How does Xbox Live Work

With every new Xbox 360 purchase, you get a 1-month free Gold membership to XBOX LIVE. There are two membership levels, the Free Silver Membership that gives you access to community features, friends lists etc, and the Premier Gold membership (monthly fee) which allows you to play online multiplayer games. In xbox live you can play games in multiplayer mode, get High Definition Movies, watch TV shows and more. Whether your friends are across the street or on the other side of the globe, you can play with them from the comfort of your home.

However, Xbox LIVE is only supported on specific countries of the world, as listed below:

• Australia: International English
• Austria: German
• Belgium: Dutch, French
• Canada: English, French
• Denmark: Danish
• Finland: Finnish, Swedish
• France: French
• Germany: German
• Hong Kong: Traditional Chinese, English
• India: English
• Ireland: International English
• Italy: Italian
• Japan: Japanese
• Korea: Korean
• Mexico: Spanish
• Netherlands: Dutch
• New Zealand: International English
• Norway: Norwegian
• Portugal: Portuguese
• Singapore: International English
• Spain: Spanish
• Sweden: Swedish
• Switzerland: German, French, Italian
• Taiwan: Traditional Chinese
• United Kingdom: International English
• United States: English

Now, if you live in one of the countries above, to join Xbox live you need two basic steps:

1. Connect with Xbox Live via the Internet

All you need is an Xbox 360 and a broadband Internet connection. See the post of Xbox 360 Home Network Setup for more information on how to connect your game console to the internet.

2. Setup an Account and Join Xbox Live

After you are connected to the Internet (and hence to Xbox Live network), you need to setup an Xbox Live account, create a gamertag and select a membership.

• To simplify the process, collect the details of your Microsoft Passport Network account before you create your Xbox LIVE membership. You already have a Passport Network account if you have any of the following:
  • A Hotmail account.
  • An MSN account.
  • An Xbox.com account.

  If you don’t have them yet, visit www.passport.net to set one up, or you can create one from the Xbox Dashboard during this sign-up procedure.

• Turn on your system and remove any discs from the Xbox tray.

From the Xbox Dashboard, go to Xbox Live Area and Select Join Xbox Live as shown above. Here you will have the option to change your GamerTag, supply your email address and password associated with your passport account, your country etc.

• After that, you are required to choose a membership option, as shown below:

If you need to play multiplayer games, you need a paid Gold membership option (as shown above) which requires a valid credit card. Follow the remaining steps: enter a contact address, choose an Xbox LIVE Gamer Zone, set your communication preferences for Xbox 360 promotions, and select a time zone and daylight-saving option. Then you will be all set to join the Xbox Live network.

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