Microsoft confirms free Gold Live weekend in US

Xbox 360 gamers in the US can experience a free weekend of Live Gold play later this month, with a number of competitions, prices and points up for grabs as well as gratis access to the consoles' online experience.

Sponsored by telecoms specialist Verizon, the three day event will feature a number of prizes including faceplates and Xbox Live Marketplace points for competition winners of Project Gotham Racing 3, Fight Night Round 3, Dead or Alive 4 and numerous Xbox Live Arcade titles.

Details of the Verizon Million Points Giveaway will be revealed on March 30th, where gamers will be able to bag a chunk of Marketplace points to be spent over Xbox Live. The event will then run from Friday March 31st to Sunday April 2nd, a full 72 hours of free online gaming.

Although confirmed as a US-only event, speculation is now mounting that Europe will see a similar event with a Euro-centric partner. Details are yet to be confirmed, but it's believed that an announcement will be made in the coming weeks. US partner Verizon currently only has a negligible presence in mainland Europe, with operations in Italy and Gibraltar.

This move is the latest in Microsoft's continued push to establish the Xbox Live experience as the standard for online home console play. Both Nintendo and Sony have expressed their desire to initiate a strong online presence for their respective next-generation consoles.