Microsoft to Offer Freebie to XBox Gamers

By: Barbara Herring | WSAV-TV
Published: January 04, 2008

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Microsoft says it will give Xbox 360 owners a free video game to make up for poor performance over the holidays by the system's online service.

Gamers log on to the Xbox Live service to buy games, television shows and movies to load onto their consoles, and interact with other players.

Some video game blogs recently reported that users had problems with the site over the holidays, including trouble signing in, downloading media and getting matched with online opponents.

Xbox Live general manager Marc Whitten says the company is "disappointed" by its performance. He says record-breaking traffic and new-member sign-ups caused the "intermittent Xbox Live issues."

The software maker did not publicly detail the problems Xbox users faced or the steps it has taken to fix the issues.

The company pledges to give away a free game from the Xbox Live Arcade, but did not say which titles will be chosen, or when.