msdmoney

I agree with Pixy

I really though Microsoft would start moving toward a free service, not upping the subscription rates. The real long term money here is in real content (downloadable games and dlc), not walling off a community and charging a fee. I still don't understand what Microsoft is providing as a monthly service, to warrant a monthly fee. If they were providing dedicated servers for multiplayer, making sure that games stayed alive even when the original developer was going to discontinue them (Chromehounds), etc. maybe I could understand the cost. But what "service" are we paying for?

They really shouldn't be charging monthly for these "features" (Netflix, Live.FM, Twitter, Facebook, etc). On a phone these would be considered app's and you would either pay a small one time fee, or get it free because Netflix/Live.FM/Twitter/Facebook want you subscribing and accessing their content in any way possible. I would be comfortable paying a small app fee to access these services, but in no way is their a continuing service from Microsoft that warrants a monthly fee to access these features, especially when Microsoft essentially has a captive audience that they show ads to through xbox live. Really these features should be free though, any decent web browser can handle these features built-in, the PS3 and the Wii can already do most of these for free.

Early access to demos? I've never understood why anyone would pay for early access to an advertisement for a game.

Deals of the Week? I shouldn't need to pay a subscription for game discounts. I've never understood Microsoft's thinking on this anyway. Steam has already shown that they make more money when they discount games, don't you want these discounts to go out to the widest audience possible?

I think that there is a bigger reason for people to continue paying for live, that everyone justifying the price with feature x or y has neglected to mention. And IMO it's a perfectly reasonable justification. If you've chosen the 360 as your main or only online platform (or even one of many), and all your friends are on xbox live, then it would probably be a bigger investment than $60 a year to switch to another online service or console. Not only would you need to rebuy the games you like (monetary cost), but you would be leaving the community of friends you've built (non-monetary cost). That's why everything on xbox live is so community focused. You might not be loyal to the Live platform, but you'll likely remain loyal to your individual community.

I've already paid through cheap subrscription cards through 2012, but after that I'm done. I just don't see the value in what Microsoft is providing when comparable services like Steam are offering the same for free.

mhg83

It's bullshit they haven't updated it where you can stream while gaming!

Michael Corvin

That's not really a valid complaint. Live was around for about 7 years prior to offering a weekly discount on digital content. It's still relatively new in the scope of things.

Now PSN+ appears to be exactly what you are describing right out of the gates though. Pay $50 and you'll get some *free* games and discounts on other games, and you'll get some demos.

pinata242

Hell, they can't even have a playlist greater than 100 when you're playing a game. I used to listen to my iPod through the built-in music player while playing games like Hexic and Bejeweled and M:TG, etc, but I'd hear the same songs over and over that I just stopped doing that.

tonyc3742

Nope. I pay about eight bucks a month for the networks and local channels [and three Spanish channels, for some reason]. I know there's huge piles of bucks moving around regarding some of those channels, and while I know cable tiers subsidize the more niche channels, I'm not a fan of how ESPN works it.

Early access to demos - yeah, I don't understand that. I guess it can be rolled under the value-add bonus, but if they were to break it out and say You pay X/month to play demos two weeks early, a lot of folks would shake their heads. Of course I don't understand why preordering a game gives you the demo - if I'm preordering it, I want it, and if I'm not preordering it, giving me the demo might make me want it.

It is really odd that MS is charging for what others offer for free. Though I don't use either, it sounds like PSN's implementation isn't that great - but Steam's is - so obviously it can be done well for free.

Hmm....we'll probably start seeing a lot more advertisements for the Family Plan, which [assuming it doesn't' increase as well] will be a better deal compared to regular price. Perhaps that's part of the strategy - if it costs 60 bucks each to get two people individual golds, then the 100 dollar family plan is a much better bargain. Even if you were only going to get one for the main gamer, adding 40 bucks and getting "the whole family" might seem more attractive, so a lot more people will be upsold to the family plan.

DeanoBKN

At this point I wonder if I should even renew. Aside from downloading demos or watching news videos, I rarely use XBL. All my multiplayer gaming is always done at home or a friend's house.

Decker

It's probably an inferior online multiplayer experience, but I'm sure you can play Call of Duty or Battlefield 2 just about as well as you can on the 360. Yes, there's less communication, but rarely is there much of that beyond taunting anyway on LIVE, unless you're playing with friends. You and I will continue on LIVE, and that's great, but to imply that PSN is worthless because you don't know anybody on the service is a little excessive. It seems there is a very active and well organized PSN group right here in this forum.

The biggest factor for the timing is the soon-to-be released Halo Reach multiplayer game. Halo games are just huge on the service and of course 360-exclusive. To be fair, it makes sense that they announce the rate increase before anyone bought that game to give fair warning. I'm sure they're also aware that their cash cow will keep them secure even at the higher price rate. Yes, PSN is free, but you can't play Halo on it.

pinata242

Looking at my friends list, anywhere from 1/3 - 1/2 of the people online at any time are watching Netflix. I wonder if a 3rd party like NF would put pressure back on Microsoft if XBL cancellations impacted them.

Draven

Guys, no matter how much you might want it to happen, few people are going to cancel over $10. It's meaningless for a year-long subscription service many feel is worth the price.

My two best friends who game online don't have PS3s. The only multiplayer game I've ever played on my PS3 is BF1943. If I have a choice on a multiplatform game, I'll go 360 every time. It's just my preferred system.

So again, I don't even think about the PS3 as an online gaming system.

Giantrobo

So basically all the folks here who were half-assed on LIVE and Online gaming on LIVE are getting weeded out with the increase. Big deal. See ya!

Less folks on LIVE, less "pressure on the servers".

Roybq

I can probably swing the extra 83 cents a month for as much as I use it. If it goes up to 90 cents though, I'm out. F them.

Decker

What I want to know is if these people who are swearing off LIVE because of the $10 price increase going to leave now or next year, because they can certainly delay that price increase for at least a year by re-upping now.

ChrisHicks

Don't forget folks, if you do it now you'll get 15 months for the price of 12, oh wait...

GreenMonkey

This seems kind of bogus to me. I don't care about anything they posted. I'm certainly not paying for Hulu plus - that's another big fail in my book.

ESPN? Seriously? It's bad enough I have to pay for ESPN on my cable bill. I don't care about sports at all.

The reasons for the increase make me crankier than the increase. I generally don't pay more than $35-40/yr for XBL anyway, but it seems totally wrong to be increasing the costs associated with it.

boredsilly

Seeing the other posts, I realize I don't really use Live all that much. The only multiplayer game I rock with is Street Fighter 4, and a bit of Left for Dead 2 sprinkled on top, but those are both over for me now. I could get by on silver if not for Netflix, which is kind of fucked that I have to pay to use.

gerrythedon

Maybe they'll let ya Beta test LP3!, don't lose faith!

msdmoney

It's less a complaint and more a strategy I just don't understand. I think they would make more opening up the discounts than restricting them to gold subscribers.

professor chaos

Since I don't have cable, I would love to have ESPN on my 360. Unfortunately, I get my broadband through the second largest cable company in the nation (Time Warner), so I won't have access to ESPN on my 360 unless I change my broadband provider.

If Microsoft is going to charge $10 more per year they should at least bring back 1 vs 100.

PixyJunket

I'd love for you to point out one instance where someone said this was out of their budget.

PixyJunket

Actual online gaming over the 360 is peer to peer, so there's really no "pressure on the servers" to relieve.

PixyJunket

I'm letting mine expire when it expires, which I have no clue about when that is.

I'm also probably going to grab the Left 4 Dead double pack on Steam, that's $40. Getting all of the DLC (two packs now, four soon) for free over $7 a pop on Live along with free online gaming with a much more mature community over $5 a month to play with children.. it'll pay for itself buying the two games again almost instantly.

It's a shame my girl just bought Blur for the 360.. though I don't think she has intentions on playing it online, so whatever. I'll probably grab it off of Steam for my own purposes if I still have the itch to play it.

I still love my Xbox 360 and all the exclusive stuff on XBLA along with the diamonds in the rough on XBLIG and the strange shmup niche it's built up in Japan. But, I'm very likely done buying any American blockbuster games for it, I'll be moving over to PC now for most of that stuff, especially anything with online play. Interestingly enough, my PC was stationed in the living room when me and my girl moved in together, so all I'll need is an extra long HDMI cable to have everything run in "comfy couch" mode. Plus, I'll get to enjoy games again in 60 FPS, another bonus.

Xander

I don't have a PS3, so I can't compare the services, but I never thought $50 for Xbox Live was outrageous and I don't really think that $60 is outrageous. I'll keep paying for a service that I generally have enjoyed and had no troubles with.

orangecrush

I enjoy all the speculation as to why they are increasing the price. Perhaps they just think they can make more money overall by charging more. Sure, it sucks for buyers, but different companies do it all the time. In real dollar terms the cost of gold will be very close to what it was when it was first introduced.

orangecrush

And most importantly, if you really don't like the new price, you can simply not pay for it.

Decker

Please remember this sentiment the next time you feel like criticizing me when I state that I feel an XBLA game is overpriced at 1200 points. Thank you.