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Xbox Live Silver to be called 'Xbox Live Free Membership'
Microsoft is renaming its (free) Xbox Live Silver service to "Xbox Live Free Membership," according to a tweet from European community manager Graeme Boyd. This comes alongside the refreshed Xbox.com and, of course, the Xbox Live Gold price hike, as part of an apparent pre-Kinect relaunch of the Xbox's online presence. The new name no longer emphasizes Silver's status as subordinate to Gold, but rather highlights the advantage of that level of membership -- the fact that it's free. In a followup tweet, Boyd clarified that the feature set for Silver won't change and neither will the name for the paid membership. If you're Gold now, you'll stay gold.
Halo: Reach beta opens to Xbox Live Silver members May 14
Are you an Xbox Live Silver member? Have you been staring with green-eyed envy at all your Gold-subscribing friends currently enjoying the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta? If so, we've got some good news, because Shacknews reports that the Reach beta will be opening up to Xbox Live Silver members next week. Starting May 14 at 9:00am PT, Silver members with a copy of Halo 3: ODST will be able to access the beta. You'd better get as much as you can though, because the party ends on May 17 at 9:00am PT, two days before the beta closes for everyone else. But hey, some Reach is better than no Reach, right?
Xbox Live March schedule: Free Xbox Live Gold, XBLA sale
Major Nelson has dropped a new Xbox Live Marketplace schedule for the remainder of March and beginning of April and, while we knew about most of the major releases already, there's still some surprises to be found. First, the next two weeks will see some nice Deal of the Week promotions, with Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram falling to 800 ($10) and Geometry Wars 2 dropping to a paltry 400 ($5). Beyond that, Xbox Live Silver members will also be able to enjoy free Xbox Live Gold -- including online multiplayer, Netflix, last.fm, Facebook and Twitter -- from noon ET on April 1 through noon ET on April 5. And, as if all that wasn't enough, Major announced that ten Xbox Live Arcade games will go on sale from April 1 through April 7. The full list of games hasn't been announced, though it will include Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, South Park and Defense Grid. Check out the full Xbox Live schedule after the break.
Twitter and Facebook for Xbox Live will be free for Gold members, 'free trial' for Silver
This shouldn't really come as too much of a surprise, but anyone wanting to enjoy Twitter and Facebook on Xbox Live will have to pony up for Gold member subscription, the same premium prerequisite currently needed for Netflix Instant Watch and pretty much all online gaming. Silver membership will be given a "free trial," but exactly what limitations that entails, or if they'll be an option to "upgrade" to the full version, is anyone's guess.
XBL Silver members: Play 1 vs 100 this weekend!
Here's how it works: Xbox Live Primetime's initial offering, 1 vs 100, will be free to Xbox Live Gold members (translation: the ones who lay down $50 a year for the service). We're still not sure how (or if!) free-but-limited Xbox Live Silver members will be able to play the title short of upgrading to Gold. Sure, we caught an errant "Buy Season Pass" option in the menus, so that could be one option. Also: how about free-to-play weekends? Microsoft let us know that this weekend – from Friday June 26 (that's today!) to Sunday June 28 – Silver members "can enjoy the 1 vs 100 premium entertainment experience reserved exclusively for Gold members" for a limited time only. We're going to assume that most of you on Xbox Live are Gold members so consider this an opportunity to get some gaming in with those Silver members taking up space in your friend's list. Not a Gold member? Give 1 vs 100 a shot and see if it's an effective gateway drug.
'Friendship is Free' brings limited multiplayer to XBL Silver
What's that, Xbox Silver members? Come again? Sorry, we Gold members had a hard time hearing you from the private Gold Member hydrofoil. Oh, you want a taste? A taste of the suite life? Well, ask and ye shall receive.What's that? Oh! The sweet life! Sorry, the Bellini machine is making a terrible racket. Listen, we know you want a taste of Gold, and we think we might have something worked out for you, a little something we and Microsoft are calling "Friendship is Free." For the next month, you'll have free multiplayer access to A Kingdom for Keflings, Aegis Wing, Bomberman Live, Hardwood Hearts, Hardwood Spades, UNO, Small Arms and Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.We know, we know, we're being too generous. Our mothers tell us it's a fault in our character, but we like to think of it as just paying it forward.
