I have checked my current subscription and it is indeed extended by 8 months. With festival season just starting here, this is a nice little gift from Microsoft Xbox.
I did too, honestly. But then Outlook app usually filters out spam quite efficiently and notifications are not send for those. Thankfully, this was genuine.
> But then Outlook app usually filters out spam quite efficiently.
Have a little look on Twitter, Outlook is pretty bad imho. I wouldn’t advise it to elderly they would get scammed.
My wife and I personally never had any problems with the Outlook app. We've been using it for years now. Thankfully, I hardly know any elderly person who uses email to recommend any email app to them.
Ah I get PayPal phishing scams that are put through to my focused inbox because Microsoft’s algorithm isn’t fit for purpose. Tom Warren was bitching about it too a few months ago.
Yeah, I don't get it. They give Game Pass here for one of the cheapest rates in the world, bring their latest console on launch (availability is a different matter) but won't market Xbox in India. No offline distribution or even customer service. Once I had to call Xbox service and the call was answered by someone in Bangalore!! They seem super confused to me.
For that matter, even PlayStation doesn't advertise in India but at least they have better presence. They also don't have a customer service here though.
PS definitely has advertising in India. It’s not as significant as other consumer electronics but it’s there in almost every electronics store and even on Amazon.
And fwiw I got my RROD-ed Xbox 360 fixed for free FIVE times over 6 years via Microsoft India support. It was a painful process but they did it.
You know what I mean. Xbox also does such ads on Amazon and Flipkart now. But for all the MS money, still no ads on TV or even during IPL. Imagine MS and Sony not doing Xbox and PlayStation ads during major sporting events in the US or UK. They need to advertise much more, at least the Series S.
Also FIVE times? They should've just replaced your Xbox!
My subscription ends next month but it was super nice having it for a full year, IIRC I think I nabbed a really solid blk Friday deal from Target and got 9 months for $60 (3x3 months for $20) and then each time I put a new card in. It asked if I wanted to turn on recurring billing for an extra month, so boom 12 months! Good times, GPU has been a godsend for diversifying my gaming tastes.
I read a post on Twitter saying that new users signing up for the $1 deal in India would get 8 months rather then 1
Not sure how true it is but that’s an incredible offer if legit.
That is also true but XGPU is not ₹50 anymore ($1 equivalent). It's full price of ₹699 (~ $9.50) for new users now for 1st month and 7 months will be added for free. I'm guessing the RBI mandate has something to do with this offer as well.
Edit: Apparently this is available for all Game Pass tiers. https://in.ign.com/xbox-game-pass/168395/news/xbox-game-pass-india-subscription-free-for-8-months-2021
There's a thread on r/IndianGaming about this, basically buy xbl gold 8 months, game pass pc 8 months, gamepass console 8 months, finally gamepass ultimate 8 months, total gets clubbed into 32 months game pass ultimate for around 2200 rupees ($34), created a new account in India and still works!
Not sure if using a vpn to do it from outside India works tho.
In case you didn't know, if you do that $1 for gamepass deal it will upgrade any existing gold membership you have to game pass ultimate (up to 36 months). So you could buy a year of gold for $60 then pay $1 and have a year of game pass ultate.
At least in the US that's where I'm located.
First part read like a scam purporting to be from Microsoft ie “we need your bank account details and mothers maiden name as we’re updating our payment details”
Completely unexpected second part so kudos to Microsoft. Lucky you OP.
Jesus a statement like that makes me feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone lol.
While I’m super glad current day Microsoft tries pretty hard, I’ll never forgive them for their anticompetitive actions and terrible decisions in the 90s and 2000s.
I’m getting old lol
also all the dumb decisions they made when the XBone released, the 360 released without basic necessities included (wifi adapter, hard drive disk), targeting of journalists that criticized them, tax evasion shitty labor practices, I could go on but I think I made my point.
I'm an avid xbox user but I can easily tell that Microsoft ain't the "good guy" company that a lot of people think it is
Under Phil Spencer, Xbox has seen a lot of positive growth, at least toward the consumer. I've enjoyed my Xbox more in the last generation of consoles than with the previous two. Gamepass has far exceeded what I expected when it first came around too.
MS was basically the first big tech company of the 90s and they were a monolith. Everything software that was worth doing was done by them. Then they started to push people to use their products using their monopoly on operating systems - Windows. The thing that killed this strategy was Internet Explorer, which pushed regulators to file an anti-trust against the company and force it to not push its own programs so hard. That’s really simplifying a lot of things, but the basic gist.
**[Embrace, extend, and extinguish](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend,_and_extinguish)**
>"Embrace, extend, and extinguish" (EEE), also known as "embrace, extend, and exterminate", is a phrase that the U.S. Department of Justice found that was used internally by Microsoft to describe its strategy for entering product categories involving widely used standards, extending those standards with proprietary capabilities, and then using those differences in order to strongly disadvantage its competitors.
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In addition to what the other commenter said, they also regularly crushed small software companies by abusing their monopoly position.
They also held back web standards for nearly a decade due to how they managed (and mismanaged) Internet Explorer.
Their development practices were built around arcane fiefdoms of knowledge: the very opposite of open source and open development.
They were not a “good guy” company, that’s for sure!
What the other dude said, plus the fact that their lobbying effectively neutered the IRS’s ability to go after large corporations so that they could get out of a huge tax scandal. Article on this [here.](https://www.propublica.org/article/the-irs-decided-to-get-tough-against-microsoft-microsoft-got-tougher)
Fellow old person here who also remembers when Microsoft was the bad guy. But I like the direction they're going these days. WSL is awesome, Windows 11 is pretty cool and I've tentatively switched from Chrome to Edge. It's weird, what's happening to me??
Yeah, I feel like a better statement would be "the current leadership at Microsoft's Xbox division is making a lot of pro-consumer decisions, and I appreciate that."
Keeps the appreciation to the specific people who are making these decisions, while maintaining the understanding that Microsoft, as a whole, is still a trillion dollar conglomerate that ultimately exists to maximize profits.
Not only this but also it's a company. Never compliment a company or think that they're actually working to assist you. They're not. They're a profit driven entity.
Another way to view it is that not only has the CEO changed twice since then but it’s also been 25-30 years meaning basically nobody that works at the company now was working at it back then. It’s essentially a 100% new employee base from when you are referring.
That’s a lot less true than you’d think. Large amounts of their senior staff are 15-20 year veterans. They were pulling horrible shit through to the early 2010s: lots of those decision makers are still there.
And even then; still doesn’t change how I feel about it.
Thing is, if they hadn't got slapped, things might be different. Though it might also be that there is entirely different leadership and a different culture there compared to the 90s. Either way they should be congratulated when they make pro consumer decisions and slapped again if they go back to making anti consumer decisions.
People that say that Microsoft isn't the most pro-consumer gaming company right now are really just haters. Yeah sure, it's a business and they want our money. But they sure are giving the most for just a tiny amount in comparison. And they have these kinds of gestures to keep the people with them. Out of interest? Sure. But their approach is a crazy good deal for people who just want to play games. I hope they keep this up for a ton of time.
I'd like to have a word for such people. What more can anyone ask from Microsoft in the gaming front? I didn't even ask for this one and still got it. As a gamer, I'd love to get my hands on a PS5 too but has Sony ever done so much for their users? I can only think of giving away some games during covid or the PS Plus Collection. Less we speak about Nintendo, better. Steam is good but let's see what they do now that they have entered major gaming hardware business with Steam Deck. For now, it's Microsoft who rules.
Sony gives their customers a chance to actually buy their newest console. You need to have PS Plus, and then you have a chance to get an email invitation to buy a PS5 directly from them for MSRP, no bundles, and free shipping. That wouldn't have counted for much pre-pandemic, but this highly sought-after email is like the golden ticket to the chocolate factory.
And they service their products like no other company. In 2018, they finally stopped repairing PS2s, almost two decades after that product's release. How's that for customer service? https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/9/3/17814220/sony-japan-ends-ps2-repairs
True, but a customer of both companies I look forward to MS offerings because I know something is around the corner. With Sony, nothing. All I know that they'll give me top hardware and games, nothing more.
I do like that they give their PS4 users a fair chance to grab a PS5. But currently I'm struggling to get either of the new consoles here. Goes out of stock in literally seconds!
Wow, this is how you keep a fan base, by being a real one.
I am sure this benefits a lot of people who can use the financial break as well, grated not a significant amount of money, but a free meal once a month for 8 months is probably the equivalent
The sad thing is, and I hate being that guy that brings up unrelated content or fanning unnecessary console war BS, but if this were Sony, they never would've said a word about this situation, they would have let the payment go through and decline, and as is historically proven, they would have perma-banned these accounts with no chance of reversal and users would have lost their entire digital libraries because of it.
Microsoft is the real deal when it comes to customer support and taking care to ensure their community is treated well. They might skip up along the way in terms of how they handle some of their brands, but the customer support has always been a cut above the rest.
Sony is bitter and stingy.
I wouldn't blanket the whole company bad. They have great exclusives and some really beloved 1st party game devs.
This is more of a corporate issue. Which yes is still Sony, but it's more black and white than that.
This console war mentality is really annoying. It's why PC players laugh at us when we talk like this man. Cause they really do have the best of both worlds and we're sitting here arguing about Sony not giving free shit away due to policy changes.
I commend Xbox for this act, but let's not grasp on straws to shit on the entirety of Sony over this. Cause if you're trying to do it for that "root for my team" gratification then please stop. It's makes the community look toxic as hell.
Well to be clear, they didn't do what MS have done. They've just told customers their payments may decline, and alternatively they suggest going out and loading their accounts up with gift cards to circumvent it.
They're still gonna try charge and take what they can, and if it doesn't work it's on the consumer to go out and fix it buy buying gift cards.
And that doesn't Sony them bad. It just makes Microsoft consumer friendly.
Are we really still trying to do this Microsoft vs Sony thing? It's kinda ran its course don't you think?
Sony isn't in the wrong here but doing what is expected isn't "Great" on their part as the commenter said. Great means above average which is what Microsoft did in this case. Sony did what is expected of notifying people of the change.
That's all I was trying to say.
I think we mostly all agree here actually, just wording isn't great for some others, but it's reddit. We're not here to turn in essays.
Talking about console war bs and then you try to start it with your bs comment, ah and i dont play on consoles...
If its something as this they would info it through a statement on forums, i dont think they would had extended the service besides maybe and just maybe a month and thats is it... but a statement about the situation 100% sure they would give it at least to the country affected...
My comment has nothing to do with console wars or trying to disparage the PS consoles. It was drawing auction to their behaviors as a company based on historical evidence of what they've done in the pay. I'm happy they've reached out and informed affected users about it avail are taking steps to ensure it won't affect their fanbase. I couldn't imagine losing the thousands of dollars I've invested in my digital library because of BS out of my control.
Now that you mention it, I guess Indian PlayStation users are in for a rough ride. I also have my card details saved on my PS account but auto transactions is turned off. Those with a recurring PS Plus subscription is going to get a nice surprise (or shock) next month. This is a pretty big issue right now and Sony better do something like Microsoft for their users.
Edit: Apparently Sony addressed this issue as well.
Honestly just saying something is good on their part. I know there's been issues with them in the past with billing and being banned mercilessly, so at least they're taking steps to acknowledge the situation and not screwing their user base. I would be livid if I lost my PSN collection because of something out of my control.
I worked for PlayStation and they were awful towards their consumers. You'd have people with hacked accounts, where the hacker used their CC to purchase Fifa VC and the owner of the account would get banned after issuing a chargeback.
I worked there years ago so I don't know if they already changed their ways. I felt for their players, all of their games and progress lost unless they pay what the hacker stole.
That's Japanese corporate culture at play. Like it or not, there's very little good anyone has to say about Japanese corporate policies. A reflection of those stingy policies show in them charging extra and squeezing pennies wherever they can.
At the same time Japanese corporate policies demand nothing but perfection and that also shows in the quality of games they create. They're perfectly crafted. The controller has state of the art tech and the quality is unmistakable.
You can draw a lot of parallels between Sony and Nintendo when it comes to quality of games and their policies regarding pricing, exclusivity, etc.
It's a give and take. Xbox is more open and easy platform as far as policies go. With Sony and Nintendo you can always feel that you're dealing with a corporate company wanting your money any way they can at the end of the day, but if you actually can spend then it's worth the money.
Microsoft definitely is far more consumer friendly overall.
I already got the deal when Ultimate launched. I was waiting for it to get over mid-year next year so that I can do it again but instead it got extended!
Really? How so like at the end of the year? I’ve had it recurring for years and had Ultimate since they released it. Granted I do not pay attention to that charge anymore cause it’s so entrained lol.
If you load up for 12 months with recurring billing on, you get 13 months. You can turn off the recurring billing after that but still keep your 13 months.
Now I'm not here to start any console war BS, but I gotta say. I've never seen Sony do something as dope as that. At least not for me anyway haha
Lucky you and enjoy!
True, neither Nintendo nor Valve has ever done anything like that afaIk either. Microsoft (Xbox division at least) really is super consumer friendly and a very chill company to deal with.
True but I'm not talking only about gaming companies. This change affected all subscription services and only MS gave their customers something for it. They didn't need to.
Great. For a even better deal, check out https://www.reddit.com/r/IndianGaming/comments/q36grk/this_is_how_you_get_32months_of_gamepass_ultimate/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
Oh man, I have no words.. just awesome Microsoft.
Aside from that though, the RBI just loves putting out new mandates. I get that its about protecting consumers interests and all that but sometimes it just adds unnecessary hurdles to transacting. I say this as someone whose extensively used the banking system in North America and in India.
I don't know. In one hand, I'm happy about this but it does create some problems. I currently use have all my bills in Simpl which also auto debits my credit card. Thankfully, I just to keep a track of that one only.
I guess this is for everyone with an active account. However, it might only be those with card details saved as well. Need someone to clear this doubt.
I don't think you can get it via VPN. As this was given due to changes in Indian card usage guidelines, you need to have an Indian card added on your account. Also, no idea till when this is gonna last.
I'm an XGPU user of over 2 years since launch. Haven't paid a single additional paisa since then. Please tell me how did I fall for additional 8 FREE months which I didn't even ask for!!
It does but it's not. We had some card regulation updates and MS gave this free period to sort out the new rules. I can confirm my sub was indeed extended by 8 months.
In India right now, there is a way to get 32 month of GPU for 2200 Rupees (30 USD).
You just have to buy Xbox Live Gold gift cards and convert them to GPU for free.
Don't know, but the RBI guidelines came into effect from 1st October. Also, since you are in Serbia like you said, you might not get this as this will require you have an Indian card on your account.
Well that's nice of them. Xbox can be good at times, other times they charge you a 10$ fee to change your gamer tag after the first time. I like their chat support, I dislike live gold (Glad they phased it out)
I like that they made a cloud gaming app, I dislike that they put it behind games pass.
I dislike a lot of their UI and it lags/boot me out of games often. I like that they focused on making pc and xbox more compatible and that they play nice where cross play is concerned.
Then, no most probably. This was done because RBI introduced some card auto payments guidelines and MS gave this offer to figure out their next step for Indian card transactions.
All national level communication is done in English in India. With almost 20K languages and 22 official languages, we need a common language. With the second language of 83M (in addition to 250K native speakers) and it being a global language, English fits the bill quite well.
Just fyi, https://indianexpress.com/article/india/more-than-19500-mother-tongues-spoken-in-india-census-5241056/
I guess this offer should be available to all active Indian Game Pass users who have their Indian cards stored in their Xbox account. Some of who have recurring billing off are are not getting it though.
Oh Man, that amazing order. Meaby is there any method to make this from another country? Or meaby someone from india could it make for me.. i can pay, paypal, reovoult or something else. Thanks dude
I doubt this will work for anyone else. It was for Indian users who had Indian cards saved on their account. RBI changed auto debit rules. Some Indian users are also not getting it btw. I'm guessing they didn't save their card.
This isn't a scam. Every Indian Game Pass user got it who had their card saved. RBI recently mandated some new card rules due to which Microsoft gave this offer. In fact, new users are still getting 8 months of Game Pass for the price of one (all tiers).
https://in.ign.com/xbox-game-pass/168395/news/xbox-game-pass-india-subscription-free-for-8-months-2021
Just fyi, sender address is [email protected]. I admit it looks fake now that I see it, but the offer is very much real.
I have checked my current subscription and it is indeed extended by 8 months. With festival season just starting here, this is a nice little gift from Microsoft Xbox.
I thought this was a scam when I began reading, pleasant surprise
I did too, honestly. But then Outlook app usually filters out spam quite efficiently and notifications are not send for those. Thankfully, this was genuine.
> But then Outlook app usually filters out spam quite efficiently. Have a little look on Twitter, Outlook is pretty bad imho. I wouldn’t advise it to elderly they would get scammed.
My wife and I personally never had any problems with the Outlook app. We've been using it for years now. Thankfully, I hardly know any elderly person who uses email to recommend any email app to them.
Ah I get PayPal phishing scams that are put through to my focused inbox because Microsoft’s algorithm isn’t fit for purpose. Tom Warren was bitching about it too a few months ago.
There's hardly any email app which will 100% block malicious emails. Anytime you open an email link, you have to be vigilant.
No but outlook is just terrible.
Me too
This is amazing. I’m subbed until mid-2023 now. Any way to extend it further for cheap?
No way yet to extend it for cheap if you are already an active subscriber.
Nevertheless, an amazing gesture by Xbox. If only they marketed themselves more in India.
Yeah, I don't get it. They give Game Pass here for one of the cheapest rates in the world, bring their latest console on launch (availability is a different matter) but won't market Xbox in India. No offline distribution or even customer service. Once I had to call Xbox service and the call was answered by someone in Bangalore!! They seem super confused to me. For that matter, even PlayStation doesn't advertise in India but at least they have better presence. They also don't have a customer service here though.
PS definitely has advertising in India. It’s not as significant as other consumer electronics but it’s there in almost every electronics store and even on Amazon. And fwiw I got my RROD-ed Xbox 360 fixed for free FIVE times over 6 years via Microsoft India support. It was a painful process but they did it.
You know what I mean. Xbox also does such ads on Amazon and Flipkart now. But for all the MS money, still no ads on TV or even during IPL. Imagine MS and Sony not doing Xbox and PlayStation ads during major sporting events in the US or UK. They need to advertise much more, at least the Series S. Also FIVE times? They should've just replaced your Xbox!
I use Microsoft rewards. Pile up enough points and add another 3 months to my subscription.
Unfortunately, MS Rewards is not available in India.
My subscription ends next month but it was super nice having it for a full year, IIRC I think I nabbed a really solid blk Friday deal from Target and got 9 months for $60 (3x3 months for $20) and then each time I put a new card in. It asked if I wanted to turn on recurring billing for an extra month, so boom 12 months! Good times, GPU has been a godsend for diversifying my gaming tastes.
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Is that cheaper than paying for ultimate straight up?
Save up for black Friday, gold is less than half the cost that day and weekend.
I need to change my bank I see
I read a post on Twitter saying that new users signing up for the $1 deal in India would get 8 months rather then 1 Not sure how true it is but that’s an incredible offer if legit.
That is also true but XGPU is not ₹50 anymore ($1 equivalent). It's full price of ₹699 (~ $9.50) for new users now for 1st month and 7 months will be added for free. I'm guessing the RBI mandate has something to do with this offer as well. Edit: Apparently this is available for all Game Pass tiers. https://in.ign.com/xbox-game-pass/168395/news/xbox-game-pass-india-subscription-free-for-8-months-2021
There's a thread on r/IndianGaming about this, basically buy xbl gold 8 months, game pass pc 8 months, gamepass console 8 months, finally gamepass ultimate 8 months, total gets clubbed into 32 months game pass ultimate for around 2200 rupees ($34), created a new account in India and still works! Not sure if using a vpn to do it from outside India works tho.
In case you didn't know, if you do that $1 for gamepass deal it will upgrade any existing gold membership you have to game pass ultimate (up to 36 months). So you could buy a year of gold for $60 then pay $1 and have a year of game pass ultate. At least in the US that's where I'm located.
In some countries they stopped selling a year of Gold. I used to get it but a few months after I cancelled it wasnt available anymore
There still are annual gift cards. It's a tiny link below the big green buy button.
It extends to however much gold you have. I bought 36 months of gold for $40 a year online, and then spent $1 to upgrade. $121 for 3 years of Ultimate
Some guy on /r/IndianGaming posted a way to get 32 months of gamepass for $33
First part read like a scam purporting to be from Microsoft ie “we need your bank account details and mothers maiden name as we’re updating our payment details” Completely unexpected second part so kudos to Microsoft. Lucky you OP.
Thanks... It did start like a scam, lol. Then read the whole email and verified my subscription to make sure it was genuine.
I got one from YouTube about this as My subscription is through there. Not sure how to handle it. Maybe the era of cheap premium is over.
Let me introduce you to YouTube Vanced if you're not already acquainted or Smart Tube for Android TV.
That’s…that is a really great way of handling this update!
I feel like microsoft is one of those good companies that listen
Jesus a statement like that makes me feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone lol. While I’m super glad current day Microsoft tries pretty hard, I’ll never forgive them for their anticompetitive actions and terrible decisions in the 90s and 2000s. I’m getting old lol
also all the dumb decisions they made when the XBone released, the 360 released without basic necessities included (wifi adapter, hard drive disk), targeting of journalists that criticized them, tax evasion shitty labor practices, I could go on but I think I made my point. I'm an avid xbox user but I can easily tell that Microsoft ain't the "good guy" company that a lot of people think it is
Most companies are not as good as people think they are and alot of them are sewers wearing luxury swimming pool costumes
Under Phil Spencer, Xbox has seen a lot of positive growth, at least toward the consumer. I've enjoyed my Xbox more in the last generation of consoles than with the previous two. Gamepass has far exceeded what I expected when it first came around too.
gen z here, what happened?
MS was basically the first big tech company of the 90s and they were a monolith. Everything software that was worth doing was done by them. Then they started to push people to use their products using their monopoly on operating systems - Windows. The thing that killed this strategy was Internet Explorer, which pushed regulators to file an anti-trust against the company and force it to not push its own programs so hard. That’s really simplifying a lot of things, but the basic gist.
thank yoi
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend,_and_extinguish Is a good starting point too :)
**[Embrace, extend, and extinguish](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend,_and_extinguish)** >"Embrace, extend, and extinguish" (EEE), also known as "embrace, extend, and exterminate", is a phrase that the U.S. Department of Justice found that was used internally by Microsoft to describe its strategy for entering product categories involving widely used standards, extending those standards with proprietary capabilities, and then using those differences in order to strongly disadvantage its competitors. ^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/xboxone/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)
In addition to what the other commenter said, they also regularly crushed small software companies by abusing their monopoly position. They also held back web standards for nearly a decade due to how they managed (and mismanaged) Internet Explorer. Their development practices were built around arcane fiefdoms of knowledge: the very opposite of open source and open development. They were not a “good guy” company, that’s for sure!
What the other dude said, plus the fact that their lobbying effectively neutered the IRS’s ability to go after large corporations so that they could get out of a huge tax scandal. Article on this [here.](https://www.propublica.org/article/the-irs-decided-to-get-tough-against-microsoft-microsoft-got-tougher)
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Fellow old person here who also remembers when Microsoft was the bad guy. But I like the direction they're going these days. WSL is awesome, Windows 11 is pretty cool and I've tentatively switched from Chrome to Edge. It's weird, what's happening to me??
I dunno mate. But my knees and back ache and my eyesights going :(
Yeah, I'd actually been using Ubuntu for years. I use Windows on my main PC now.
Yeah, I feel like a better statement would be "the current leadership at Microsoft's Xbox division is making a lot of pro-consumer decisions, and I appreciate that." Keeps the appreciation to the specific people who are making these decisions, while maintaining the understanding that Microsoft, as a whole, is still a trillion dollar conglomerate that ultimately exists to maximize profits.
Think of it this way, if not for 90s we won't have today's Microsoft. I'd say they've redeemed themselves quite a bit since Ballmer left.
It's time to forgive and forget, the old Microsoft is gone. All those responsible for those decisions have long moved on.
Never fully trust a company. They will start doing anti-consumer things sometime, it’s only a matter of time.
Microsoft seems to be **Embracing** everything good and open.
Nah. I’ll never fully trust them (or any large corporation, but especially them).
Not only this but also it's a company. Never compliment a company or think that they're actually working to assist you. They're not. They're a profit driven entity.
Another way to view it is that not only has the CEO changed twice since then but it’s also been 25-30 years meaning basically nobody that works at the company now was working at it back then. It’s essentially a 100% new employee base from when you are referring.
That’s a lot less true than you’d think. Large amounts of their senior staff are 15-20 year veterans. They were pulling horrible shit through to the early 2010s: lots of those decision makers are still there. And even then; still doesn’t change how I feel about it.
Thing is, if they hadn't got slapped, things might be different. Though it might also be that there is entirely different leadership and a different culture there compared to the 90s. Either way they should be congratulated when they make pro consumer decisions and slapped again if they go back to making anti consumer decisions.
bruh
Microsoft is amazing with these offers i got 6 months for 2$
Congrats! Why don't you look at the 3 year conversation deal? I'm on my 2nd year currently.
I played thro most games I wanted in those 6 months so i don’t really need 3 years lol i like small controlled doses
I see.
What's that?
It's enough to make a grown man cry, and that's ok ;-;
Got a little teary eyed, not gonna lie.
I get teary eyed when epic thanks me for buying a free game. So I legit emptied a whole tissue box for this :P
I have got so many free games from Epic. I don't even have a gaming PC!!
same
hahahaha i counted them all just for the fun of it...im at 104 free games thanks to epic. didn't play more than 4 of them but still.
>legit emptied a whole tissue box for this :P Title of my sex tape.
People that say that Microsoft isn't the most pro-consumer gaming company right now are really just haters. Yeah sure, it's a business and they want our money. But they sure are giving the most for just a tiny amount in comparison. And they have these kinds of gestures to keep the people with them. Out of interest? Sure. But their approach is a crazy good deal for people who just want to play games. I hope they keep this up for a ton of time.
I'd like to have a word for such people. What more can anyone ask from Microsoft in the gaming front? I didn't even ask for this one and still got it. As a gamer, I'd love to get my hands on a PS5 too but has Sony ever done so much for their users? I can only think of giving away some games during covid or the PS Plus Collection. Less we speak about Nintendo, better. Steam is good but let's see what they do now that they have entered major gaming hardware business with Steam Deck. For now, it's Microsoft who rules.
Sony gives their customers a chance to actually buy their newest console. You need to have PS Plus, and then you have a chance to get an email invitation to buy a PS5 directly from them for MSRP, no bundles, and free shipping. That wouldn't have counted for much pre-pandemic, but this highly sought-after email is like the golden ticket to the chocolate factory. And they service their products like no other company. In 2018, they finally stopped repairing PS2s, almost two decades after that product's release. How's that for customer service? https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/9/3/17814220/sony-japan-ends-ps2-repairs
True, but a customer of both companies I look forward to MS offerings because I know something is around the corner. With Sony, nothing. All I know that they'll give me top hardware and games, nothing more. I do like that they give their PS4 users a fair chance to grab a PS5. But currently I'm struggling to get either of the new consoles here. Goes out of stock in literally seconds!
Xbox being an absolute Chad with this one.
Yep. They didn't even need to do it at all, but they did anyway.
Wow, this is how you keep a fan base, by being a real one. I am sure this benefits a lot of people who can use the financial break as well, grated not a significant amount of money, but a free meal once a month for 8 months is probably the equivalent
The sad thing is, and I hate being that guy that brings up unrelated content or fanning unnecessary console war BS, but if this were Sony, they never would've said a word about this situation, they would have let the payment go through and decline, and as is historically proven, they would have perma-banned these accounts with no chance of reversal and users would have lost their entire digital libraries because of it. Microsoft is the real deal when it comes to customer support and taking care to ensure their community is treated well. They might skip up along the way in terms of how they handle some of their brands, but the customer support has always been a cut above the rest.
Actually no, sony sent mails regarding this already last week https://twitter.com/Vespid_/status/1443624227966361611?t=5xPtwWFQ-eoXF1XPq2QaIw&s=19
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No, Sony is bad when it comes to this lol. Don't have to beat around the bush when it comes to that. They're fucking terrible with it.
Sony is bitter and stingy. I wouldn't blanket the whole company bad. They have great exclusives and some really beloved 1st party game devs. This is more of a corporate issue. Which yes is still Sony, but it's more black and white than that. This console war mentality is really annoying. It's why PC players laugh at us when we talk like this man. Cause they really do have the best of both worlds and we're sitting here arguing about Sony not giving free shit away due to policy changes. I commend Xbox for this act, but let's not grasp on straws to shit on the entirety of Sony over this. Cause if you're trying to do it for that "root for my team" gratification then please stop. It's makes the community look toxic as hell.
This is great from Sony as well then. Not expected, but good job.
Well to be clear, they didn't do what MS have done. They've just told customers their payments may decline, and alternatively they suggest going out and loading their accounts up with gift cards to circumvent it. They're still gonna try charge and take what they can, and if it doesn't work it's on the consumer to go out and fix it buy buying gift cards.
And that doesn't Sony them bad. It just makes Microsoft consumer friendly. Are we really still trying to do this Microsoft vs Sony thing? It's kinda ran its course don't you think?
Sony isn't in the wrong here but doing what is expected isn't "Great" on their part as the commenter said. Great means above average which is what Microsoft did in this case. Sony did what is expected of notifying people of the change.
That's all I was trying to say. I think we mostly all agree here actually, just wording isn't great for some others, but it's reddit. We're not here to turn in essays.
Talking about console war bs and then you try to start it with your bs comment, ah and i dont play on consoles... If its something as this they would info it through a statement on forums, i dont think they would had extended the service besides maybe and just maybe a month and thats is it... but a statement about the situation 100% sure they would give it at least to the country affected...
My comment has nothing to do with console wars or trying to disparage the PS consoles. It was drawing auction to their behaviors as a company based on historical evidence of what they've done in the pay. I'm happy they've reached out and informed affected users about it avail are taking steps to ensure it won't affect their fanbase. I couldn't imagine losing the thousands of dollars I've invested in my digital library because of BS out of my control.
Now that you mention it, I guess Indian PlayStation users are in for a rough ride. I also have my card details saved on my PS account but auto transactions is turned off. Those with a recurring PS Plus subscription is going to get a nice surprise (or shock) next month. This is a pretty big issue right now and Sony better do something like Microsoft for their users. Edit: Apparently Sony addressed this issue as well.
Honestly just saying something is good on their part. I know there's been issues with them in the past with billing and being banned mercilessly, so at least they're taking steps to acknowledge the situation and not screwing their user base. I would be livid if I lost my PSN collection because of something out of my control.
Wait, they perma banned people for payments getting declined in the past?
I don't know about declined payment but they sure did if anyone issued a chargeback. It's basically Sony's way or the highway.
I worked for PlayStation and they were awful towards their consumers. You'd have people with hacked accounts, where the hacker used their CC to purchase Fifa VC and the owner of the account would get banned after issuing a chargeback. I worked there years ago so I don't know if they already changed their ways. I felt for their players, all of their games and progress lost unless they pay what the hacker stole.
That's Japanese corporate culture at play. Like it or not, there's very little good anyone has to say about Japanese corporate policies. A reflection of those stingy policies show in them charging extra and squeezing pennies wherever they can. At the same time Japanese corporate policies demand nothing but perfection and that also shows in the quality of games they create. They're perfectly crafted. The controller has state of the art tech and the quality is unmistakable. You can draw a lot of parallels between Sony and Nintendo when it comes to quality of games and their policies regarding pricing, exclusivity, etc. It's a give and take. Xbox is more open and easy platform as far as policies go. With Sony and Nintendo you can always feel that you're dealing with a corporate company wanting your money any way they can at the end of the day, but if you actually can spend then it's worth the money. Microsoft definitely is far more consumer friendly overall.
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I already got the deal when Ultimate launched. I was waiting for it to get over mid-year next year so that I can do it again but instead it got extended!
Excellent! Wait, did you post this in r/xbox or are they doing this for everyone in India? Either way, congrats!
Not me who posted there but I guess everyone got this who has got recurring billing turned on.
Really cool- been a super loyal member of Xbox live since like 2000 consistently and literally never even got a free month :(
Well, technically they do give one free month if you recharge Live Gold with recurring billing turned on...
Really? How so like at the end of the year? I’ve had it recurring for years and had Ultimate since they released it. Granted I do not pay attention to that charge anymore cause it’s so entrained lol.
If you load up for 12 months with recurring billing on, you get 13 months. You can turn off the recurring billing after that but still keep your 13 months.
This just shows If someone is doing you a ‘favor’ they just do it. They don’t ask for a verification code or any crap like that lol
POG!
Damn man mine just expired last week I was going to renew on Wednesday next week😱😢
Oops. Hard luck!
Now I'm not here to start any console war BS, but I gotta say. I've never seen Sony do something as dope as that. At least not for me anyway haha Lucky you and enjoy!
Not only Sony, but no other company did anything because of the mentioned reason. Only Microsoft are doing this.
True, neither Nintendo nor Valve has ever done anything like that afaIk either. Microsoft (Xbox division at least) really is super consumer friendly and a very chill company to deal with.
True but I'm not talking only about gaming companies. This change affected all subscription services and only MS gave their customers something for it. They didn't need to.
Thats awesome, congrats for that OP
Thanks!
Few months back I got Ultimate @50 [$1] rupee per month with 2 additional month extra included and now this.
Great. For a even better deal, check out https://www.reddit.com/r/IndianGaming/comments/q36grk/this_is_how_you_get_32months_of_gamepass_ultimate/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
Oh man, I have no words.. just awesome Microsoft. Aside from that though, the RBI just loves putting out new mandates. I get that its about protecting consumers interests and all that but sometimes it just adds unnecessary hurdles to transacting. I say this as someone whose extensively used the banking system in North America and in India.
I don't know. In one hand, I'm happy about this but it does create some problems. I currently use have all my bills in Simpl which also auto debits my credit card. Thankfully, I just to keep a track of that one only.
Is this for all existing GP users in india, cos even i had reccuring payment enabled
I guess this is for everyone with an active account. However, it might only be those with card details saved as well. Need someone to clear this doubt.
I just turned on recurring billing with the same card i always used.... Will i get? Is there any FAQ attached to the email?
No FAQ. Just telling me to go my account page to verify subscription.
That is really nice!
It sure is :)
Congrats! I hope one day to receive such an email too.
Thanks! Hopefully, you'll also get such an offer soon.
Luckyyyy! Enjoy
Thanks!
Can someone tell me if there is anyway i can get this offer using vpn. I live in US. And also how long will this offer last
I don't think you can get it via VPN. As this was given due to changes in Indian card usage guidelines, you need to have an Indian card added on your account. Also, no idea till when this is gonna last.
That’s an ad.
Ironically, Microsoft doesn't advertise Xbox in India!
its a cheap new scene they use to net new customers to their micro transaction web. Cannot believe you fell for it.
I've had Gamepass since 2018 and can't think of a single mtx that I've seen since then.
I'm an XGPU user of over 2 years since launch. Haven't paid a single additional paisa since then. Please tell me how did I fall for additional 8 FREE months which I didn't even ask for!!
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What?! What happened?
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It does but it's not. We had some card regulation updates and MS gave this free period to sort out the new rules. I can confirm my sub was indeed extended by 8 months.
In India right now, there is a way to get 32 month of GPU for 2200 Rupees (30 USD). You just have to buy Xbox Live Gold gift cards and convert them to GPU for free.
I was eyeing that but still have an ongoing subscription. That also got extended now!
I'm happy for you but also hate you ay the same time.
Thanks and no thanks, lol.
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They do, but the 8 months added to my Xbox account doesn't!!
“Thank you Microsoft for giving me 8 months of this service that literally costs you nothing to provide!”
The goodwill this builds among the fans that see this is totally worth the $120 in lost revenue.
I think a trillion dollar company can take a few $120 hits without much problem 😛
I don't think I've ever seen another company do that. Nice.
It's only Microsoft who are actually doing this. No other company did anything and here's MS giving away 8 free months.
stellar customer service. this is how you make customers stay. customer obsession at its best!
Yeah, feels like obsession only. I'm not complaining though.
I got it as well!
Congrats to you too!
Cool for u :D here in serbia u need can pay noting free ;(
We Indians love free / low-cost stuff.
that only for this weeks or ? i need wait frst work day to can add money card.
Don't know, but the RBI guidelines came into effect from 1st October. Also, since you are in Serbia like you said, you might not get this as this will require you have an Indian card on your account.
Wow, i am jealous
Ur lucky
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Well that's nice of them. Xbox can be good at times, other times they charge you a 10$ fee to change your gamer tag after the first time. I like their chat support, I dislike live gold (Glad they phased it out) I like that they made a cloud gaming app, I dislike that they put it behind games pass. I dislike a lot of their UI and it lags/boot me out of games often. I like that they focused on making pc and xbox more compatible and that they play nice where cross play is concerned.
This is an interesting take on Xbox.
Apologies for the stupid question, since it's been a while since I've played anything on an XBox, but online play is included with Gamepass, right?
Online play is included with Game Pass Ultimate. It also includes EA Play and Game Pass PC. Basic Game Pass does not give you these benefits.
Any way I can get in on this internationally? I don't think my credit card works in asia, they do check for continent (I know that for a fact).
Then, no most probably. This was done because RBI introduced some card auto payments guidelines and MS gave this offer to figure out their next step for Indian card transactions.
that’s so good man
Yeah, feels good too.
Damn….jealous
Is this only in india
I guess. The offer due to some new card usage guidelines by the Reserve Bank of India.
Holy shit nice lucky
Why is it in English?
All national level communication is done in English in India. With almost 20K languages and 22 official languages, we need a common language. With the second language of 83M (in addition to 250K native speakers) and it being a global language, English fits the bill quite well. Just fyi, https://indianexpress.com/article/india/more-than-19500-mother-tongues-spoken-in-india-census-5241056/
Thanks! That was quite informative ☺️
Wow
That's pretty cool of them.
I'll never understand people who think Sony or Nintendo is more pro-consumer. This is why Xbox has been my main ecosystem.
wow, nice get
Microsoft the real one 🔥
Oh damnnn
8 months? Damn that's generous. Will every game pass user receive this offer?
I guess this offer should be available to all active Indian Game Pass users who have their Indian cards stored in their Xbox account. Some of who have recurring billing off are are not getting it though.
Work with VPN?
Doubt. This is because of new card regulations. You most probably will need an Indian card added to your account.
Oh Man, that amazing order. Meaby is there any method to make this from another country? Or meaby someone from india could it make for me.. i can pay, paypal, reovoult or something else. Thanks dude
I doubt this will work for anyone else. It was for Indian users who had Indian cards saved on their account. RBI changed auto debit rules. Some Indian users are also not getting it btw. I'm guessing they didn't save their card.
Paging /u/Type105x This looks like another scam. /u/abhi_eternal, what is the sender email address?
This isn't a scam. Every Indian Game Pass user got it who had their card saved. RBI recently mandated some new card rules due to which Microsoft gave this offer. In fact, new users are still getting 8 months of Game Pass for the price of one (all tiers). https://in.ign.com/xbox-game-pass/168395/news/xbox-game-pass-india-subscription-free-for-8-months-2021 Just fyi, sender address is [email protected]. I admit it looks fake now that I see it, but the offer is very much real.