At 60 dollars a year or more outside the USA, Xbox live isn't very cheap and whether you just don't have the money or your parents aren't willing to pay for it, there are still ways to get online and become part of the LIVE community.

Currently there are only 6 ways to get online without paying:

Method 1. Using the free trial that came with your Xbox 360
Method 2. Using a free trial that came with a game
Method 3. Getting it through a site like Prizerebel - The BEST way at the moment
(Update)
Method 4. Swap Microsoft Points for Subscriptions on trading websites
Method 5. Free Xbox Live Weekends (rare)
Method 6. Free giveaways (NONE at the moment)

This tip is for people who have NOT signed up for Xbox Live yet. To give you a taste of what you are missing, Microsoft provides a free 1 month trial with each Xbox 360 they sell, BUT they are very clever at hiding it hoping you will buy one instead.

1. Make sure you Xbox 360 is plugged in to a broadband internet connection.
2. Turn it on and choose the 'Join Xbox Live' option.
3. Create a Gamertag name and start entering your personal information.
4. Once you get to the point during signup where you have to select from: 'Silver, Gold, or Redeem' choose Silver.
5. It will ask you if you're sure you want Silver and not Gold. Even if you have a 48 hour trial redemption card, don't use it. Select yes, you are sure you just want Silver.
6. After confirming the Silver account Xbox Live should say you've just qualified for a free 1 month trial of Xbox Live.

Boom!
One months free gaming

This method can only be used once with each gamertag and only when setting it up for the first time on your console (not if you set it up on your PC). Each console allows a maximum of 3 free trials, so if you have already used all these trials, or have a second hand console you are out of luck. Finally remember, you only get 1 month free with each different gamertag and when you set up a new gamertag you lose all of your achievements and rewards!!

Some, not all, games contain a free trial for Xbox LIVE but these are generally 48 hours trials (they used to be more but now you'll be lucky to get a month free at most) and obviously require the purchase of a $60 game. Halo 3, Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 and GTA 4 Special Edition are some examples.

This method is probably the worst way of getting a free trial so I only save the cards for the occasion that my subscription expires and it will take me 2 days to get another one; a worry I don't have anymore if you read about method 3.

* LATEST UPDATE * Grand Theft Auto is now confirmed to contain a 1 MONTH FREE TRIAL for Xbox LIVE. This is very unusual these days. It's a saving of $8 making GTA 4 even better value for money. If you are interested click the image link here and donate money to charity at the same time too, at no extra cost to you!

Now I had the same reaction as you when I first saw Prizerebel (in fact I saw a different site before that where my suspicions were justified), it seems like one of those classic scams that will waste your time and in the end you wind up with nothing. But being desperate enough to get on LIVE, I gave it a try and definitely don't regret it.

The purpose of my site is to tell you about my epxeriences with Prizerebel and how it works, so that you can make your own, informed decision. If after reading this you think it's worth a shot, feel free to sign up but if you think it's a waste of time then don't that's your choice too.

The way it works is pretty simple, you just sign up to Prizerebel and then fill in some of the surveys/offers, none of which cost you any money or need a credit card. For each form you fill in, you get some points and once you have 8 points you can ask Prizerebel to email you a LIVE code. 8 points is quite a small number so it doesn't take that long to get, in fact it took me 2 days at 15 minutes a day (that's half an hour in total) to get that many. The reason I did it over 2 days is that some of the points take up to 24 hours to register so you just need to sit back and wait.

So where's the catch? Well as with everything that seems to good to be true, there is one. The offers that you fill in send A LOT of junk to your email address, clogging it up with adverts and offers, but there is an easy way around this. Simply set up a new email address at one of the major email providers like Yahoo, Hotmail or Gmail and once you have got your LIVE code or are done with PR, just forget about it.

Here's another tip, sometimes the sites ask for your postal address and phone number. If this is something you are unwilling to share, then simply make one up - remember Google is your friend. But you need to make sure that the Zip Code/Postal Code and the street name actually exist and that they match, you cant just pluck one out of thin air. For extra safety, if any offer has a box saying it might send you adverts through the post, just click NO.

To prove that this isn't a scam, just check out the photo. This a real snapshot of my account and the prize I claimed (an Amazon Gift Certificate).

Finally, if you want to save a lot more time, then you can simply download a program called Roboform. You enter the details that you want to save into this and it fills in most parts of the forms automatically with just one click, but it is a bit complicated to use the first time round so definitely one for the more advanced computer users. If you are interested simply click here and download the trial version for free.

For a video on how to use Prizerebel check here

If you are interested, just click on the links above or the banner below. For more information, go to the bottom of the page for some Frequently Asked Questions.

Some of the more popular forums contain boards where members can trade points for subscriptions with other members. There are strict rules governing the exchange and it is moderated by the person in charge of the board. As a large amount of trust is involved reputations are very important so generally swaps are only made between people who have been forum members for a long time or can prove their reputation on other sites such as ebay. I do not currently have any links to these pages but will keep you updated.

Occasionally Microsoft offers a 48-72 hour period where all the Xbox LIVE Silver members are upgraded to Gold and can play their games online. These do not happen very often and only when sponsored by a corporation. The last free weekend was March 31st to April 2nd 2006 and was sponsored by Verizon in the US but there is currently none scheduled for at least the next two months (according to MS's official LIVE timetable)

NONE at the moment
The best way to get free Xbox LIVE codes, these generally involve you filling in a form and being sent a code in return. Much like Prizerebel as mentioned above except you generally only get a 48hr trial, whereas filling in a few forms on Prizerebel gets you much longer.

The last major giveaway was the Tropicana "Keeping It Twisted" Giveaway at the beginning of the year (ended on 01/31/08). Since then there have been none, but as soon as there are you can read about it here first. So remember to keep checking.

If you found this website useful, please add it to your favorites, del.ici.ous or Digg. And keep checking back for more information and the latest updates and tips.

Good Luck,

Soup

How many times can I do this?
There is no limit, I have used it about 3 times now. When you get a free subscription, you have aaaages to fill in more offers before the subscription runs out so you should never need to worry.

Does it matter what details I enter?
You are asked for these details so that the companies can email you with further offers. Of course, if you do not want to be sent these offers, you can just make up these details. Just set up any email address, and it will still work.

Is this illegal?
No. Don't worry the police will not come knocking down your door as you are not breaking any laws. Basically you have put in work to fill in the forms (even though its not much work) and the free subscription is like you're getting paid for it.

Is it really free?
Yes definitely, if you follow my advice and stick to the free offers which simply require an email address they can send junk to.
But there are some offers which require credit cards and some which require cell/mobile phones. They may award much higher points but there is a large degree of risk with them too. With the credit card offers you must remember to cancel any trials before you get charged and I would highly recommend you stay away from the cell phone offers unless you really want what they advertise and are willing to pay what they ask for it.
Personally, I have not paid anything so far for the site and so my subscriptions have been completely free.

Is Prizerebel better than Gaming Lagoon and Rewards1?
Remember how I said I had suspicisions which were justified using some websites? Well you guessed it, these are the ones. I have a membership to Rewards1 but have never used it since joining Prizerebel. The reason being they are too hard to get points on!!
Although they offer similar rewards to their members the other websites have a habit of not giving you all the points you have earned! I spent at least a week using Rewards1 and was only half way to getting an Xbox LIVE subscription, I was about to give it all up when I thought I would have one last go with a different site. After using Prizerebel I was not only astonished at the speed I gained points but actually quite annoyed at the time I had wasted with Rewards1.
GamingLagoon on the other hand required not only an address but a valid phone number that they would verify too! This was too many details that I didn't want to hand over when other websites required less. If you don't like anything I have to say on this blog, just listen to one piece of advice, stay away from Rewards1 and GL.

Is this only available in the US?
NO. Prizerebel can be used by anyone in the USA, Canada, Australia or the United Kingdom.

I have seen some sites offering a hack which will get me 999 points, does this work?
No. If anything like this worked, believe me I would tell you. This is a trick people use to get your account details so they can take any points you have earnt.

I heard you can email someone your Xbox LIVE code and they will send you 10 in return?
Again this is a scam. The scammer basically makes you enter your code in what seems like a computer language and send it to an email address saying it is a glitch in the system that will give you 10 codes in return. In reality, it is their email address and they will simply use the code you provide so you will be left with nothing.

1. Connect your Xbox 360 to an internet connection.
2. Hit the Xbox Guide button, and in the Xbox 360 Dashboard, select Xbox LIVE.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to create your Xbox LIVE account.
4. Sign in to Xbox LIVE from Xbox 360 Dashboard.
5. Select Xbox LIVE Marketplace.
6. Select Redeem Prepaid Card or Promotional Code when prompted, enter your code, and enjoy!

Grand Theft Auto 4

From the day of its release until right now, GTA 4 has been and remains the number 1 game on xbox live. Once you've got your free xbox live membership make sure you buy it and join us online. Here's some proof (these are the latest figures available).

With its immense popularity and insane level of multiplayer choice how can anything else compete?

Don't take my word for it, here's what wikipedia has to say: "There are several different game modes available. Team based gameplay modes include Team Deathmatch, where 2-8 teams compete to accumulate the most kills in a traditional deathmatch; Team Mafiya Work, in which 2-8 teams compete to complete contract work for the "mafiya", such as escorting/killing targets or stealing cars; Team Car Jack City where 2-8 teams compete to steal cars and earn money for keeping them undamaged; Cops n' Crooks featuring a team of cops who must compete against a team of crooks. The "All for One" variation requires the cops to kill the crooks' "Boss" before he is escorted to the extraction point. The "One for All" variation requires the cops to kill all of the crooks before they reach the extraction point and Turf War involving two teams who compete to take control of designated areas of the map and control them for as long as possible.

The game also includes a variety of racing and co-operative modes, which include Race, in which players race through checkpoints in a traditional automobile race; a GTA Race variation, where players race through checkpoints in an automobile race, with the ability to combat their opponents; Hangman's Noose, a co-op mode that requires players to collect a person from the airport and safely escort him to the extraction point before the cops kill him; Deal Breaker, a co-op mission that requires players to assault a construction site captured by enemies, then chase a group of enemies before they escape and Bomb da Base II, a co-op mission that requires players to clear out a ship, then destoy it with explosives. The game also features a Free Mode, in which players have the entire map open to explore, with no end goal or mission to complete."

With all this it's certainly going to give the top dogs, Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 a run for their money. So what are you waiting for, get a copy, get a LIVE subscription and get online!!

As a disclaimer I had better let you know that I have only played GTA 4 online for 5 minutes myself due to work commitments swallowing up my time, I will let you know my opinion as soon as possible.