PETITION FOR LOCAL XBOX LIVE SUPPORT IN COLOMBIA

PETITION FOR LOCAL XBOX LIVE SUPPORT

Since the launch of the Xbox Live Service in 2002, the Colombian Xbox 360 community has developed a strong presence on the Xbox Live service. We estimate that there are already several thousand local Xbox Live users, including many people who imported their Xbox 360s before the local launch.

Sadly, the fact that Xbox Live is not officially supported for local users means that most of us have needed to resort to workarounds such as registering as Xbox Live users in countries such as the US with the apparent approval of Microsoft Colombia.

Many users are forced to import memberships and gamerpoint cards via local e-retailers or international sites, usually paying a premium price for these product keys. Now, with the introduction of tighter regional control for Xbox marketplace content, we are being left out in the cold.

By contrast, the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection gives Colombian users full local support as well as local billing and payments. We, as dedicated Xbox 360 fans, would like to see Microsoft give us the same level of service and support as Nintendo does.

We, the undersigned, therefore appeal to Microsoft to:

*Issue a statement that clarifies the status of the
Xbox Live launch for Colombia and puts all the rumours currently circulating to rest;
*Set up local billing facilities and pricing models as soon as possible to encourage the growth of
the local Xbox 360 community; and
*Make provision for existing users to easily migrate their profiles from other countries to the local
Xbox Live service (for free or as close to free as possible).

We believe that Microsofts Xbox 360 brand will benefit as much as the Xbox 360 community if these steps are taken. The Xbox Live service is a major competitive differentiator for the Xbox 360 and one of the consoles most important features- wed love to see more Colombians fragging each other online in Halo 3.

Xbox Live could play a vital role in cementing Xbox 360s position as the top next generation console in Colombia . Its an important opportunity for Microsoft Colombia and we urge you to grab it with both hands. Your customers in Colombia deserve the same level of service and support as gamers in the rest of the world, especially given the loyalty that has been exhibited by the Colombian community since before the local launch of the Xbox platform.

Sincerely,
THE COLOMBIAN XBOX 360 COMMUNITY