Microsoft UK Offers Free XBLA Games For New Recruits

Microsoft UK has announced it will offer a selection of free Xbox Live Arcade games to Xbox 360 console owners who get their friends to buy an Xbox 360. Participants -- the veteran user and the new console owner -- fill out a form jointly, and then both participants receive ten XBLA games. The titles the participants receive include Every Extend Extra Extreme, Sonic The Hedgehog, Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting, Bomberman Live, Marble Blast Ultra, Spyglass Boardgames, 3D Mini Golf Adventures, Small Arms, Assault Heroes and Zuma Deluxe. In a press statement that accompanied Microsoft's recent announcement of an August 2007 European price cut for Xbox 360, Microsoft claimed that the Xbox 360 is the number one console in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) with more than 30 percent of the market and more than 45 percent in the UK, The Netherlands and Sweden. Microsoft also claimed the highest software attach rate of any console in Europe with more than 5.5 games sold per console since launch. Stephen McGill, head of gaming and entertainment, devices division, Microsoft UK commented, "Going into this holiday period with one of the greatest line ups in video game history is certainly a compelling reason for a friend to jump into the world of Xbox 360. However, this incredible offer also enforces the fact we’ve got an exceptional online service in Xbox Live, which truly does bring everyone together."