Microsoft launches improved Xbox Live Rewards program

xboxliverewards1Following on the heels of the recent switch from Microsoft Points to local currency, Microsoft have launched their all new Xbox Live Rewards program. And from the looks of things, there’s certainly some benefit in participating in the program.

Gamers participating in the program can now earn Reward Credits for completing a variety of activities, as detailed by Microsoft here. Some of the activities, such as participating in surveys and renewing your gold membership, are carryovers from the previous rewards program, however there are some new additions. Credits can now be earned for playing games for a particular period of time, or for earning an achievement. Once players have earned 5000 Reward Credits, they will be converted into the player’s local currency and deposited into their Microsoft account.

The amount of credits you receive depends on the activity you complete, but even relatively simple things such as completing a survey earn you a fair amount of credits. The full breakdown is below.

  • Complete a punchcard nets you with 1000 to 3000 credits based on the type of punchcard (punchcards range from buying map packs to downloading apps and renting movies)
  • Renew your Xbox live membership1 month renewal grants you 250 credits; 3 months renewal nabs you 500 credits and a year renewal will get you 3000 credits
  • Make your first purchase from the Xbox Stores and you’ll net 1250 credits
  • Play a new xbox 360 game for more than 10 hours (excluding full games on demand, indie games, arcade games or other downloaded games) and you’ll receive 1000 credits. You have to rack up those 10 hours within 30 days of the release date, however.
  • Take a survey and receive250 credits
  • Refer your friends and you’ll get 1000 credits for every friend who goes gold, and that friend will receive 5000 credits. So everyone wins. Woo!

Rewards Credits will be automatically deposited into your Microsoft Account on the 15th and 30th of each month once you hit 5000 credits. If you’re under this figure, your credits will be held as pending until you reach 5000. If you don’t want to wait, you are able to request a deposit of your credits once you hit 1000 by clicking on the ‘request deposit’ button on your myrewards page. Doing so will allow you to deposit 1000 credits into your Microsoft account on the next scheduled deposit day. You can track the progress of your credits on your myrewards page.

Not a bad program to reward you for playing games, right? Just remember – whilst Rewards Credits do not expire, the cash that Microsoft deposits does, so once your credits have been converted to a monetary figure, make sure you use them! All Rewards Credits converted to your local currency and deposited into your Microsoft account expire by June 2015. So get gaming!

For more details on the newly revamped scheme, head here.


About the Author: Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Tash is a self-diagnosed gaming fanatic with a doctorate in Psychology. She's also a self-confessed Mass Effect fangirl and will likely talk your ears off if you ever get her started on the subject. A lover of all things RPG and adventure, she has more gamer related action figures and memorabilia than any 30 something year old professional has a right to own, and has spent more time than she’d like to admit to daydreaming about exactly what she would do should the Zombie Apocalypse actually happen.

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