There have been many threads debating the cost of the Creators club especially in regard the limited trial accounts. They often get out of hand so this FAQ is to answer as much as possible to prevent those debates. i.e. we will refer all questions to this thread and lock them. If you wish to debate value, Microsoft conspiracies or why you feel entitled to get things for free then I suggest http://slashdot.org/

Why does my DreamSpark/Dream Build Play/MSDN AA trial membership not give me access to premium content?
Because they are trial memberships designed to make it easy for people to deploy to Xbox. The following table summarizes the features and availability.

So whats the difference?

^* Yes we know that there was a bug in the old site and some people did manage to get copies of the premium content. We hope you kept a copy because the bug has been fixed.
^# No membership means people who have no kind of CC membership at all - i.e. regular xbox live members

How do I sign up for Creators club?
You can find it on Xbox Live Marketplace or you can purchase it on the xna membership page.

I hear I can get a Creators Club subscription for free - where?
You can get a 12 month Creators Club TRIAL membership for free various ways.
Students may be eligible through the DreamSpark program or through their school/university MSDNAA subscription (contact your schools MSDNAA coordinator)
High Schools now also have a DreamSpark program https://www.dreamspark.com/HighSchool/
During the DreamBuildPlay 2008/9 competitions you could get a free trial for signing up and a free premium account for submitting a game. This offer is now closed. We do not know if there will be a 2010 competition or offer.

I hear some people have codes to redeem for a FULL/PREMIUM (not trial) membership
Microsoft often give away 3 month (or maybe 1 year) Creators club membership codes at marketing events. You cannot buy these cards but will have to win one or attend a Microsoft event. Some people have been given them by their local Microsoft representatives outside of events but this is rare.

But I wasn't told it was limited when I downloaded it - I feel ripped off!
The DreamSpark and the DreamBuildPlay limitations are documented.
DreamSpark membership details
I cannot find a public link regarding MSDNAA subscriptions.

Either way *its FREE* - technically its impossible to be ripped off ;-)

Why is CC more expensive in {insert non US country}?
The creators club prices were set at the beginning and currency fluctuations have changed them so that they do not always seem equitable. Also some countries include some form of tax in the price and others add tax afterwards. Microsoft monitor the prices but there are no immediate plans to adjust anything.

Why does the CC cost money at all? Why is it not free like XNA Game Studio on Windows?
The reasons behind this decision are not something that is public. However its fair to say the following:

• XNA Game Studio costs money to develop - its not unreasonable for there to be a charge
• The game console economic model works using something like the Gillette model where the hardware is (initially) sold at a loss and made up based on a license fee from all games. So one option is to think of the Creators Club as just another Xbox game that happens to be called "Game Development"
• With the addition of community game uploading and reviewing there is now a financial incentive NOT to upload inappropriate games or incorrectly review them. If this benefit was free there would be more folk trying to game the system without any fears of reprisals.

But I can't afford it/$99 is too much for a student to pay/
My DreamSpark membership is free but doesn't give me all the benefits
At the end of the day this comes down to available money and personal choices. To some people $99 is a large amount of money better spent on other things and to others its a drop in the ocean. Both sides rarely agree in these forums. But here are some common 'discussion' points from those threads so you can see that we exhausted all avenues and insults and it changed nothing.

• Not everything in the world is, or should be, free
• We understand that in a world of bit torrents and warez sites that some people expect to never pay for things.
• You can't judge my personal finances in a forum post
• It makes a great birthday or Christmas present
• Microsoft have enough money they should stop ripping people off
• Its less than a pint of beer/cup of starbucks a week (or choose another vice of your choice)
• Since Xbox 360s and PCs themselves are not cheap its hard to plead poverty when you already own one of each.
• No other console has a way to run your own games. Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony all have exclusive and expensive programs for their licensed developers that are well out of most indie developers reach and make $99 look like a bargain.

Also remember that you can always develop on your Windows PC and only purchase the CC membership toward the end of your development cycle for testing/perf tuning and Community Games upload.

Where do I enter the MSDNAA/DreamSpark/Creators Club Code?
On your Xbox in the dashboard there is an option called 'Enter Code'.

How do I get a refund?
You need to call your local xbox live support line and request it. Sorry but there is no other way to do it. If you have a horrible experience (and many do) then please post to the forums so that we can let Microsoft know the failings of xbox live support.

Can I buy Creators club with Microsoft points?
No

Can I buy Creators club without a credit card?
No - you will need to find a friend or relative

If you have a legitimate complaint then use the feedback link at the bottom of the page or log an issue into http://connect.microsoft.com/