Microsoft Drops Xbox Live Silver, Creates Xbox Live Free

[Tom Goldman]

Microsoft Drops Xbox Live Silver, Creates Xbox Live Free

Microsoft has set itself up to save billions by using two fewer letters to refer to its free Xbox Live membership.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it was recently discovered that Microsoft will no longer offer Xbox Live Silver memberships. Being a member of Silver status allowed users to take part in many free Xbox Live features, such as demo downloads, but that status will unfortunately no longer exist. Thankfully, Microsoft has created Xbox Live Free instead, and it's the exact same thing.

Yeah, you can relax, Microsoft is only changing the name. A European Xbox community manager broke the news by tweeting: "Just been told that 'Xbox LIVE Silver Membership' will now officially be called 'Xbox LIVE Free Membership'. The times they are a-changin..." I wouldn't say the times are "a-changin," because the service is apparently exactly the same, but the name is at least "a-changin."

The newly redesigned Xbox website reflects the name change, but the Xbox Live dashboard doesn't just yet. It'd be a safe bet to say that Xbox Live Silver members will become Free members after the upcoming Xbox dashboard update of 2010 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/the-escapist-presents/2101-Preview-Xbox-Dashboard-Update-2010].

Microsoft is likely changing the name to reduce customer confusion and make it more evident that Free is free, and Gold is not free. Xbox Live Gold, soon to cost another $10 per year [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103114-Microsoft-Ups-Price-For-Xbox-Live-Subscription] on November 1, will still be a required upgrade to play games online and use other services like Netflix. I say why not make things even easier to understand and change Xbox Live Gold to Xbox Live Monetary Cost.

Source: GI.biz [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2010-10-21-xbox-silver-renamed-as-xbox-live-free-membership]

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[KeyMaster45]

I wonder how many hours of consultation, graphs, surveys, and lab monkeys it took for Microsoft to arrive at the decision to change the name. Honestly I'd be rather interested in how much money they pissed away in this inane decision alone.

 

[WanderingFool]

I wonder how many hours of consultation, graphs, surveys, and lab monkeys it took for Microsoft to arrive at the decision to change the name. Honestly I'd be rather interested in how much money they pissed away in this inane decision alone.

The answer can be derived from 42.

Anyways...

 

[RheynbowDash]

This is another reason why I've defected to the PS3.

These price hikes are ridiculous.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

While simple, this is a pretty good idea. Pretty much everyone I've talked to has no clue what Xbox Live Silver even is.

 

[Chamale]

I wonder if I should have gone for that sale recently to get more Gold...

It's so hard to be sure whether I'll still be using Live in 1 year.

 

[samsonguy920]

Red is the new Blue again. Nothing's changed, except where Gold is concerned. I'm actually surprised they didn't cut services from Free to make them only available on Gold. But considering you don't get multiplayer on Free, what really is there to cut away?

 

[Sneaklemming]

not getting multiplayer for free is simply a scandal tbh.

 

[Something Amyss]

I hope they change Gold to "XBox Live Sucker."

I'm not ragging on paying for online per se, just amused.

 

[SantoUno]

This is another reason why I've defected to the PS3.

These price hikes are ridiculous.

I hope they change Gold to "XBox Live Sucker."

I'm not ragging on paying for online per se, just amused.

I'm with you guys now, I will never pay for Gold again simply because I think it's ridiculous that 360 users have to pay just to play online, especially when some of us just don't feel like playing online consistently. Yet we can't just return to Xbox Live in a few months. Noooo we have to cough up money when some of us might only feel like playing one day out of the month.

 

[Tom Goldman]

I dont really see a reason for the name change. Granted "XBox Live Silver" sounds like you still need to pay for something, anyone with even a hint of a thought process about XBox Live can tell the difference between Silver and Gold.

Honestly, many people have trouble knowing what the difference is. Having worked in a game store myself at one point, I encountered plenty that thought you had to pay for Silver.

 

[mjc0961]

How about this, while we're changing things.

Xbox Live Gold = just online play and other related online gaming features. This can go down in price, say $40 a year or something. Netflix can stay here too because that's pretty popular and MS is already shooting themselves in the foot by charging to use it on their console while it's free on Wii and PS3.

And then we add Xbox Live Extra But Useless Shit. This will include the extra crap that isn't really needed on a game console, like access to Twitter, Facebook, Last FM (which last I knew still only works in its special application making it worthless), ESPN, and basically all the other crap some people are never going to touch. This can still be priced at $60 a year.

I dunno about you guys but I like my idea. I'd go with the new and improved Xbox Live Gold, how about you guys?

I dont really see a reason for the name change. Granted "XBox Live Silver" sounds like you still need to pay for something, anyone with even a hint of a thought process about XBox Live can tell the difference between Silver and Gold.

I do. I've seen people thinking that all Xbox Live had a price tied to it and saying things like "I won't get a 360 because I don't want to pay for Live! I don't even play online!" And when I say "So just stay on the Silver Membership, it's free" they are either really surprised or think I'm lying.

 

[SelectivelyEvil13]

I say why not make things even easier to understand and change Xbox Live Gold to Xbox Live Monetary Cost.

Ha ha! Although, even with that it may be still confusing. They may as well come out and say it:
[HEADING=2]Xbox Live Single Player Member

Xbox Live Multi-Player Member[/HEADING]
*And other useless garbage that does not pertain to gaming*

Perhaps this is paving the way for a third membership option?
[HEADING=2]Xbox Live Platinum Member[/HEADING]
*Includes a free theme, Xbox Live Arcade Solitaire, an exclusive Halo Reach T-Shirt Avatar Outfit, and a 5% off coupon code for Kinectimals DLC

I'm with you guys now, I will never pay for Gold again simply because I think it's ridiculous that 360 users have to pay just to play online, especially when some of us just don't feel like playing online consistently. Yet we can't just return to Xbox Live in a few months. Noooo we have to cough up money when some of us might only feel like playing one day out of the month.

I absolutely agree because I am the exact same way. I would probably only play Live once, maybe twice a month, so $60 a year is a laughable waste. For the cost of Live, I could just buy a game to enjoy whenever I please with its single player (and multiplayer on the PS3 or PC). Because a premium Xbox Live subscription is required to fully access a game's content in most cases, the Silver membership is not "Free" by any means and more of a "Limited Game Accessibility Membership." To get the "most" out of games like Halo, Call of Duty, Gears of War, ect., that $60 yearly membership inflates the $60 cost of each game because otherwise, the Gold subscription offers nothing else pertaining to actual gaming.

Microsoft may as well rename the Silver status as the "What more did you expect? Membership"

 

[Knuxxx]

Yeah, XBL is a joke. The system would be ok i they didn't destroy half of it with that scam. I can't even download a demo. A F-king demo!! To top it off I only play online on weekends, which is about 8 days out of the month, yearly that's 96 days out of a 365. What about the other 269 I'm not online?? Maybe I'd pay if I could get a discount on how often I play or if they had it at a reasonable price, but why bother wasting my money that could potentially go to a new game on features that should be free in the first place? I say no thank you, microsoft. I will be taking any games I wanna play online n my PS3 thanks. At least their yearly subscription service actally has a good incentive for me to join.

 

[Radelaide]

Is the $10 price rise across the board? Like, for Australian memberships too? Even though only US and Canada (and Europe, I think) can actually use features like Netflix?

I don't think that paying for that service is wrong (keeping servers running costs money, guys), but why should EVERYONE have to pay to use features only some can?

 

[Aura Guardian]

So they got tired of the bad press from having a pay service and decided to re-brand in order to to appear better since consumers like the word "free". There's no other apparent change though, so it's simply a matter of smoke and mirrors.

Some people will be fooled though. sigh...

Amen brother.
Makes me glad to be a Strict Wii owner.....that is soon to be a PS3 owner.

 

[Tom Phoenix]

not getting multiplayer for free is simply a scandal tbh.

Quite frankly, they should rename Xbox Live Gold into Xbox Live Waste of Money, which it is when you consider that multiplayer is free on other platforms.

I don't know what's worse. The fact that you have to pay to play online on Xbox Live or the fact that there are people who are actually willing to defend such a practice.

 

[Nouw]

Good to see that, changing it so no more mix-ups and giving people the idea that Microsoft (that's how it's spelt) are nice, kind and giving people.