PSA: New Live 12 month cards include free month

by Dustin Burg { May 18th 2008 at 2:00PM }

We have a public service announcement for future twelve month Xbox Live subscription purchasers in the United States. A while back, we mentioned that with the new Xbox Live card re-design the twelve month subscription mysteriously lost its free month, because it made no mention of the offer that was prominently featured on the old packaging. Well, we soon discovered that even though the new packaging didn't mention the free month, it was in fact there when purchasers redeemed the code. So, Microsoft being the helpful folks they are, they started adding mini stickers to the twelve month Live subscription packaging telling of the extra free month. Now, more recently, they went one step further, getting rid of the sticker and actually adding the 12+1 verbiage to the insert packaging itself. Convenient.

So, what's the point of this public service announcement? Good question. There really isn't a deep meaning to this PSA other then the fact that no matter which Xbox Live 12 month subscription you buy (old packaging, new packaging with sticker or new packaging with insert), they ALL include a free month of Live. Thank you.

Gallery: Xbox Live 12+1 Month

Tags: microsoft, xbox-live

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

modelvillage @ May 18th 2008 2:16PM

So the auto debit subscribers get shafted? Nice one...

dylan @ May 18th 2008 2:20PM

totally agree, way to stick it to people who care about the environment Microsoft. "Buy some plastic wrapped in plastic that you throw away ten seconds after use, get a free bonus!" Not very green.

Triforceowner @ May 18th 2008 2:47PM

The least they could do is make it very bio-degradable. Do they? Or they could make it come in a cardboard box with only paper parts so that it could be recycled (or at least when you throw it away it rots clean).

Philip (Fernando Rocker Defence Force) @ May 18th 2008 2:58PM

Do you guys really think that the packaging from these will effect the environment? These things are so small in the grand scheme of things if you really think these make a difference, your just stupid. The real joke here is that you get robbed of the free month. But really anyone who pays $50 a year for Live is dumb.

Arno @ May 18th 2008 3:03PM

Yes you fool, every little bit makes a difference. Grow some brains.

Anticrawl @ May 18th 2008 3:18PM

I buy my 13 month xbox live cards for $28 with free shipping and no tax. People should be more informed consumers.

x silence x @ May 18th 2008 4:32PM

The new cards are made out of paper now. I bought one a month ago and they are different. Also, instead of scratching the back you peel off the cardboard back. Kinda like a pull-tab.

@Philip
You are retarded

Triforceowner @ May 18th 2008 4:49PM

Phillip is right that the use of plastic and disposing of said plastic in dumps won't affect (not effect) the environment, but it can affect humanities survival. The environment doesn't give a fuck about you, but you better give a fuck about it, because it couldn't care less if you were dead, but I bet you'd care if the earth was a snowball again, or a desert. And that will happen, but let's try and keep it from happening until we can all fly away on spaceships ;).

Philip (Fernando Rocker Defence Force) @ May 18th 2008 5:25PM

@Arno and Triforceowner
The idea that every little bit helps is not true. There is no way that something this small could affect the world. Do you have any idea how big the world is? Something this small can't make a difference. Besides we have no problem with man made global warming.

Josh @ May 19th 2008 12:26AM

Philip you are easily the dumbest person I've ever seen post in these threads.

According to your logic we would be fools to try and convince someone that their single vote is important in an election.

Philip (Fernando Rocker Defence Force) @ May 19th 2008 1:00AM

@Josh
Because I think different I'm stupid. Your right, if there were trillions of people you were voting with it wouldn't matter, but the fact is that a single vote is much larger then Xbox Live subscriptions packaging. Have you ever looked into what evidence for and against man made global warming? Before you buy into everything you are told you should do some research, here is where you can start.
http://wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com/2008/02/19/january-2008-4-sources-say-globally-cooler-in-the-past-12-months/
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21977114-27197,00.html
http://www.globalwarminghoax.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.6.4

Am I still stupid for thinking?

James @ May 19th 2008 11:34AM

Anticrawl, can we get linky? My sub is about to run out, and I figured I'd wait for a B&M sale, but if you have a site with cards that cheap (seriously, that's a damn fine discount), please let us in on the deal.

Philip (Fernando Rocker Defence Force) @ May 19th 2008 2:22PM

@James
Right now they are at $44, but if you sign up for Google checkout it takes off ten bucks.
http://www.buy.com/prod/xbox-360-live-12-month-gold-subscription-card-free-1-month-bonus/q/loc/108/201975268.html

Paul @ May 18th 2008 8:30PM

or you can also get a free month by signing up a silver account on your xbox 360 and an offer for a free month of gold will appear on the screen. you have to get a different gamertag every month and your achievements or friend's list doesn't carry over but technically xbox live gold can be free.

Superduperm @ May 18th 2008 2:46PM

I think you only get free XBLG for the first 5 accounts on the console.

JaggedToaster @ May 18th 2008 7:43PM

You can get three (3) free month trials per console.

Triforceowner @ May 18th 2008 2:45PM

Look for those $40 Circuit City sales.

horngreen @ May 18th 2008 3:44PM

I've been in since the BETA and only get the email alert telling me they are/did charge my credit card YET AGAIN. Thanks for the free month MS...Oh wait I got a free month card WHEN MY 360 RRODed ON ME...again.

DSK UK @ May 18th 2008 3:27PM

Really they should make these cards packaging the same way as itunes or giftcards do. i.e. the card on an extra bit of cardboard stating what it is

Mrblonde @ May 18th 2008 5:17PM

I think they do in 7-Eleven. Not sure though

Deck @ May 18th 2008 3:16PM

Well this is good to know, though I take it is a slow news Sunday! But, that is to be expected :-p

And yea, it is pathetic that the force us to buy the plastic to get the good deal.

@Phillip: I am not even going to respond your comment in detail because I would probably start some flame war but...as Arno said, every little bit does make a difference.

Neuromancer @ May 18th 2008 3:30PM

Get it from Buy.com for $44 with free shipping and if you use Google checkout for the first time you can save an extra $10. Not too shabby.

nizzy1115 @ May 18th 2008 6:49PM

psh, i got the live vision pack (2 arcade games some ms points and the live camera and extra headset) for 44 shipped.

el swordo @ May 18th 2008 4:19PM

it's been that way for as long as i can remember old news.

x silence x @ May 18th 2008 4:28PM

Yeah, that's what I thought....

We've always had those cards in Canada. I assumed the US had the same deal.

Young b kewl @ May 18th 2008 4:54PM

@Anticrawl where do you get those at that price? The cheapest I can find mine is $40

Anticrawl @ May 18th 2008 5:02PM

A few venders sell them at 38 dollars and I have plenty of promo codes to last me a lifetime (they are all for 10 dollars off). If you don't have said code you could look for the 10 dollars off google checkout deal.

Slickdeals and cheapassgamer are your friends.

cadaver @ May 18th 2008 5:22PM

I don't know if you guys can see that odd looking, circular thing on the package on the left... IT happens to say something along the lines of "BONUS 1 FREE MONTH"... the box on the right says 12+1 months... I see no difference, aside from the one on the left, infers you are getting a deal, because there is a BONUS.

UNSCleric @ May 18th 2008 6:24PM

Oh God, here come the global warming sheep.

Gloqwi @ May 18th 2008 7:07PM

It's always had one free month. It just has a new design it seems.

Gloqwi @ May 18th 2008 7:09PM

Oops, commented too early. They previously did not have a little sticker that SAID free month.

Bootleg Zani @ May 18th 2008 7:32PM

How is this any different from before? I mean yes the cards are re-designed but when I had bought a 12 month XBL card at the store before it also came with a 1 free month. Therefore I always thought the year cards were 12+1 plus I'm talking about a year ago.

Phour ZwanZig @ May 18th 2008 9:18PM

Walmart has been selling 12+1 cards for months if not years.. I like the redesign, but the 12+1 isnt anything new...

robert @ May 18th 2008 11:56PM

You can get it cheaper at buy.com. They have it there for 44 dollars, but if you sign up for google checkout, they take another 10 off, so you get it for 34, with FREE SHIPPING

check it out at buy.com

c. thomas @ May 18th 2008 10:04PM

You can call them and they'll take it off, but you still will be able to purchase points.

horngreen @ May 19th 2008 1:38AM

Phillip you keep calling people stupid the use "your" when you should use "you're" or you are. No Phillp, one plastic card won't make a difference but with millions of LIVE users that's more than one card. Couple that with fast food trash, junk mail and so on and it adds up. If you don't think MILLIONS of cars running for the past 100 years doesn't make a difference stick a rat in a plastic bag with a tailpipe running into it. See how fast the rat dies? Now Phillip put your head in there.

Philip (Fernando Rocker Defence Force) @ May 19th 2008 2:27PM

I know I don't always use the right your, but I don't really care cause it's just a comment, if this was something important, then I would proof read it. We have never talked about including anything but these cards. The thing is that IF man made global warming is a problem, these cards are the least of our worries. That last analogue is so weak I won't even respond to it.