Some bastard is still hogging the Fahey gamertag, but you might have better luck. According to Xbox Live’s Major Nelson, Microsoft is slowly reactivating old, dead gamertags, so if you’ve lost yours or simply want a better one that was already taken, it wouldn’t hurt to look over the coming weeks, just in case.
To change your gamertag just sign into Xbox Live, go to My Xbox, open up your information page, and choose Change Gamertag. It’ll cost you 800 Microsoft points, but that’s a pittance compared to having a less ridiculous online presence.
Xbox LIVE Gamertags go zombie and rise from the dead [Major Nelson - Thanks Adinnieken!]
Qumulys
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 10:55 AMYES!! BieberFever will finally be mine!!
James Mac
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 12:00 PMHow do we know the difference between a dead gamertag and an active one?
Is there something notable on xbox live that denotes the dead ones?
oggob
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 12:13 PMI would imagine that you would use this in the address bar…
http://live.xbox.com/en-US/MyXbox/Profile?gamertag=
and at the end, type in what gamertag you want, if you find someone, then it’s not available.
James Mac
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 2:59 PMBut that show’s a gamertag… whether it’s active or not, it doesn’t show a difference.
If it doesn’t exist, then it says it couldn’t find… but if the tag has been used (dead or not) it shows.
Denaz
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 1:28 PMSweet hopefully they reactivate my failure of a first gamertag. I made the mistake of creating one through xbox.com, before going Live on my xbox! lol
Michelle Tarpey
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 5:04 PMI did that too. Went on xbox.com before I even had an xbox, lol. You have to do a bit of malarkey to combine your profiles but it’s do-able.
I used this guide – http://mktplassets.xbox.com/NR/exeres/7239CD88-DE65-408D-AE16-0FC0F8CB4230.htm – to get my xbox.com gamertag onto my xbox.
Hope that helps!
ODEEd
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 7:46 PMI wish the PS3 would let you do this. I’m pretty happy with my xbox username as it is 4 years or so old and that’ll do me but you can’t do it on PS3.
You can change your name for free with the PS3 but it does not carry over friends, and importantly (for me) trophies. I think even the arcade games are stuffed and you need to buy them again or some crap.
pzkrj
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 8:57 PMWow you have to pay money to change your gamertag? D:
(*hugs his pc*)