Microsoft to Drop Xbox Live Gold Requirement For Netflix, Hulu - Update

[Gunner 51]

"However, it's not all good news. Other sources have suggested that Microsoft may shift other, currently free, services behind the Xbox Live Gold paywall to make up for this"

The question I'd like to know is, what is being put behind the paywall to make up for this?

A better question is why they need to put something else behind a paywall to make up for it. I pay for my internet connection to access anything internet related. I pay for Netflix to watch stuff on Netflix. Netflix is the one who needs to work on the apps and updates for it (and Microsoft charges them for daringto udate the stability, UI etc.) so why exactly are they entitled to our money?

Just because Microsoft may not be entitled to do something doesn't mean to say that it won't try. I can remember the blistering amount of internet backdraft it got for the original 'features' of the X Box One, as well as the temerity of asking for £500 on top of games more expensive than they are were.

But as for the other posters wondering what else could be put behind a pay-wall - you got me thinking. Perhaps it's a price hike on X-box Live Gold. Or perhaps extra subscription based gaming for the more popular games like Call of Duty. They really did charge £35 for Call of Duty Elite - it doesn't even add anything interesting to the game. I can only imagine the amount of poor souls who fell for that one.

Or perhaps as another poster had suggested, paying for patches. Or perhaps even dashboard updates. Which is bound to be under the guise of anti-piracy to guilt trip everyone into playing. But I'm likely to be venturing into tinfoil hat territory now.

 

[Yopaz]

"However, it's not all good news. Other sources have suggested that Microsoft may shift other, currently free, services behind the Xbox Live Gold paywall to make up for this"

The question I'd like to know is, what is being put behind the paywall to make up for this?

A better question is why they need to put something else behind a paywall to make up for it. I pay for my internet connection to access anything internet related. I pay for Netflix to watch stuff on Netflix. Netflix is the one who needs to work on the apps and updates for it (and Microsoft charges them for daringto udate the stability, UI etc.) so why exactly are they entitled to our money?

Just because Microsoft may not be entitled to do something doesn't mean to say that it won't try. I can remember the blistering amount of internet backdraft it got for the original 'features' of the X Box One, as well as the temerity of asking for £500 on top of games more expensive than they are were.

But as for the other posters wondering what else could be put behind a pay-wall - you got me thinking. Perhaps it's a price hike on X-box Live Gold. Or perhaps extra subscription based gaming for the more popular games like Call of Duty. They really did charge £35 for Call of Duty Elite - it doesn't even add anything interesting to the game. I can only imagine the amount of poor souls who fell for that one.

Or perhaps as another poster had suggested, paying for patches. Or perhaps even dashboard updates. Which is bound to be under the guise of anti-piracy to guilt trip everyone into playing. But I'm likely to be venturing into tinfoil hat territory now.

I'm not saying they have no reason to want money for doing nothing. The fact that they charge obscene amounts of money form developers to release updates and patches to games prove that. The thing that bothers me is that they seem to NEED to make one previously free feature paid because one feature that we already pay for no longer will require an original fee. However unless they change their policies in regards to patches and updates for games that's not what they will hide behind a paywall, but they could move their own movie rental service I guess.

Honestly I have stopped caring what they do at this point. Even this time when they announce good news it does come with an asterisk.

 

[Gunner 51]

I'm not saying they have no reason to want money for doing nothing. The fact that they charge obscene amounts of money form developers to release updates and patches to games prove that. The thing that bothers me is that they seem to NEED to make one previously free feature paid because one feature that we already pay for no longer will require an original fee. However unless they change their policies in regards to patches and updates for games that's not what they will hide behind a paywall, but they could move their own movie rental service I guess.

Honestly I have stopped caring what they do at this point. Even this time when they announce good news it does come with an asterisk.

I guess it's all down to a bad business model on Microsoft's part that they need money that badly. Though it could be that Microsoft's grasp isn't as long as it's reach.

I had wondered perhaps they should go down the road that Nintendo has done and start creating first person games and use then Live as a digital distribution medium. But this would be very risky on Microsoft's part.

But a movie rental thing is something I'd quite like, but the real humdinger is what kind of movies they'd provide - and what price would they be? Could they also provide television shows like Sky TV does? Or even selling music like i-Tunes? (Though I think they already do this to some extent.)

But you put a bit of a smile on my face when you also spotted that Microsoft has a habit of putting the asterisk next to it's good news. It's always nice to see someone who notices these things.

 

[Revolutionary]

Well done MS, welcome to 2005. <Insert phrase "TELEVISION!!" in Matt Lees Voice>

 

[Yopaz]

I'm not saying they have no reason to want money for doing nothing. The fact that they charge obscene amounts of money form developers to release updates and patches to games prove that. The thing that bothers me is that they seem to NEED to make one previously free feature paid because one feature that we already pay for no longer will require an original fee. However unless they change their policies in regards to patches and updates for games that's not what they will hide behind a paywall, but they could move their own movie rental service I guess.

Honestly I have stopped caring what they do at this point. Even this time when they announce good news it does come with an asterisk.

I guess it's all down to a bad business model on Microsoft's part that they need money that badly. Though it could be that Microsoft's grasp isn't as long as it's reach.

I had wondered perhaps they should go down the road that Nintendo has done and start creating first person games and use then Live as a digital distribution medium. But this would be very risky on Microsoft's part.

But a movie rental thing is something I'd quite like, but the real humdinger is what kind of movies they'd provide - and what price would they be? Could they also provide television shows like Sky TV does? Or even selling music like i-Tunes? (Though I think they already do this to some extent.)

But you put a bit of a smile on my face when you also spotted that Microsoft has a habit of putting the asterisk next to it's good news. It's always nice to see someone who notices these things.

They do actually have a movie rental service and a music service with some potential. Their music service allows you to stream music, but I haven't really tried the movie service, but you pay for each movie as far as I know with the choice between SD and HD quality. The main advantage with that is that you get newer movies than what Netflix usually provides. With some work both could be services that would make me willing to pay for Live.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see though.

 

[Gunner 51]

They do actually have a movie rental service and a music service with some potential. Their music service allows you to stream music, but I haven't really tried the movie service, but you pay for each movie as far as I know with the choice between SD and HD quality. The main advantage with that is that you get newer movies than what Netflix usually provides. With some work both could be services that would make me willing to pay for Live.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see though.

Ah, I thought they had a movie and music streaming service going. I just never felt any need to download the apps with the exception of the BBC i-Player. I'll have to admit to being a secret fan of the soap Holby City. (You may now throw cabbages at me. XD )

But I'm going to take a look at the movies and music and see if anything takes my fancy. (I wonder if they have Combichrist in the music section...)

But like you said, I guess we have to wait and see if Microsoft get these services right.