Take a moment and think back to all the content you’ve purchased over Xbox Live over the past year. If you’re anything like me, this includes downloadable content, arcade games, avatar items, dashboard themes, and perhaps music videos and movies.
It really adds up, but it doesn’t have to add up to quite so much. Sure it’s nice to have the newest content when it first comes out. But do you really need it right then, especially if you have other unfinished games to keep you busy? It may be worth waiting for some downloadable content and arcade games until they become cheaper. And that’s the first and best way to save money- waiting.
Every week, Xbox Live offers Gold members a deal on games, DLC (downloaded content), or avatar items. Often, there is also a movie on sale as well. These items are all marked down by at least 50% for one week only.
On top of that, every month sees permanent discounts on full retail games, arcade games, and more. If you’re patient enough, you can get huge savings on most of the content you’re interested in.
There are also seasonal sales, mostly for holidays like Christmas and New Year’s. These tend to be the very best deals, with popular games selling for up to 75% off.
For gamers looking for deals that work all year long, there are season passes for several major titles. These passes charge an up-front fee and guarantee all future DLC at reduced prices. Games that use season passes include Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Gears of Wars 3, and Mortal Kombat. Buying the season passes for each game will save you about $10-$15 depending on the game and whether you were planning on getting all the content in the first place.
If you want to save money on the Xbox Live service itself, make sure you’re buying a full year’s membership. You’ll save $60 a year compared to the $120 you would pay to renew your subscription each month.
Sometimes you can get it cheaper than that though. Throughout the year, and particularly during the holidays, Microsoft offers reduced yearly subscription fees. You can also find subscription cards online at places like Amazon and EBay for cheaper than normal. Just be careful that you’re not getting a subscription card that has already been used.
If you’re not interested in an entire year of Xbox Live, Microsoft regularly runs “1 month for $1″ promotions. These are even applicable to people who have had subscriptions before. Just keep an eye on your Xbox dashboard and e-mail for notices about these sales.