Microsoft to Offer Free Xbox Live Arcade Game, Addresses Xbox Live Service Issues

by Chris Faylor, Jan 03, 2008 9:49pm PST

Related Topics – Microsoft, XBLA, Games: Console

Microsoft has announced that it will be giving all Xbox Live members a full Xbox Live Arcade game, with more details on the download slated to arrive in the coming weeks.

The offer was unveiled in a letter from Xbox Live general manager Marc Whitten, who explained recent Xbox Live issues as the result of a "massive increase in usage" over the holidays and expressed that the company was "disappointed in our performance."

Despite the problems, Whitten revealed that the Xbox 360's online service recently hit new records in regards to new member sign-up and and concurrent online users, with the latter reached yesterday, January 2.

"I would like to take this moment to thank you each and every one of you for your patience and understanding as our team has worked around the clock to return the service to a stable state," wrote Whitten.

Addressed to all Xbox Live members, the letter is reproduced here in its entirety.

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Comments

14 Threads | 61 Comments

#60

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By: NSanity2097 x Show Full Post

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In the end, whats truly laughable about this - is the fact that when live goes down, the very DRM'ed content they are offering you - is USELESS when your 360 ends up going in for repair or you upgrade.

I'd much rather them fix the DRM issue, and allow us to resign XBLA and DLC content to a new 360 - than any free amount of content.

Fix the cause you know? Not the symptom.

Jan 04, 2008 4:43pm PST

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In the end, whats truly laughable about this - is the fact that when live goes down, the very DRM'ed cont... : NSanity2097
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- Are you talking about how when you download content and have you Xbox 360 repaired you run into issues be... : Milkenobi

#4

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By: doctorbfunk x Show Full Post

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So what game is everyone going to get?

Jan 03, 2008 9:43pm PST

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So what game is everyone going to get? : doctorbfunk
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- joust, street fighter or catan, if we get a choice. :\ : xsoulbrothax
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  I might go Bomberman LIve or Pac man CE. : Ureval
  - That Bomberman : CrabsJarrard
- I wouldn't mind getting REZ HD. :D : MURcarnage
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  Dis I miss something? Where does it say we get to pick the free game? : Big Luke
  - Here's hoping that we get to choose? : MURcarnage
- I was under the assumption that they were choosing the game for us. : cookblaze
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  I have the sinking feeling that it's going to be a new game that they were going to give out free anyway ... : elwood00
  - I agree. : Sylvanus
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  puzzle quest or puzzle fighter either way i got those ms points a couple of weeks ago and i can buy one, ... : X-GOUKI
  - If they give out an old game, there will be people who already have it. (I have both of the games you ju... : elwood00
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  The Yaris game. The all-new Yaris Liftback S screams style from the get-go, thanks to its sport seats, a... : spiderfill
  - shill : biskits
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  Duke Nukem 3D! : Freyplayer
  - this is what i want too : AMikaboshi

#3

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By: dryxcell x Show Full Post

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In the coming weeks? Does that mean just about as long as we've been having this terrible service? It took them this long to issue a formal apology, which is pretty unacceptable. I'd rather just have a free month of live.

Jan 03, 2008 9:40pm PST

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In the coming weeks? Does that mean just about as long as we've been having this terrible service? It too... : dryxcell
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  1500 free ms point things would be nice : CoRDS
  - Yeah, something like that, so we have the freedom to choose. It's not like there's gonna be an inflation ... : Function Pointer
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  Wow, that seems pretty unreasonable. Live stepped up to the plate and you still want more? You sound spoi... : Ureval
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    Stepped up to the plate? How so? If I'm paying hundreds of dollars for hardware and games on top of payin... : dryxcell
  - I think there's a pretty high set of expectations considering both that it's a pay service, and that the ... : DinK

#13

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By: -=kodiak=- x Show Full Post

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good

i hope they let us have a choice of games, instead of saying "LOL FGTS, YOU R GETTING JOUST!!!!"

Jan 03, 2008 10:06pm PST

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good i hope they let us have a choice of games, instead of saying "LOL FGTS, YOU R GETTING JOUST!!!!" : -=kodiak=-
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#22

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By: Fred Garvin x Show Full Post

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So either they are keeping hush about a DoS or it didn't happen. My sources are still saying that it was definitely part of the problem.

Jan 03, 2008 11:19pm PST

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So either they are keeping hush about a DoS or it didn't happen. My sources are still saying that it was ... : Fred Garvin
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- I suppose if that was the case, admitting such would be revealing a weakness they apparently have no suit... : fuji-juice
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  Or just the influx of users caused one admin to freak out and think it was a DDoS. : d3tached
  - I'd say this is more believable. What Fred's source says is still a possibility though. I doubt we'll e... : Sylvanus
  - that'd be my guess. prolly over a million new xboxes were opened around dec 24-25, new accounts being cre... : R.Cade

#1

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By: pyide x Show Full Post

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hooray! i wish it was points instead of a specific game though. i'll have 3 copies of joust or something.

Jan 03, 2008 9:32pm PST

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hooray! i wish it was points instead of a specific game though. i'll have 3 copies of joust or something. : pyide
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  Yeah, with my luck, it's going to be something I already bought. : jason bergman
  - That's always the case, or so it seems... : Killrig
  - Joust #4 here I come :*( : theflux

#47

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By: Carnivac x Show Full Post

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The way I'm reading it, sounds like it will be one of the new games in release schedule.

Jan 04, 2008 6:31am PST

The way I'm reading it, sounds like it will be one of the new games in release schedule. : Carnivac

#32

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By: moshman x Show Full Post

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addressssssssses!! addresssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssses

Jan 04, 2008 2:59am PST

addressssssssses!! addresssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssses : moshman

#31

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By: Sailor of Fortune x Show Full Post

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Hmm, there might be something to this whole complain about stuff on the internet.

Jan 04, 2008 1:45am PST

Hmm, there might be something to this whole complain about stuff on the internet. : Sailor of Fortune

#14

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By: kallanta x Show Full Post

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Y'know... say what you want about their track record, but I think their customer service really is improving.

Jan 03, 2008 10:38pm PST

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Y'know... say what you want about their track record, but I think their customer service really is improv... : kallanta
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- I think they've definitely realized that to take over the console industry they'll need to be super nice ... : DinK

#18

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By: burning eye x Show Full Post

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wow, that's a damn good deal

Jan 03, 2008 10:51pm PST

wow, that's a damn good deal : burning eye

#17

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By: ShekkyBoy x Show Full Post

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Weren't there people saying it was a DoS attack?

Jan 03, 2008 10:50pm PST

Weren't there people saying it was a DoS attack? : ShekkyBoy

#2

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By: dixieboi x Show Full Post

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"...patience and understanding"

haha I bet he really grinded his teeth when he said that

Jan 03, 2008 9:33pm PST

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"...patience and understanding" haha I bet he really grinded his teeth when he said that : dixieboi
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- As indicated above it seems very few people had either of those things. : Ureval

#9

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By: adsriordan x Show Full Post

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I have to say I'm happy to see MS do this. Ive had no problems with Xbox Live over the years except this recent week. Great customer service to man up and do this.

Jan 03, 2008 10:00pm PST

I have to say I'm happy to see MS do this. Ive had no problems with Xbox Live over the years except this... : adsriordan

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