Xbox LIVE celebrates its five year anniversary on November 15, and Microsoft has a whole week of special promotions planned. You’ll be able to play online with developers and win accessories, subscriptions, and MS Points just by playing any game over LIVE on its birthday. It’s hard to believe LIVE’s been up and running for five years already, but it’s nice of Microsoft to reward us for what we’d be doing anyway to celebrate – sitting in our underwear all day and playing video games.
Microsoft also has a couple of specific game promotions set up for later in the week, including a Return of Castle Wolfenstein all-nighter and a family-themed Lego Star Wars event. Both are great games in their own right, but it’s hard to see what either one has to do with the Xbox’s identity. Castle Wolfenstein wasn’t the first game compatible with Xbox LIVE; it’s just a first-person shooter from 2003. And while Lego Star Wars is undoubtedly excellent, wouldn’t the Microsoft-published Viva Piñata Party Animals have been a better family-friendly choice?
Oh well, questionable game choices aside, LIVE’s birthday bash looks to be an exciting one. Maybe in four years we’ll be saying the same thing about PSN’s anniversary.
