Why do people pay for Xbox Live?

[General Vagueness]

for Halo (and I guess a few other games)

 

[northeast rower]

I pay 17 cents a day. It's not going to put me in the poorhouse.

 

[Sion_Barzahd]

Well the reason they pay is kinda obvious, they wanna play online with their Xbox.

 

[Warlord211]

Well, we pay to not have our information stolen >.>

<..>

So you're implying that Sony being hacked and having the information "stolen" was their fault? They didn't put up security because they under-estimated a bunch of hackers who were mad at Sony for not dropping the case of a guy who was jail-breaking PS3s. How would YOU like it if some guy jail-broke Xbox 360s?

I'm being facetious -- I have no real qualms against Xbox 360, I just don't think that Xbox users need to pay for Gold. I don't even have a 360 for that reason! For God's sake you're sinking money into a game! It's like sinking money into an MMORPG...

The only reason the guy jailbroke the PS3 was because Sony took away a feature that it not only originally had but was also the reason some people bought it, he was just trying to get it back. You don't see Apple getting all high and mighty over everyone when millions of people have jailbroken ipods and iphones. I understand you're being facetious I'm just explaining that the guy who jailbroke the PS3 was not wrong in doing it and Sony way over reacted and was definitely in the wrong.

 

[MercurySteam]

This is not at all a Live sucks, PSN is better thread, I actually think both services are very similar in what they do and how well they do it. Everything I'm about to say is completely factual.

Yet despite all this, these threads have been done a million times and there's nothing you can say that hasn't already been said. Any poster with 500+ posts has seen one of these threads before so I assumed most of us had the decency to not go over this for the hundredth time.

*Sigh*

The obvious things that Microsoft use the money for its server maintenance (and yes, security updates can be paid for too) plus the addition of Netflix and other media streaming stuff that very few people use (still, it's there). One thing may of us LIVE users noticed with the new dashboard update (apart from it looking a bit stupid) was that downloads were fiercely faster, perhaps to keep up to speed with N protocol wireless or just to improve the experience for all of us. My point is that in the long term, it makes LIVE a better experience for us which I am more than happy to pay around $80AU every 12 months.

I just hope that people stop writing these threads every time they don't want to do something. It's not like you're being forced, just stop telling all of us that have heard these complaints from so many others.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

For a really, really high quality, user friendly online service.

Even forgetting security, *cough* *cough* PSN is simply lower quality.

 

[teebeeohh]

because Microsoft allows them to insult others while they are quickscoping.
I think it's just that, a lot of people buy an xbox to play multiplayer with their friends and gold is priced so that while it's not really expansive it's a nice revenue stream for Microsoft. This is also the reason why if a wizard suddenly enabled cross-platform multiplayer for everything Microsoft would be the one hurting most.

 

[MercurySteam]

You wanna know what you're paying for when you pay for Gold? Timed exclusives and what is essentially a reasonably priced Ventrilo. There are servers for online games, you just don't use them to play on (except most EA games). You are paying for extras that Silver members don't get, same as PSN plus users. The features are different, but the concept is the same. You seem to forget, however, that even with the PS3 games with dedicated servers, as well as any PC game with dedicated servers, somebody paid for that. Not only that, but have you seen the price of a dedicated server rental for something like Bad Company 2 on PC? It's fucking expensive.

I don't mind paying for something if it makes sense to pay for it. MMOs charge a fee because they have to use dedicated servers (which cost money to run), you can't do a peer-to-peer system for a MMO.

The timed exclusives are bullshit whether it's Microsoft or Sony doing it. If Microsoft sends a truck of money to EA for something, Xbox users don't get it sooner, PS3 users just get it later. There's no consumer benefit from timed exclusives. Now, if the 360 version is done first, then I'm fine with Xbox users getting the game first.

And now I'm gone because it's painfully obvious that you're nothing more than a militant Xbox LIVE hater who can't possibly see why anyone would pay for something that they see the worth in and keeps pulling out a sourceless story about LIVE being hacked.

Good day to you, sir.

And yet he feels the need to write a pointless thread that has been done to death over this topic. If he wanted to tell the world he could've just climbed up to a tall building and shouted till he felt better (and then perhaps jumped off).

Jokes, but seriously - this has got to stop. The recent business with PSN only gives LIVE uses more ammunition. Now is the worst possible time to complain about Xbox LIVE.

 

[Azaraxzealot]

This is not at all a Live sucks, PSN is better thread, I actually think both services are very similar in what they do and how well they do it. Everything I'm about to say is completely factual.

My problem with Live is that Microsoft wants to have their cake and eat it too as Microsoft charges you for services they don't provide. The FREE Silver Live account offers services that actually cost Microsoft money and resources to provide. Running and maintaining the servers that store the games, demos, DLC, etc. for everyone to download is at least 90% of the expenses of the Live service. And, all that stuff is offered for FREE through Silver membership because Microsoft wants everyone to have access to their store so people can spend money in their store.

For Live Gold membership, Microsoft charges you for Netflix, online gaming, Facebook, last.fm, etc. So, in order for you to have the ability to watch Netflix, you have to pay Netflix, your ISP, and MICROSOFT!!! Microsoft is not incurring any costs of any kind when you watch stuff off Netflix, Netflix is streaming movies from their servers using their bandwidth to you over your bandwidth that you are paying for, Microsoft is not involved in any way. To prove, rather simply, for people who might not believe that, PS3 users can still use Netflix with PSN down.

Onto online gaming, which is another big slap in the face to Live customers from Microsoft. If you play any third party game (e.g. COD), Microsoft is not incurring any costs or bandwidth when you play COD online as you are not playing on Microsoft's servers (you are not even playing on a server as almost every console online game is player hosted) and the publisher of the game is running the game servers that just track stats and nothing else. For a game like COD, the developer puts probably about half its resources into the multiplayer aspect of the game so about half the money you payed for the game is for the multiplayer. On Live, you have to pay Microsoft to unlock game content (online multiplayer) that you already payed for when you bought the game. The only thing that would make sense is if for Microsoft to allow online multiplayer for 3rd party games for Silver accounts, but only allow Gold accounts to pay first party games online. However, Microsoft isn't going to do that because people would be like, "I can play COD or Bad Company for free, screw Halo and Gears" and those communities would be a lot smaller. Also, Microsoft doesn't even run any dedicated servers whereas Sony does run dedicated severs for a few games (MAG, Killzone, Warhawk, etc.).

The only service Microsoft is providing you for Gold membership is cross-game chat so you are basically paying $60 a year for cross-game chat and that is it.

This is why I will never pay for Live as I'm not going to pay someone for a service they aren't providing, it's that simple. If Sony pulled this, I'd turn into a PC gamer and use Steam, which also provides the same services Live Gold does for free.

obvious troll is obvious.

look, people pay because they are willing to pay. i don't know why my douchebag "i only play games that i can shoot things in" brothers are willing to shell out 27 dollars every 3 months just to play Cash-In of Duty: Crap Ops ALL FUCKING DAY ON MY XBOX BUT I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY OWN THE GOD DAMN TV! but they are willing to pay, so microsoft w therefore will charge. simple as that

 

[Subwayeatn]

Goddammit, why does this topic sill exist? It's been done to death every few weeks for so long I can practically summarize the transcript of the arguments about to be posted:

- XBox 360 owners will rant about "quality service" and "better tech support".

- Playstaion 3 owners will rave that both services are the same except for PSN being available for free, often hinting at some real or imagined superiority PSN exudes like a Mac user in a "Mac vs PC" debate.

- People with enough disposable income to afford both will stop by to remind us of their financial security, accuse both sides of fanboyism, and say that they can't tell the difference between the two to RAEG bait them.

- PC gamers will butt in uninvited to stand on the soap box to set us "poor, unwashed masses" straight, say Steam is a better distributor than LIVE and PSN, and claim superiority over console gaming in general as the "golden haired and golden skinned PC gaming master race" with the infallible logic of a hipster saying "You just wouldn't understand."

Give or take a few (hundred) remarks about PSN getting hacked. The only reason I can think of for you to make this kind of thread at this point is that it's easy post bait. Now hurry up and end this so we can get back to our Portal 2 Cave Johnson jokes and fawning/raging over BioWare releases.

My Hero.

 

[mrdude2010]

Well, we pay to not have our information stolen >.>

<..>

this. microsoft does pretty well at keeping our info safe


although it really does piss me off that they try to make us pay for player servers. i would happily pay for XBL gold if they had dedicated servers. as it is i like playing online, so I currently pay for XBL when i can afford it, but it is seriously stupid that they try to get us to pay for online gold

 

[Eiv]

Post baiting pain in the ass.

I STRONGLY SUGGEST NO MORE REPLIES BEFORE THIS GUY'S HEAD EXPLODES WITH NERDRAGE.

/Levi

 

[Finebrew]

Xbox friends list - about 20 people
PSN friends list - 0 people

guess which one I play online the most.

 

[Megahedron]

Well, from personal experience quite a few Xbox players bought the console not planning on getting Live. We got one month trials, realized it was worth the money to subscribe, and here we are. Would I prefer to have free online gaming, sure. But it'll cost $120 to pick up Live until the next gen starts (I assume it's 2014... maybe not) so I could:

A. Sell my Xbox and all my games, and use the money to pick up a PS3 and its games (in the process, probably going from my 14 360 games to... about 4 PS3 games due to lost money in transactions like shipping). Or use that money to build half a gaming PC.

B. Shell out the 120 and keep what I have.

I picked B, largely because I bought the 360 in the first place, meaning I considered it the better console (because of my friends, a few exclusives, not really the important part). This topic really doesn't matter until we all move on to the PS4 and Xbox 361, because until that point, no one will be switching camps over online support.

 

[Katana314]

- PC gamers will butt in uninvited to stand on the soap box to set us "poor, unwashed masses" straight, say Steam is a better distributor than LIVE and PSN, and claim superiority over console gaming in general as the "golden haired and golden skinned PC gaming master race" with the infallible logic of a hipster saying "You just wouldn't understand."

You know, I'm starting to wonder where these guys are. I know there's been a long-standing joke of PC gamers thinking themselves of a master race, but I actually think it's been a long time since I've actually seen someone act this way.

All I WILL say about Steam is that if the XBL-supporters are solely using the PSN attack as ammunition, then I'd just like to offer up Steam as a comparable, fully-featured gaming network that doesn't have the monthly cost OR the security problems of PSN. If XBL only shines in comparison, then compare it to Steam. What's the comparison then?

 

[Zantos]

You know that these sort of threads are fairly pointless. You aren't going to buy it, fair enough, but no one's going to look at the OP and think "Oh god, I must cancel this subscription immediately."

People will pay for it because it costs pretty much nothing a year. The £40 subscription fee is less than I would spend if I go out twice. It provides people to game and chat with their friends online. You can argue that PSN offers the same service for free, but at the end of the day that makes a loss for Sony. The only reason it's free is so they can market it as cheaper than the xbox live, and Sony being an evil multicorp will begin charging for it as soon as they know people are willing to pay.

 

[Brian Hendershot]

Well, we pay to not have our information stolen >.>

<..>

Two things. Zing! And nice avatar!

Anyways, is anyone else noticing that a lot of threads like this are popping up? I thought we settled this. Everything that everyone is is playing sucks, and what I am playing is clearly the bestest...

Sarcasm.

 

[Brian Hendershot]

Well, we pay to not have our information stolen >.>

<..>

this. microsoft does pretty well at keeping our info safe


although it really does piss me off that they try to make us pay for player servers. i would happily pay for XBL gold if they had dedicated servers. as it is i like playing online, so I currently pay for XBL when i can afford it, but it is seriously stupid that they try to get us to pay for online gold

hacked.

twice.

how's that safer?

You can't say that since something happened to you that clearly the Xbox Live system is the more flawed of the two. Now, if more Xbox Live users were getting hacked on average then PSN users that would be okay to say.

Odd ya got haxed twice though. Mayhaps you made someone made on CoD?

 

[Thundero13]

I see your point but it's really just that gamers will stand by their favorite conole no matter what, within reason of course, besides the Xbox does other things better than PlayStation so its all about even in the end.

Oh also will everyone shut up about how "Microsoft actually protects its user data, Sony just made a mistake, Microsoft could've too, oh no i'm defending Sony, WHAT HAVE I BECOME?! *cries*

 

[Kadoodle]

Better service, better servers, better system, better games, better controls, earlier downloads....

oh yeah

AND OUR PRIVACY REMAINS OUR OWN

All wrong except for the last bit.