[quote name='fatboyjam']Very true. But it requires a blend of incentives for current/long-standing offers to keep loyalty and good will up. They count on those customers to virally sell services to their friends/family. Recommendations from someone you know is the gold standard for marketing. This is likely why they're currently offering these weekly and daily specials during the holidays (some deals, very impressive) on XBLA content.[/QUOTE]
See, I don't get why I've never once seen one of these offers. I haven't been a Gold member for long- I was for a year or so, then wasn't for a few months, and now have been for around a year again. I buy XBLA games every now and then, but not that often (including the GTA IV episodes, I think I've downloaded eight-to-ten); I've never rented a movie or purchased Avatar clothing or done anything else requiring MS points, I'm not a Netflix subscriber, etc. I feel like I should be the ideal target for these free gifts- someone who has shown interest in Live, but refuses to fully dig into it, and has shown that he could waffle and stop paying for Gold. Shouldn't they convince me to stick around by giving me free points?! Maybe if I stop using Gold again after my current subscription expires...