If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Microsoft plans free Live weekends

Separate events lined up for US and Europe to promote new online features

Xbox 360 owners with Xbox Live Silver membership will be granted free access to all Gold member features from November 25 to November 30 in Europe, as Microsoft continues to promote the service's new features.

A similar promotion is planned for all other Xbox Live regions between November 20 and 23 according to comments made by Xbox Live director of programming Larry Hryb on his Major Nelson blog.

The offers have been extended in the wake of a suite of new features and application for Xbox Live, giving Silver members (who do not pay a subscription fee and usually only have access to store features) the chance to use online multiplayer, Facebook, Twitter, Last.FM, Netflix, Sky Player, Halo Waypoint and 1 v 100.

The promotion also follows an attempt by Microsoft to ban modified console from accessing Xbox Live, with rumours of up to 1 million users having been banned - leading to a sudden surge in second-hand sales of modded Xbox 360s.