Experience entertainment in a whole new way! That’s one of the first lines you’ll read on your Microsoft Membership Card. Ja, that’s not entirely true. Well, not with the South African version at least. So this is a bit of a disclaimer in terms of Xbox LIVE content. I don’t want you to set up your account, buy your Microsoft Points and then go all gung ho to download the latest games only to find that much like a Kardashians' marathon, there is just not that much content .

But that’s not to say that there won’t ever be hot games to download or cool stuff straight from IGN to be watched (Jessica Chobot fans will know what I’m talking about). One of Xbox LIVE's biggest selling points is the content; I hear you muttering as you read the rest of this article. I would like to state that even though this is quite true, there is a lot to look forward to with regards to Xbox LIVE. For one, you no longer have to spend tiring days in the darkness of your attic alone with your Xbox. No, there is hope. Think of Xbox LIVE in this stage of its South African lifecycle as your buffer between hardcore gaming and a bit of normalcy. Now you can meet other gamers from South Africa and as the advert says: Jump in!

So here we go: 

1. Switch on your Xbox 360 console, enjoy that familiar green glow...bask in it for a while.

2. Proceed to connect your console to an Internet connection.

3. Bring up your dashboard and select the ‘My Xbox’ option, and then go to your particular avatar. 

4. Go down to the Join Xbox LIVE option and click on it. Click on Yes if you’re asked to exit your current session. 

5. Now you will see one of those typical configuration dashboards with all the steps you’ll need to set up your account. This is the ‘Your Account’ section.

6. Fill in your e-mail address. Enter a password. (I tend to forget my passwords about 15minutes after I actually input them so, I suppose be wise in your choice.)

7. Choose your region (South Africa), this is great because even though we cant get the hot UK content we are still being proudly South African. 

8. Choose your Gold subscription plan. (An Xbox LIVE Gold 12-month membership costs R599 and a 3-month membership will set you back R199, but keep an eye open for specials which happen all the time.)

That’s basically it. Now you can start adding friend's gamertags (their online avatars) and enjoying nights of online multiplayer fun!

Visit the Xbox LIVE South Africa website on: www.xbox.com/en-ZA, there is also a great Q&A section plus all the information you would need to know if you already have a UK Xbox LIVE account and want to migrate.