November 28th 2012 3:13 pm PT

Free Xbox LIVE Gold Weekend for US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan & Mexico

If you haven’t had a chance to check out the latest entertainment experiences on Xbox, this weekend is a great chance to give it a try. From Thursday, Nov. 29 through Sunday, Dec. 2, we’re unlocking Xbox LIVE Gold in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan and the United States.

All Xbox owners in these regions, regardless of their current subscription, will have access to online multiplayer gaming, (like Halo 4 Spartan Op) Video Kinect and our entire catalog of entertainment apps, during that time period.

Have fun

Edit: Updated the countries and clarified content availability.

Xbox 360, Xbox Live By Larry Hryb, Xbox LIVE's Major Nelson

permalink: http://majornelson.com/2012/11/28/free-xbox-live-gold-weekend-for-us-canada-australia-new-zealand-japan-mexico/

71 comments

http://seankilbane.com/ Sean

I hate it when there is free Gold weekend, the reason is because I pay for these days still and yet people get them for free. What Microsoft should do is add these free days onto your memembership that you already have.
- http://twitter.com/UberMinch Jeff Minch
  
  I dislike the attitude in our culture that doesn’t simply take pleasure in good things happening to other people. Instead of being happy that someone else is getting something for free we become embittered that something good isn’t happening to us — even though the good thing happening to the other person is in no way detrimental to us.
  
  I’m happy that, especially with the economy the way it is, thousands of people will get a chance to play online this weekend who wouldn’t normally be able to. I have gold already, but good for them!
  - http://twitter.com/Navarin Bennijin
    
    I’m not, those people are jerks.
  - http://www.facebook.com/chris.grub.5 Chris Grub
    
    I’m glad you said something – I was starting to think I was going crazy.
  - http://twitter.com/seekul Luke Es | sE ekuL
    
    Well said. It is precisely the same attitude that puts people in the hospital every Black Friday. “You’re not entitled to a deal if it means I miss out.” It is zero-sum consumerism.
    
    Gold members are already getting the service that they pay for, they’re not actually missing out on anything except the thought of having something “extra”. To which I say, if you don’t already feel you’re getting your money’s worth, having 4 days tacked on to your subscription expiry won’t make that feeling go away.
  - Nick Peck
    
    Because everyone these days are self entitled idiots who think they are always owed something for nothing (all the time no matter what it is). it’s annoying.
- http://www.facebook.com/xelopha.anaredho Xelopha Anaredho
  
  Are you really complaining about the 40¢ / 25p / 30ct Microsoft is giving away to promote XBL Gold every few months …?
  
  In order to keep down redundancy:
  I’ll second Jeffs posting. Nicely said.
- ryder4life22187
  
  I’m not sure why anyone should hate it. When i didn’t have gold i didn’t have any reason to sign up to play multiplayer wasn’t sure if it would be worth it but then got a free weekend played a couple of games and wound up signing up.
- Blitz Krieg
  
  They’re giving them 4 days dude, big deal.
- http://twitter.com/AdamDJTbrand Adam Thompson
  
  Two days? And you can’t choose which two days? And you are upset about it? Reminds me of the story of a dog with a bone, looks at the water and barks at the dog he sees with a bone (his reflection) and drops his bone in the water. Maybe to make up for the extra server load those of us with Gold can only have Silver for those two days if we say stupid things about other people.
http://twitter.com/CockneyCharmer Sean T

So why doesnt the UK deserve to have this free weekend??

Really curious as to why the 2nd largest Xbox using region in the brand doesnt get included in yet another Xbox Promotion, Xbox Rewards is already giving away MSP to everyone but the UK and now this

If you are trying to alienate us as customers…you are succeeding, maybe if we actually had a community manager of our own they could fight for us as Xbox Customers?
- http://twitter.com/Chaosprower Chaosprower
  
  “Xbox Rewards is already giving away MSP to everyone but the UK”
  
  Are you sure? The Xbox Rewards site claims it’s available for the UK since October.
  - http://twitter.com/natragv Nathan Vernon
    
    I’ve been using Xbox LIVE Rewards in the UK since it was released two years ago.
    - http://twitter.com/CockneyCharmer Sean T
      
      as in the promotion XboxLIVERewards just started running on Twitter, also non UK or EU
      
      So far the UK and EU are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to sharing in the spoils of success from Xbox currently, its become quite an obvious thing on social media
      - QuixoticRocket
        
        We just had a UK only free weekend. Stop putting on the persecution complex and get back under the bridge.
    - http://twitter.com/Chaosprower Chaosprower
      
      Oh, us in Spain got it on October 2012, I didn’t know the UK already had access to it (I thought it was US-only before that).
- http://twitter.com/natragv Nathan Vernon
  
  UK gets Rewards..
http://twitter.com/Chaosprower Chaosprower

Any specific reason this doesn’t apply to Europe?
Calum Young

Microsoft, if you don’t give UK more things, then your sales will go down.
- http://twitter.com/TrashMKX Trash
  
  I’m sure they really care!
  - Calum Young
    
    Trash, go to the Trash.
- Cock mcblock
  
  Selfish twats. You got free live last week, while the rest of the world didn’t. And you wonder why the colonies hated you do goddamn much.
http://twitter.com/Navarin Bennijin

Pretty sure there was a UK-only weekend not too long ago…
- Lee Rayson
  
  An now it is a UK Excluded, we got the poop end of the stick this time around
  - http://www.majornelson.com Major Nelson
    
    As noted above there was a UK only weekend recently, while the US did not have that one. We alternate what regions are unlocked on a varied basis. It all equalizes out in the end.
    - http://twitter.com/seekul Luke Es | sE ekuL
      
      May I request that @thevowel discuss the system architecture hurdles of what it would mean to hypothetically turn on a worldwide free weekend for 35 million users?
      
      Sometimes people think equity of access should just work, when in fact the technical infrastructure can’t support 100% use. (Just ask the CoD Elite team, or Ma Bell during a disaster.)
    - http://twitter.com/BroncoDestructo Bronco Destructo
      
      But we in the US would like to play against our UK compatriots. Or would that be too much of a server load at one time?
      - http://twitter.com/CyberKnight1 Yakko Warner
        
        If you want to play with whom you want, when you want, then buy a Gold card. It’s not that hard, and not that expensive for a month or three. If you’re waiting around for someone to give you exactly what you want for free, you could be in for a long wait.
      - http://twitter.com/BroncoDestructo Bronco Destructo
        
        3 thumbs down for saying it would be nice to have the US and UK be able to have the same free Gold weekend? Odd.
    - Lee Rayson
      
      Okay im happy with that response, i didnt know UK had one(i pay for Gold) id say next time(if) it happens maybe put a little note to why we weren’t in it
    - http://twitter.com/Chaosprower Chaosprower
      
      So what, I’m from Spain. We didn’t get access to the UK-only event. Are you justifying Spain, France, Germany; Italy, and all the other European countries don’t get the offer just because the U.K. had an exclusive event? Europe is more than just the U.K., you know.
    - http://www.facebook.com/densml Sam Dennis
      
      Yeah as I pay for Gold why do I lose a weekend to those whom don’t? it should be given to those whom already pay as an extension to their subscription.
Rohan Mayers

Yea, free Xbox Live Gold for me.
- http://twitter.com/BroncoDestructo Bronco Destructo
  
  that’s right homeboy! look me up, let’s play some NBA2K13!
http://www.facebook.com/Marco.CastroBR Marco Antonio

Obrigado MS!!! Por lembrar de nós
http://twitter.com/BroncoDestructo Bronco Destructo

They recently had a Free Gold UK-Only weekend.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003976957614 Willy McBurgle

It’s official – Microsoft hates Europe.
- MR_SPY
  
  That is only because Europe first hated Microsoft lol. Sucks that the actions of a few affected so many though :/
http://www.facebook.com/wolfvckingvision Daniel Duncan

When does this come in active? A few friends are wanting to take advantage of this, and it isn’t allowing them to join parties or play online.
- http://twitter.com/Bolamx1 Bolamx
  
  yes my wife account keeps saying update payment info and wont let her play online
  - The Dukenator
    
    Have you talked to Xbox Support about this?
http://www.facebook.com/DJ.xSellize Sam Xsellize Marshall

Please make this for the UK aswell
http://twitter.com/natragv Nathan Vernon

Super!
Blitz Krieg

Good thing. Even though it doesn’t affect me as i already have a 1-year subscription.
Hugoku

It was delicious?
Rohan Mayers

Are there differences in the network quality in online games
on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3? Microsoft is offering free Gold Membership for
the weekend so I decided to play two of my Street Fighters on my X360: Marvel
vs. Capcom Origins and Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition. In MvCO, it says
that I have a green NAT 1 connection and SSF4AE played perfectly with no lag. I
live in a dorm and use my school’s wireless connection so this was a shocker. I
always have a bad connection and a speed test have me at 12.70mbps up and
7.64mbps down. I decided to play the same exacts on my PS3. In MvCO, it says
that I have a red NAT 3 connection and I got serious lag in SSFAE. The complete
opposite result on the same network in the span of 5mins. So, is there a difference
in the network quality for online play on X360 and PS3? Since I have been a
student, I have not played any online games on my PS3 because I thought the poor
quality was due to my school’s firewall. But if the issue is my PS3, I may have
to get Xbox Gold. Thanks.
- The Dukenator
  
  Considering that both may use the same ports, sometimes the servers have issues.
  
  Have yo tried a wired connection instead of wireless? Seems wireless has issues.
http://twitter.com/fuenteshagar Ivan Fuentes Hagar

Can’t use Internet Explorer
- The Dukenator
  
  I find that very annoying.
  - http://twitter.com/Byyys Byyys
    
    Gota have gold to use IE app.. to be honest the way microsoft do things,
    I’m supprised you dont need xbox gold to “bing” …
    - The Dukenator
      
      Bing is a search engine. I prefer Google over Bing.
    - GERMIN4T0R
      
      Surprised you dont need Gold to play a Single Player game. All these Apps are made Gold just to justify the price of it. Most of Xbox Live is P2P yet people need to pay.
http://www.facebook.com/VictorSoares6 Victor Henrique Tavares Soares

And this is what I call PlayStation Network .

Leaving the trolling behind, it’s time for me to play some Trials Evolution. Wish I had money for a 12-month subscription….
http://www.facebook.com/MrPopo7 Sean Brannigan

Will I need to activate it or anything? I can’t seem to get onto any on the services listed. I am in one of the regions listed above
- The Dukenator
  
  I can get into online multiplayer, don’t care for the rest.
http://www.facebook.com/monsterous.rage Monsterous Rage

for all the people complaining that the UK doesn’t get a free weekend , how about you stop being cheap and get a year membership for $60 bucks, because honestly, we don’t need whinning retards on live anyway.
- hunterrnl
  
  You know why most country`s in Europe play on the PS3 except the UK ? We dont wanna play against people like you >_> ( Europe 60 € -> 78 $ + we got zero extra`s )
http://www.facebook.com/monsterous.rage Monsterous Rage

it makes me laugh that people complain about how they don’t have 60 bucks for a year subscription, when games alone cost that much, you can afford the new release but not the live membership………
- http://twitter.com/TheBlockTVinc TheBlockTV™
  
  it’s not about that. the PS3 is free and they put ads all over the Xbox and charge 60 year? just by us watching the ads they can make the same amount of money. it’s BS.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003976957614 Willy McBurgle
  
  at least when you spend 60 bucks on a game – you get something for it
http://twitter.com/TrashMKX Trash

IF you want your country to have all the perk and benefits, help them create their own console to sell worldwide!!
GERMIN4T0R

Europe always gets shafted by those idiots at MS.
http://www.facebook.com/lindejesus Linda De Jesus Montoya

How do you get the free xbox gold?
http://www.facebook.com/maalik.barnes Maalik Barnes

so how do you get xbox live gold for free
http://twitter.com/gamerAGAKgila Saudaranya Gamergila

Hurrayyy!!!!!!
dlmayday

I’m so sad it’s almost over
http://twitter.com/TheBlockTVinc TheBlockTV™

why can’t it just be free like the PS3? I don’t get it. Microsoft puts advertisements all over the Xbox and has the nerve to charge 60 a year? Microsoft is a billion dollar company. it’s such corp greed. 2 days for them is nothing.
- The Dukenator
  
  Gold is mostly for online multiplayer and apps. Ugh. I switched to PS3 months ago, much better.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003976957614 Willy McBurgle

…and if the shoe was on the other foot? *rolleyes*
http://twitter.com/fcviotto Fernando Coli Viotto

You know that Argentina, Brazil and Colombia are not part of Mexico right?

Wondering why you don’t refer to them as South America.
Ush Lee

This is so lame for me, I just found out about this yesterday. So I got Live only for one day.

November 28th 2012 3:13 pm PT

Free Xbox LIVE Gold Weekend for US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan & Mexico

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