New work force training program; Severance benefits overpaid; More than half of Xbox 360 users pay for Live subscription

http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/techtracks/2009/02/23/microsoft_news_roundup_new_work_force_training_pro.html

the company overpaid severance benefits to certain laid off workers. TechCrunch got its hands on a letter from the company to one laid-off employee asking for repayment and offering a sincere apology. Microsoft has confirmed the authenticity of the letter, acknowledged more than one individual was impacted and declined to comment further, calling it a "private matter."

Some 56 percent of worldwide Xbox 360 owners paid for a Gold subscription to Xbox Live last February, according to documents reviewed by Joe Tartakoff at the Seattle P-I.

56% Xbox 360 owners are Gold members? There should be about 14 mil. gold members by now?

So there were 28 Million 360's last year?

though he menat Feb. this year.

wat do u guys think about the severance pay?

I think its hilarious that they asked for it back.  And that the people who screwed up and gave them the huge severance pay got to keep their jobs.

i read they underpaid some people as wel,l who got letters saying they would be getting more money.

i think that they should give back the money

I think it is stupid that the people who received too much money did not report it. Did they honestly believe that no one would notice the error?

Why report it ?  They may not even know they were overpaid, just thought Microsoft had good severance packages. Of course, that's assuming its only a few thousand over, and not tens or hundreds of thousands.

Either way, it's now their money and to give it back to a massive, greedy corporation, is entirely their call.

the XBL membership is a nice bit of news. Not so much for the Overpay part :( Overall good job M$ gaming devision and bad job MS Accountants