In an effort to boost the numbers of Gold subscribers on Xbox Live and to celebrate a host of new features being added to the service, Microsoft is giving all Xbox 360 owners the chance to get mangled online by complete strangers for free. From the 20th of November until the 23rd, Silver members in the United States will be able to try out all the services available on Xbox Live Gold and see if they're worth the yearly fee.
With the addition of Facebook, Twittter, and Last.fm compatibility, as well as the recent launches of Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2, and Borderlands, there's no better time to show off what Xbox Live has to offer. European gamers will get the same treatment the following weekend, from the 25th until the 30th of November.
Keep in mind that not all features are available in all regions. Sky Player, for example, is available to European users whereas Netflix only applies to customers in the U.S.