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Dead Xbox Live Gamertags re-circulated

Get the name you always dreamt of.

Was there an Xbox Live Gamertag you were dying to use but couldn't because someone else registered the name and then left their account to rot?

Well, now Microsoft has begun re-circulating those previously used and unavailable (aka dead) Gamertags, according to Xbox Live's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb.

The bad news? You still need to pay 800 Microsoft Points (£6.85) to change your Gamertag.

To do this, sign into Xbox Live, go to My Xbox and select Change Gamertag. There you'll have the choice of a picking a randomly generated name or entering one yourself, hoping it hasn't been taken.

Changing Gamertag won't affect Gamerscore, Achievements or your friends list.