Microsoft has always been good about offering reduced price content to Xbox Live Gold members, but it hasn’t always been easy to find. With the release of the new Sales & Specials + app, this is set to change. In addition to the traditional Deal of the Week section, Microsoft is expanding their deals selection for both free and Gold accounts. So, what’s new?
The most interesting addition is a new idea called Chain Reaction. This new section offers a string of different downloadables, the hitch being that you have to buy the first item before the second unlocks, and so on. On the one hand, deals get better and better as you go, so if you want all of the content you’re probably getting a pretty good deal. On the other, if you really only wanted that fourth link in the chain you might be a bit sore about having to buy all the previous items.
The Sales & Specials + app also offers chances to win prizes via the free Scratch and Match game, which has you using a virtual coin to play a virtual lottery. This is, of course, Kinect enabled, so give it a try! Whether or not you win, just playing the Scratch and Match game will take you to another screen featuring some additional deals. The app also promises more to come, including something called Mystery Wheel for which no information is yet available.
Xbox Live is probably starting to feel a little bit of pressure from Playstation Plus, which offers deals and free games to subscribers, and Steam, which has a constantly rotating selection of great deals. While there still aren’t many free games available, offering a much larger volume of discounts is a step in the right direction. Check it out now at the top right of the games tab on your Xbox dashboard.
