If MS could drop GFW Live's subscription fee, why do they still charge for XBL?

I would like to implore of anyone who currently is a subscriber to Xbox Live Gold: does it make you at least a tiny bit PO'd that with Games for Windows Live Gold membership, Microsoft was charging players the exact same fee as with Xbox Live's Gold membership, but then they decided to drop the fee altogether? Does that prove that Xbox Live's subscription fee is essentially paying for-- nothing? Microsoft has already proven that they don't need your subscription dollars to keep an online service running, so now they are just fleecing Xbox players because they're willing to be fleeced, for no reason at all.

So basically, nothing is standing in Microsoft's way if they wanted to drop Xbox Live's subscription fee altogether. However, they are not, and it's because they are essentially making millions of dollars for nothing. What I want to know though, is why are XBL subscribers OK with this? Aren't you at least a little irritated that you are being taxed to play online, and the money you pay isn't used for anything but lining MS's wallets?

Because people are still prepared to pay for it.bethwo

I would like to implore of anyone who currently is a subscriber to Xbox Live Gold: does it make you at least a tiny bit PO'd that with Games for Windows Live Gold membership, Microsoft was charging players the exact same fee as with Xbox Live's Gold membership, but then they decided to drop the fee altogether? Does that prove that Xbox Live's subscription fee is essentially paying for-- nothing? Microsoft has already proven that they don't need your subscription dollars to keep an online service running, so now they are just fleecing Xbox players because they're willing to be fleeced, for no reason at all.

So basically, nothing is standing in Microsoft's way if they wanted to drop Xbox Live's subscription fee altogether. However, they are not, and it's because they are essentially making millions of dollars for nothing. What I want to know though, is why are XBL subscribers OK with this? Aren't you at least a little irritated that you are being taxed to play online, and the money you pay isn't used for anything but lining MS's wallets?

Timstuff

They aren't making millions for nothing. XBL is as good as it is because it brings in money from Gold subscribers. If there were no Gold subscribers, then XBL wouldn't be as good as it is. It would be PSN, which might very well be good enough...but it wouldn't be XBL.

Furthermore, I do believe that most people at least acknowledge that MS is hungry this gen. They are pushing hard on getting more games, more content etc. Therefore, while many folks aren't thrilled about paying for XBL I think you are in the very small minority that thinks MS is just lining their wallets with the money. They are using that money to fund more games and more content.

Do you think xbox live is produced and maintained magically with no cost whatsoever? Genuine question.Ninja-Hippo

you'd be surprised what is produced and maintained magically with no cost whatsoever on television.. oh wait, they both have sponsorship

It probably has to do with GFWL not supporting as many games as Xbox Live does.

I don't see why people make such a big deal out of paying for Xbox Live.

I'm a Gold member and it severly pisses me off, pure greed.Eddie-Vedder

Does no one else understand how much it takes to constantly keep Xbox live reliable and up to date? They have to plunge a lot of resources into it. I think it's personally reasonable for them to make some profit off of it. At least it is worth the money, unlike most DLC.

Unless people stop paying, MS will keep ripping 360 gamers off.

Personally I dont bother with love gold, i just use PSN, anyway its generally better as the bigger games use dedicated servers. Theres more reason to pay for PSN really since 360 exclusives use P2P which is why we always have people moaning about host advantage on gears games...

I don't like paying for Live but I do so because I believe it's worth it.

That's all there is to it.

Unless people stop paying, MS will keep ripping 360 gamers off.

Personally I dont bother with love gold, i just use PSN, anyway its generally better as the bigger games use dedicated servers. Theres more reason to pay for PSN really since 360 exclusives use P2P which is why we always have people moaning about host advantage on gears games...

NinjaMunkey01

Simple.

Hermits are a different breed then lemmings.

It probably has to do with GFWL not supporting as many games as Xbox Live does.

I don't see why people make such a big deal out of paying for Xbox Live.

InternetKraken

Is cross game invite and a chatroom worth $50 a year? Does top titles have dedicated servers?

To those who said that Xbox Live wouldn't had made improvements if it wasn't for the fee, what are those improvements you speak of?

NXE? I don't care about it.

Chatroom? dont care

avatar? dont care

rep system? dont care and it doesn't work

Matchmaking? the worst thing to ever happen to online gaming

Less lag? No improvement to reduce lag

Have they been any improvement to online multiplayer? We still don't have dedicated servers.

[QUOTE="InternetKraken"]

It probably has to do with GFWL not supporting as many games as Xbox Live does.

I don't see why people make such a big deal out of paying for Xbox Live.

Nedemis

XBL is a closed network, GFW is an open network, there's a massive difference when it comes to hosting needs.Andrew_Xavier

[QUOTE="Andrew_Xavier"]XBL is a closed network, GFW is an open network, there's a massive difference when it comes to hosting needs.comstrikeiscool

[QUOTE="comstrikeiscool"][QUOTE="Andrew_Xavier"]XBL is a closed network, GFW is an open network, there's a massive difference when it comes to hosting needs.Andrew_Xavier

[QUOTE="Nedemis"][QUOTE="InternetKraken"]

It probably has to do with GFWL not supporting as many games as Xbox Live does.

I don't see why people make such a big deal out of paying for Xbox Live.

channtheman1

[QUOTE="channtheman1"][QUOTE="Nedemis"] it's really because they're cheap but they'll spin it off as being something that should be free. What they don't seem to realize is that there's far more to XBL then MP gaming. While a massive chunk of my time on XBL is spent gaming, the FACT that MS keeps their service running as well as they do let's me know that I'm at least getting a service for my money. Nedemis

Here's a cookie. It never fails, it always comes down to being cheap,after all, the idea of being a smart consumer is really just a fantasy.

[QUOTE="Nedemis"][QUOTE="channtheman1"] No what you are getting for paying is the ability to play online. That's it. A silver user can do everything you can do except play online and he doesn't pay anything. How does it feel knowing you are paying for someone else to use those features?ANeuralPathway

Here's a cookie. It never fails, it always comes down to being cheap,after all, the idea of being a smart consumer is really just a fantasy.

[QUOTE="ANeuralPathway"][QUOTE="Nedemis"] there are perks to being a gold member on XBL but you obviously don't know what they are. I don't mind paying only $4.17 a month to have the best online setup for a console and I know many more that don't care either. You see, we're not gonna gripe over something so trivial and affordable. How is it being cheap? :lol:Nedemis

Here's a cookie. It never fails, it always comes down to being cheap,after all, the idea of being a smart consumer is really just a fantasy.

Seems to me that M$ should be paying the people using Live then, or their ISPs anyway, since they're the ones providing the juice for M$' "service or product". I would love to hear how expecting a company to take a little bit of the half a billion$ a year payday and provide some dedicated servers is being cheap. Strangely enough, people working dead end jobs can afford to pay for servers, but mighty M$ can't. And expecting them to provide a "service or product" for their fee is stingy. HAHA.I guess people who don't buy their lottery ticket every week are cheap too, huh?

Because 360 owners have proven they're willing to pay money, while PC owners said Hell no.lantus

[QUOTE="lantus"]Because 360 owners have proven they're willing to pay money, while PC owners said Hell no.Cherokee_Jack

Just curious.... but which service has more advertisements, Xbox Live or PSN....

Its crazy that you have to pay for Live....and there are still ADs:roll: