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.