Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
A Higher Score For Xbox 360
An Xbox 360 Gamerscore is an easy way to distinguish yourself, but is Microsoft doing enough to reward its most ardent fans?
Last week the company announced that it was starting the MyAchievements rewards program for its Xbox Live Gold members with three tiers of Gamerscores: Contender (3,000-9,999), Champion (10,000-24,999), and Legend (25,000+). Prizes range from a gift during your birthday month to up to a two-percent rebate for Market purchases (with a 30,000 Microsoft Point max).
While it's great to get something for games you were going to play and accomplishments you were going to earn anyway, the program seems slight. It only features three tiers and caps off somewhat quickly, and frankly the prizes could be bigger – especially considering you're essentially paying for it all anyway because the program requires a paid Xbox Live Gold membership.
Hopefully this is just the beginning for Microsoft's program, and there are more additions over time. In fact, the arrival of a new Xbox and with it another evolution of Xbox Live would be a perfect time to elevate this loyalty program and expand it in new ways. We'd like to see more tiers and bigger rewards. It would be easy to give out prizes like special demo offers, invites to exclusive tourneys/game sessions with developers, free games, the chance to be included as a character in a game if your score is high enough, and much more.
It's a little apples and oranges, but in a sense, Sony's PlayStation Plus (also a paid program like Xbox Live Gold membership) is arguably a better deal since you get free games and other discounts and offers. Nintendo is even offering a limited-time Nintendo Network Premium offer if you buy the Deluxe bundle of the Wii U. This gives gamers 10% off software purchases and points for buying games that are redeemable in the eShop.
It's hard to criticize Microsofts Gamerscore rewards program when it's so easy to reap the benefits, but hopefully this is just the tip of the iceberg.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
