Earlier this week, Microsoft celebrated the 10-year anniversary of Xbox Live and surprised select early adopters who have been using the service for a decade with a free special edition Xbox 360.
For those of us who signed on later, the company has decided to throw us a bone with a free Avatar helmet. While it's unclear how long of a tenure users must have with Xbox Live to receive the gift, my 8-year subscription was granted the helmet, along with several IGN editors with 5-year subscriptions.
The new console was designed to reflect the legacy of the Xbox brand and "features a special 'Xbox Live: A Decade of Entertainment' logo that includes imagery from the original Xbox, Kinect, the Vision camera and much more from Xbox's history. In addition, the disc drive says 'XBL 10' instead of the usual Xbox 360," according to IGN. Even the controller that ships with the console has undergone a facelift.
When the site contacted Microsoft, a spokesman said "we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of Xbox Live by conducting special promotions for our members worldwide and today we began to surprise a select number of our loyal 10 year Xbox Live members in the U.S. with special edition anniversary consoles. These consoles were created for a special promotion and will not be available at retail locations."
Live launched in 2002 on the original Xbox, and has since undergone numerous facelifts. Live is perhaps at the core of the system's identity, reflecting the revolution in online multiplayer gaming that has made an indelible mark on the current generation of consoles.
- (Credit: Larry Hryb on WhoSay)
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