Microsoft Drops Xbox Live Silver, Creates Xbox Live Free

[LawlessSquirrel]

Hmm so, I soon get a (potential) price increase for stuff I can't use, and a mandatory update that adds stuff I don't want and changes the cosmetics in a way I perceive as negative. Brilliant.

The name change sounds like a no-brainer though. 'Silver' wasn't exactly a complicated term, but still more-so than it had to be. I wouldn't have thought many people were incapable of deciphering it themselves a few months ago, but hearing that a large percentage of people couldn't understand the experience system of Fable 2 really opened my eyes.

 

[Eldritch Warlord]

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?

Australian Xbox Live subscriptions will be staying the same price. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103114-Microsoft-Ups-Price-For-Xbox-Live-Subscription]

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.

It's like the difference between broadcast TV and cable/satellite TV really. I'm sure that back when cable was first introduced many TV consumers were shocked and horrified that people would actually pay for television, and even go so far as to insist that cable TV is actually worth the cost.

Besides, I'm sure you realize that the reason Microsoft is the only company with a subscription-based online gaming service is because they're the only one's who figured out how to get people to pay for it.

 

[The Bandit]

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.

I enjoy playing Xbox exclusive games online. I understand that Microsoft wants to charge me for this. I weigh that sixty dollars a year is equal to the value I get out of playing my favorite games online. I pay the money and enjoy the games.

What am I wasting, and how am I being unreasonable?

 

[mad825]

ah, so that what the silver subscription means then. As a person who hasn't taken much interest (or care), I never fully understood what it meant as I always thought that was still a premium subscription.

Good thing they changed it I suppose.

 

[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.

I enjoy playing Xbox exclusive games online. I understand that Microsoft wants to charge me for this. I weigh that sixty dollars a year is equal to the value I get out of playing my favorite games online. I pay the money and enjoy the games.

What am I wasting, and how am I being unreasonable?

You understand that Microsoft wants to charge you for this, but never ask yourself "why am I being charged for this? Why should I have to pay for something that PS3, PC and Wii players get for free? Am I somehow an inferior customer that I am actually required to pay for something that others are enjoying free of charge?"? You really never stop to consider that?

I am sure you do get sixty dollars worth of enjoyment from playing your favorite games online. I just would have thought you would have enjoyed it even more if you didn't have to pay to enjoy them and either saved those sixty dollars or invested them into another game instead.

It's like the difference between broadcast TV and cable/satellite TV really. I'm sure that back when cable was first introduced many TV consumers were shocked and horrified that people would actually pay for television, and even go so far as to insist that cable TV is actually worth the cost.

Besides, I'm sure you realize that the reason Microsoft is the only company with a subscription-based online gaming service is because they're the only one's who figured out how to get people to pay for it.

Except the reason why cable/satellite TV works is beacuse most TV programs are exclusive to cable/satellite TV. If people could watch most of the programs they wanted via broadcast TV, you can be certain that noone would be paying for cable/satellite.

This isn't the case with Xbox Live (infact, the only way it would be comparable is if, for example, the multiplayer of all triple-A titles was exclusive to Xbox Live). The service doesn't really offer anything that free equivalents on other platforms don't do. Plus, there is increasingly fewer titles that are exclusive to the Xbox 360, making it even harder to try and justify paying for Xbox Live.

I am not saying there aren't ways Microsoft could have justified the expense (like maintain discipline on the service...but guess which online community is most notorious for it's ill behaviour?). What I am saying is that, currently, they aren't doing anything that would. Hence why I claim Xbox Live Gold to be "Xbox Live Waste Of Money".

 

[ThaBenMan]

What, do they think the new name is going to shame us into paying for Gold or something? "Oh yes, you have the free membership, you unwashed peasant."

 

[ShadowKirby]

It's like the difference between broadcast TV and cable/satellite TV really. I'm sure that back when cable was first introduced many TV consumers were shocked and horrified that people would actually pay for television, and even go so far as to insist that cable TV is actually worth the cost.

Besides, I'm sure you realize that the reason Microsoft is the only company with a subscription-based online gaming service is because they're the only one's who figured out how to get people to pay for it.

Great analogy and you raised an excellent point. Whether you agree or not that the price point for what you are getting out of XBox Live Gold is pretty moot. They offer a service at a certain price and a lot of people are willing to pay for it. Sony introduced their own paying service on PS3 later because they had to find incentive to get people paying, and couldn't take back stuff people were already getting for free -- that's bad publicity. The Wii simply doesn't have the infrastructure for such services but they are betting a lot on a huge back catalogue of games.

Everyone has a gimmick, and I'm not using the word pejoratively. Business wants to make money and people want to get paid. If you work you probably understand that. The consumers are not stupid willing sheep that gets their pockets emptied by the evil businessman, they are willing participants in the economy. Really stupid ideas don't survive long on the market, they die out. You people can act smug and say you are better than all those idiots because you don't pay for it but what does it proves? Nothing. Except maybe you have some weird superiority complex.

The world isn't a video game where you have the heroic gamer who wants to liberate games and give them for free to those poor souls vs. the evil game industry who is after your money. Turn off that console, go read a book that isn't based on a game, look at the world for a bit and then come back to your console, play a good game, get on a forum and start talking about gaming with a new perspective, a wider one that includes much more than one particular medium.

 

[acosn]

I still find it comical that they want to charge for something I can get for free on my computer.

 

[ShadowKirby]

I still find it comical that they want to charge for something I can get for free on my computer.

Yeah, just like music, movies or games right.

 

[Skeleton Jelly]

I got all excited because the title made it look like they were making Live free.

Ah oh well. Although it puts a small dent in my pay checks, I'll still buy it. So long as good multiplayer games keep coming out.

And they aren't.
So I'm going to defect soon.

 

[superbatranger]

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

These price hikes are ridiculous.

I really don't see how a price "hike" of less than 1 dollar a month(before taxes)is ridiculous.
Then again, that's just me.

 

[Tahmoh]

Thanks god i dont currently own anythign of note on xbox that requires multiplayer coz that price hike is stupid, then again it seems like the UK is only getting a monthly increase and note the other hikes so i guess its not so bad(they probably figured we wouldnt pay that much for it considering we only get a fraction of the features and even then nobody uses them).

 

[BrEnNo1023]

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...

How do you think they're getting the new 360 slim to sell so well? Smoke and mirrors, a shiny new external and nothing else new inside other than 'more reliable' components that at are least supposed to be more reliable than the last (gee thanks MS!)

Millions of people have been fooled, and it continues. Watch, in another year or so, they'll release a new generation of xbox console (lol 720) and those who paid $500 for their (now obsolete) brand new shiny black fully optioned xbox 360s will be the subject of much, much laughter...from people like us.

Additionally...those who are declaring to 'defect' to ps3? what exactly will that achieve? I'm confused, the money you 'save' by cancelling your Live subscription will just be spent on (most likely tenfold) paying for a new ps3 AND THEN paying for all the games you already own on 360 to play on the ps3 instead. Titles like COD, or...fallout...or...hmm, other multiplatform games, it's really senseless.
Then again, I own both, and i really don't use either of them that frequently at all now that I have a properly updated PC...meh, the 'to EACH his own' theory applies to logic as well it seems but the point i'm trying to make really, is don't hate on one or the other, to them we're all walking piles of money anyway. Now, let peacefulness ensue..

ADD. : Wouldn't it be great if xbox live users had a 'free', 'gold' and 'premium' edition? they could keep 'gold' the same, and leave the extra features that they're putting in to the higher-priced 'premium' Live...that way, us gamers who don't need the extra features and just want to PLAY GAMES...can play, and not have to pay for these features we'll never use.
NOW let peace ensue...

 

[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?

Australian Xbox Live subscriptions will be staying the same price. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103114-Microsoft-Ups-Price-For-Xbox-Live-Subscription]

Awesome. Thank you for that

 

[theultimateend]

You pay because they do a remarkable job stopping all the rampant harassment that games are infamous for online.

Spoiler

I kid...they are terrible at it because the trolls pay them.

 

[Tonythion]

What, do they think the new name is going to shame us into paying for Gold or something? "Oh yes, you have the free membership, you unwashed peasant."

Certainly not going to shame me into anything! I have no shame.

I am unwashed and proud. I mean I don't even use half the things on gold why should I pay for it!

 

[The Rockerfly]

Ugh

The fact that online play isn't free is bullshit, however I think you should still be able to pay for extra stuff with the gold membership, such as facebook, twitter, lastfm and so forth. The fact I have to pay to play online is a complete load of shit and that's the one thing I refuse to fork money out for

 

[Sneaklemming]

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.

Until recently I didn't know about the different tiers and that you had to pay for multiplayer - we found that out when a buddy of mine got a second hand xbox with gears of war and we couldnt figure out why it wouldnt let us play online.

 

[Jesus Phish]

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

These price hikes are ridiculous.

I really don't see how a price "hike" of less than 1 dollar a month(before taxes)is ridiculous.
Then again, that's just me.

Thats my view on it too.

It comes out at about ?4-5 a month for me for XBL, which is the same price as a single drink on a night out at (in a cheaper bar).

 

[ravensshade]

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?

hmm how about free members don't get achievements yeah.. that's about all i can figure