Microsoft begins Marketplace points giveaway

October is typically a big month for gaming retail as the holiday season ramps up, but this year Microsoft is apparently determined to push its downloadable offerings as well. The Xbox 360 maker already announced that its Game Feast lineup of anticipated downloadable games would run throughout October, and today it followed that up with a new "thank you" promotion for Xbox Live customers during the month.

Microsoft has said that any Xbox Live users who spend 2,400 Microsoft points ($30) on downloadable add-ons or Xbox Live Arcade games during the month of October will be credited with 800 Microsoft points ($10) to thank them for their business. The process should be automatic, with eligible purchases having to be made between 12:01 Eastern time October 1 and 11:59 p.m. October 31.

Regardless of how much money is spent on the service, each user can receive the bonus only once, with the promotional points expected to be distributed around the end of November. The offer is available in every country Xbox Live operates, with the exceptions of Japan, Italy, and France.

This is not the first time Microsoft has rewarded customers with automatic points for their purchases. However, previous promotions were typically tied to events like the Summer of Arcade, with only a handful of select game purchases counting toward the free-points criteria.