Update: According to some of our readers not all copies of Grand Theft Auto IV include the one-month free trial card. This does not seem to be based on which version you purchase (regular or special edition) or which region you live in. We're awaiting a comment from Microsoft.
Aside from securing exclusive downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV and being the primary promoter of the game in ongoing advertisements is there anything else Microsoft can do to make GTA IV standout? How about give away a month of Xbox Live service to everyone who purchases the game? According to THEBBPS, and verified when we all cracked open our retail copies, GTA IV includes a one-month free trail for Xbox Live Gold service which allows players to take their experience online.
Ordinarily Microsoft packages 48-hour trial cards with select titles to entice gamers to go online but with the popularity of GTA IV and the potential increase of membership activations this looks like a smart strategic move on their part. Maybe this is what they meant by future growth of the service the last time they did system maintenance?
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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
4-29-2008 @ 2:06PM
RedSonRising said...
i dunno what everyones talkin about.. i bought a standard edition and theres no trial card in my box.. i need that month too, running dangerously low on 48hr trials..
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4-29-2008 @ 2:15PM
kastonie said...
good...now even more people can get on xbox live and break it and its gonna take microsoft another 2 months to fix it again
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4-29-2008 @ 2:18PM
matty said...
i got a free month and extended my account with it no problem
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4-29-2008 @ 2:23PM
DarkNightRJ said...
What? Theres nothing like that in my case.
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4-29-2008 @ 2:28PM
Raheem said...
Are you sure you bought the 360 version? :P All of them were supposed to have it.
4-29-2008 @ 2:37PM
DarkNightRJ said...
Lol im sure its the 360 version. But theres nothing inside. Doesnt have to be special edition does it?
4-29-2008 @ 2:51PM
Raheem said...
Nah dude, standard edition. Take it back to where you got it and tell them everyone else got it!
4-29-2008 @ 2:49PM
digitarius said...
Does this make anyone else cringe? I remember when cheating in Halo 2 skyrocketed thanks to easily available free trial cards.
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4-29-2008 @ 3:12PM
kyle said...
ehhh im getting gta iv no matter what, i have about another 10 months before my live xpires, but i doubt ill play multiplayer much
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4-29-2008 @ 3:30PM
DjDATZ said...
Xav, pic here if you want to use it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/daking240/2451244587/
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4-29-2008 @ 4:18PM
vidGuy said...
Most definitely did not get that in my game... now I'm bummed :(
4-29-2008 @ 4:11PM
Flakundenga said...
YES!!!!!!!! I got one, well make that two since i had to send my xbox 2 get it fix and got another one!!!
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4-29-2008 @ 8:39PM
Josh said...
I had to take back my first copy because it had somehow gotten half of the CD label printed on the back (imagine laser etching on an iPod or laptop with only Nico and the Xbox Live at the top. The 360 was missing) and my 360 couldn't read it. This copy had the one month. My new copy does not. Me, being afraid they wouldn't accept an exchange without all of the materials, returned the original card thinking I would still end up with a 1 month from the new game anyways. Damn this sucks.
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4-30-2008 @ 2:23AM
nizzy1115 said...
Mine has it. Got it from best buy (regular edition)
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4-30-2008 @ 4:04PM
Sean said...
My copy from Best Buy didn't come with the Live either. But I called up Xbox and they said to go back to the store and tell them that it din't come with it. They'll either give you a free one or you'll have to call Xbox Live and get a reference # and give it to the retailer.
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4-30-2008 @ 8:01PM
chaostheory0982 said...
I got my standard edition GTA IV from EB games in an Ontario, Canada store and didn't get any free trial card. I feel ripped off.
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5-01-2008 @ 6:09AM
MDJ2010 said...
Well mine didnt come with the free month, but its worth like 5 bucks so i think ill be okay. Im from the UK but am feeling more like a Russian in New York right now so i'm using 'bucks' today!!!!
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5-01-2008 @ 12:02PM
Modeps said...
Any update yet? I did not receive the free card. Purchased at Gamestop.
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5-01-2008 @ 9:04PM
HazyCloud said...
A friend and I bought ours at a midnight release at Hasting's. His had one, mine didn't. Sorta weird. Oh well. I paid 60 and couldn't be happier. The deathmatch f'n rox.
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5-02-2008 @ 9:59AM
evilJaze said...
Anyone else hear anything more on this?
I went back to the retailer and they told me that they have heard of the issue but to contact xbox.
I called xbox who seemed oblivious to the problem (??) and they gave me a runaround for about 40 minutes and then told me to contact the retailer!!!
FU*K!!
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