill probably play

touchdowntexas13 04/27/2009 6:18 PM

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just canceled my subscription because i didn't have enough time while in school. but maybe i can play this weekend

JMcEntegart 04/27/2009 6:26 PM

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touchdowntexas13 :
just canceled my subscription because i didn't have enough time while in school. but maybe i can play this weekend

I could be wrong but I think it's only for existing accounts.

You should check it out, dude.

MoonMe2 04/27/2009 6:42 PM

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Okay....what about "Games For Windows" owners, e.g. Gears Of War PC?

rocket_sauce 04/27/2009 6:49 PM

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I'm pretty sure this is just for Xbox Live Silver accounts.

Zoonie 04/27/2009 6:58 PM

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JMcEntegart :
I could be wrong but I think it's only for existing accounts. You should check it out, dude.

I think he meant the GOLD subscription. Why would you need a free weekend if you'rea already subscribing to GOLD, right?

On another note, I still say it's ridiculous of MS to charge for something that is free on PC, PS3, Wii etc etc. I don't care what people say, there is nothing free with GOLD worth the subscription fee.

touchdowntexas13 04/27/2009 7:00 PM

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JMcEntegart :
I could be wrong but I think it's only for existing accounts. You should check it out, dude.

I don't get it. I have an account. I just canceled my gold subscription. How can it be a "free" weekend if guys with silver accounts can't play? there would be nothing free in that deal. I'm confused.

JMcEntegart 04/27/2009 7:05 PM

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-2

Sorry, for some weird reason I thought you'd left the world of XBL because you "didn't have time to game while at school," so I just hit reply and tried to refrain from making "dedicated student" comments. I think it's nap time, for me. Silver accounts are free, don't worry.

JMcEntegart 04/27/2009 7:07 PM

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-2

*can play even. Damn, it is definitely time for me to take lunch.

touchdowntexas13 04/27/2009 7:09 PM

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haha no problem. thanks for clearing that up though.

misnad 04/27/2009 7:12 PM

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Oh this is kewl! Thanks Jane for posting this! I visit Tom's for my daily tech news and it's great to see all these updates! Looks like it's going to be a fun little weekend... Oh yea, that's 'cos my Live Gold subscription ran out a week ago

Anonymous 04/27/2009 7:14 PM

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zoonie,

watching tv shows and movies from netflix on xbox beats out the computer,and to view stuff you need to have a gold subscription, so that is really the only thing worth the fee to have xbox live Gold, though it should be free

daship 04/27/2009 7:29 PM

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Hopefully you can connect to friends partys, the last 2 weeks party playing has been hit and miss for me.

Zoonie 04/27/2009 7:37 PM

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clm299 :
zoonie,watching tv shows and movies from netflix on xbox beats out the computer,and to view stuff you need to have a gold subscription, so that is really the only thing worth the fee to have xbox live Gold, though it should be free

I was under the impression that you had to have a Netflix account for that. Meaning it's not really free, you're just paying another company instead. Thus you need to pay Microsoft for GOLD so that you can use the subscribtion plan of another company that you already payed for. Doesn't make sense to me at all. Not to mention, half of the North American contents are nowhere to be found in the rest of the world.

The movies, series, XBL games etc. they must charge for of course, but everybody should get GOLD for free.

jsloan 04/27/2009 8:15 PM

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microsoft should allow people to play the games that they purchase without having to additionally pay for xbox live gold

tenor77 04/27/2009 8:24 PM

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There's 360 owners w/o Gold?

Not netflix streaming? Not fragging their friends into a bloody pulp?
How horrible to think people suffer so.

fracture 04/27/2009 9:18 PM

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So what do Gold members get? We're the ones paying, shoo. Funny I bought that Half Life 2 package for 10 bucks, even though I already have it on my other account. But from my other account, I had an extra Half Life 2 copy. So I made another email and gave it to that account. Then I saw the Orange Box for 10 bucks and was like, what the heck I'll put that on that account.

fausto 04/27/2009 9:25 PM

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they should not charge for xbox live.

tenor77 04/27/2009 9:55 PM

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Speaking of free...

hakesterman 04/27/2009 11:20 PM

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-2

Yes they Rape you on Game disk costs and then spank you with online
charges. It's just like being taxed twice by uncle sam, maybe we should start
a cival war over it?????

eklipz330 04/28/2009 12:20 PM

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ok so its free for those who haven't paid.. but what about for those who have? do we get reimbursed? i mean i better have two freakin extra days MS >=[

i pay to play, i can whine if i want

matt_b 04/28/2009 12:30 PM

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Zoonie :
On another note, I still say it's ridiculous of MS to charge for something that is free on PC, PS3, Wii etc etc. I don't care what people say, there is nothing free with GOLD worth the subscription fee.

I couldn't agree more with the pay to play on-line argument. Seriously though, who has by far the best on-line system/setup/experience (no fanboism here, I don't have Gold any longer)?

the_one111 04/28/2009 6:28 AM

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eklipz330 :
ok so its free for those who haven't paid.. but what about for those who have? do we get reimbursed? i mean i better have two freakin extra days MS >=[i pay to play, i can whine if i want

lets see 2 days out of a 365 day year.

Here is your two cents (not correct, but you get the point)

Distinct 04/28/2009 5:48 PM

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"Yes they Rape you on Game disk costs"

LOL, when you buy a game, you're not paying for the cost of the disc, your paying for programming inside of that disk.

I'd much rather pay for it then not pay for it, free services are always shitty, and then people would complain about that. And not to mention... XBox Live makes it extremely easy for developers to make online multiplayer for their games, without that service they would have to spend much more development time.

Anonymous 05/02/2009 3:22 AM

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how do i play? do i just play? cuz my halo wont let me online

Anonymous 06/05/2009 10:52 PM

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boxeddeal.com is giving up their 48 hour codes by the hour