When I read the news that Xbox Live Starter Kit prices are going up, I finally went out to the local Fry’s store and bought myself a kit. However when setting up my Xbox Live account I encountered a hitch: it seemed that the kit I got had no subscription code (which I needed to register my account). I called up Xbox Live tech support:

Tech support guy: What seems to be the problem?

Me: I don’t seem to have to have a subscription code.

Tech support guy: Is there a Subscription Code sticker on the inside of your Xbox Live CD jacket?

Me: Yeah, but all it has is a silver hologram Xbox logo pattern…

Tech support guy: You need to scratch the sticker.

Me: Oh.

I felt kind of sheepish, as if for a brief moment the shadow of technological ineptitude had come over me. In hindsight though I don’t feel so stupid about it—I re-checked all the documentation and as far as I can tell none of it mentions that little detail… Shouldn’t it have been obvious? Seems not; I wonder if Tech Support gets a lot of calls like mine…