So how do xbox live accounts work?

NickTheNewbie

I'm borrowing my friend's 360 since he never uses it, and I'll be buying my own come october. I want to create a profile and subscribe to live gold. What can be carried over if i start it on his xbox, and want to move to my new xbox?

Vrtra Theory

First off, just fyi, you can create an Xbox Live gamertag online on xbox.com even if you don't currently have a 360. That's a decent way to find a tag you like that isn't taken, you can then "reserve" it by making a Silver account with that name.

Whether you go that route or not, you can use a Silver tag you own (by entering the Passport e-mail address and password associated with it) or start from scratch in the 360's Create a Gamertag screens. No matter which way you go, before or after you pay for the Gold account, you must link your gamertag to a Passport account.

Once you buy your own 360, getting your gamertag onto it is very simple - I forget the exact wording, but there's a "Recover" option where you'll enter the Passport e-mail address and password associated with your Gamertag, and it will then create your profile on your new 360. Note that when you do this, your profile will no longer be accessible on your friend's 360 - you are only allowed to have your gamertag "active" on one 360 at a time.

The profile you get on your new 360 will have all of the messages, friends, and achievements you've saved and earned on your friend's machine. Unfortunately, you won't have your saved games - this means unlocked characters in DOA, your gardens in Viva Pinata, saved games in any Arcade Games you've purchased, etc., will be lost.

Regarding Xbox Live Arcade Games specifically: if you purchase arcade games on your account on your buddy's machine, there's a roughly 25% chance you won't be able to re-download your purchased games on your new 360 (even after deleting the game from the old machine). If this happens to you, however, reports indicate giving Microsoft a call will resolve the issue, either technically or by simply refunding you the point cost of the item so you can buy it again.

Hope that helps!

JHunz

If you buy a memory card, you can also transfer over your save games for most games - some of them, because developers are dicks, cannot be transferred.

And expanding on his Live Arcade comment - You will be able to redownload all of your Live Arcade titles. However, with some of them you may have the problem where you can't play them unless you are online. But like he said, this can be resolved with a call to their support line.

MuddBudd

Also, note that saved games transferred by memory card lose the ability to get achievements.

Atlus Parker

JHunz wrote: »

And expanding on his Live Arcade comment - You will be able to redownload all of your Live Arcade titles. However, with some of them you may have the problem where you can't play them unless you are online. But like he said, this can be resolved with a call to their support line.

Will MS refund points in an instance like this where you're just switching from your friend's console? I was under the impression they only refund points if A) They swap your console due to repairs or The store where you purchased the unit swaps it out for repairs then it's up to you to provide proof to MS that you've changed serial numbers before they will refund points.

NickTheNewbie

alright, that answers my questions. Thanks guys!