The big announcement from Microsoft this week is the new Xbox Live Rewards program, which gives you rebates paid in Microsoft Points when you take certain actions. For instance, you'll get 200 points ($2.50 in U.S. dollars) for renewing a year of Xbox Live Gold or 100 points ($1.25) for activating and using Netflix over Xbox Live. You can also earn $0.25 a month in points taking surveys, and there will apparently be opportunities to earn points on selected Xbox Live Marketplace purchases. Xbox Live Rewards sign up is free (available in U.S. and U.K. only at this time), and you might just get some points back if you spend money in the designated ways.
Here's what is new this week on
Xbox Live Marketplace:
- Arcade: Unbound Saga ($10) plus Monday Night Combat Spunky Cola Special (free) and Trials HD Big Thrills Pack ($x)
- Game Room ($3 each; requires Game Pack 012): Amidar, Off the Wall and Twinbee
- Halo: Reach Noble Map Pack ($10) with three maps
- Nail'd Detonator Mode and Track Pack ($5)
- Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage Jagi costume and missions ($5)
- Dance Central: None
- Def Jam Rapstar: None
- DJ Hero 2 Hard Edge Mix Pack ($6) with "Debaser" by The Pixies vs. "Invaders Must Die" by The Prodigy and "Body Movin" by Beastie Boys vs. "Rock 'N Roll Is Dead" by Lenny Kravitz
- Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock: None
- Rock Band 3 Lynyrd Skynyrd Pack 01 ($7 or $2-3 each; due Tuesday, November 23) with "Saturday Night Special," "Sweet Home Alabama (Live)," "Tuesday's Gone" and "What's Your Name?" plus tracks "Hold On Loosely" by .38 Special and "Can't Get Enough" by Bad Company
- Rock Band 2/Rock Band 3 Rock Band Network tracks: None
- Lips Lady Gaga 5-Song Pack ($7) with “"Poker Face," "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)," "LoveGame," "Paparazzi," and "Bad Romance," Chicago Song Pack ($5.50) with "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love," "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" and "Hard Habit To Break" and tracks ($2 each) "Hard Habit To Break" by Chicago, "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga and "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" by Dean Martin
- Games on Demand: BioShock 2 ($30) and UFC Undisputed 2010 ($40)
- Demos: All Xbox Live Arcade, Game Room, Indie games and Rock Band Network tracks
- Indie Games (usually $1-10 each): Alpha Blasters, ArrowStorm II, Avatar Quiz Call, Avatar Snowball Fight, AXBY, Blokz Rokz, Break Limit, Decay, Epic Dungeon, The Impossible Game Level Pack, Musical Advent Calendar, Neutrino Wars, Snow Day, A Snowman's Survival, Toy Invasion and Werewolf Hallow
- Game Videos: Call of Duty: Black Ops, Halo: Reach, Homefront, Monday Night Combat Spunky Cola Special and Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare
- Themes: Tron: Legacy and RaceTrac
- Pictures: Tron: Legacy and Arcade Offer
- Avatar Items (usually priced $1-5 each): Trials HD and NBA
gives you rebates paid in Microsoft Points??
It's no different than the promotions that give you points back for spending points in a given campaign, like the one running right now that'll I'm halfway done participating in (bought Limbo, just need to decide between Lara Craft, Plants vs. Zombies or Deathspank to earn $5 in points from $30 in game purchases). Just expands the activities that earn you points. Not a bad deal if you buy a lot of Arcade games, Rock Band songs or you're looking for an excuse to get some avatar outfits.