So lemmings, is XBL GOLD essential or not? Make up your minds...

I constantly see lemmings thrashing PSN and clamoring on how XBL is so much of a better experience, how it's one of the best aspects of the system.

And yet when a X360-PS3 price comparison pops up and someone points out that the service costs $50 a year, many lemmings immediately backpeddle and say that you only need silver, which is free.

I see almost all of you with gamertags in your sig and you're trying to defend that it's an option? true, but it's an option that the majority (and you) are just so willingly paying for:|

Reality Check - Silver dosent even let you play games online (okay, maybe once in a blue moon on a free weekend:|), which is the biggest and best part of XBL; agreed, lemmings?

So what will it be: Suck it up and accept that youre getting hit with $50 annually- or leave Silver as the norm, and admit that PSN is as good as XBL in general?

And another thing, the Wifi argument, stop trying to justify using ethernet cables to steer off tacking on another $100 to the 360's price.

1 - Wifi is the future.

2 - A good group of gamers already own a Wireless Router for their PC and want to put it to work (with their consoles)

3 - The average console owner does not have a Broadband Equipped PC with Modem in the same room as their gaming setup. A good deal of us live in 2 stories. You want to justify running ethernet cables 80+ feet throughout our house or drilling holes through the ceiling?:| Much more logical to use a wireless setup, accept it.

Then again, if the 360 came with those things standard you wouldnt be fighting yourselves out of a corner each time this argument comes up.

360 Core & Premium: No rechargeable batteries included, no Wifi Standard, no wireless controllers standard, pay-to-play online; "Next-Gen comes optional"

And yet when a X360-PS3 price comparison pops up and someone points out that the service costs $50 a year, many lemmings immediately backpeddle and say that you only need silver, which is free.FrenziedRaldo24

Xbox Live Gold, is by no means essential to having an enjoyable experience with gaming on the 360.  Although, Xbox Live Gold is worth every penny if you want to play games online, on and excellent service.

As far as Wifi is concerned, i personally would never use Wifi as i have no need for it, if you do there's an option to purchase a wireless adaptor (sure it costs alot but the option is there). 

XBL isn't essential, period. It's still optional.

This reason for this stuff is that people twist prices around.

Xbox 360 = $400

PS3 = $600

This is what the consumer sees and is really all that matters. Unless your ignorant enough to think that you can speculate as to what every consumer is going to buy, this is how it is.

Somehow I deleted my previous post.. anyways.

Gold is essential if you want to have a great multiplayer experience on the 360. Although I'm not a fanboy, the online architecture for the 360 is the best of the generation as it stands, although Sony seems to have figured that out. I'm still not sure WTF Nintendo is smoking when it comes to their online service, but anyways..

Like it or loathe it, 50$ a year is not really all that much for a dedicated online service that works well (the important part).

How do you get a solid, dedicated online service with a PS3? Simple. Buy a 360 (sorry, I had to say it.)

-John

It's not essential, but frankly worth every penny. The thing is that you're gonna get an unfair comparison either way. Free XBL vs. Free PSN, PSN wins because of online multiplayer. XBLG vs PSN, XBLG wins. So there's no real middle ground where it's a good, fair comparison.

The WiFi is not necessary unless you're comparing prices with the 60GB version. If for some reason you feel like it, sure, add the $99.99 and knock yourself out bashing. 

It's optional, yet worth what you pay for. Why is that so hard to understand? It's like tacking $50 onto the price of the Wii because of Zelda.

Yes, it's essential. You can't play any game online without it. If Lemmings think it's an optional service, then we should just assume all X360 games have no online play.KeyWii

Oh but you can young faboyish one, there are Xbox Live free weekends, which i'm sure suit the ultra casuals who only get to sit down and game on weekends.

The thing is whether playing online is the customers decision, no matter how you spin it most 360 games have online play, whereas your precious PS3 with its free online play has a very lacklustre percentage of online multplayer enabled games.

"Next-Gen comes optional"

FrenziedRaldo24

That seriously made me laugh, it floors me when people use the "optional" argument. 

[QUOTE="KeyWii"]Yes, it's essential. You can't play any game online without it. If Lemmings think it's an optional service, then we should just assume all X360 games have no online play.Snugenz

Oh but you can young faboyish one, there are Xbox Live free weekends, which i'm sure suit the ultra casuals who only get to sit down and game on weekends.

The thing is whether playing online is the customers decision, no matter how you spin it most 360 games have online play, whereas your precious PS3 with its free online play has a very lacklustre percentage of online multplayer enabled games.

For a measly 12 cents a day, we get:

Universal Friends List

Custom Gamer Pic/Personal Pic

Voice Chat/Voice Messaging

Video Chat/Video Messaging

Gamer Score

Achivements

Demos

XBLA

HD Movies

HD TV

Downloadable Video Game Guides

Music Videos

Movie Trailers

Sent Friend Request & Message through Xbox.com

True Skill Matchmaking

Cross-Platforming

Live Everywhere

IPTV (This Winter)

Major Dashboard Updates twice a year

Voice in Everygame

Talk to your friends while watching a Movie or TV

Download Games while playing a Game

XNA

Gamer Card (put in on your website, myspace, blog)

Live for Vista

XBL for Mobile phones (customemize stuff through your mobile phone)

Next-Gen Tournaments

Game and Fame

Downloadable Gamerpics & Themes

Exclusive Video Coverage from E3, X06, & TGS

I say it's well worth it.

Yes, it's essential. You can't play any game online without it. If Lemmings think it's an optional service (i.e A fee that should not be included in the price of the X360), then we should just assume all X360 games have no online play.KeyWii

Stop making generalizations. If everyone in the gaming world plays online that it is not optional. But ya know what, not everyone likes online the majority of the world is still on dial up.

I was until oct 24th or so.And I just went online for first time ever on January.

Don't tell me or anyone else that it is not optional buddy. Not everyone likes online and not everyone is a serious gamer. Some people buy it for games to play on their own and dont like playing with other people or speaking or hearing them.

So stop telling people what is true and what isn't like your god or something. 

Yes, it's essential. You can't play any game online without it. If Lemmings think it's an optional service (i.e A fee that should not be included in the price of the X360), then we should just assume all X360 games have no online play.KeyWii

Believe it or not, some people actually don't like playing online and/or prefer the single player experience. The Wii doesn't have any online mutliplayer, but that isn't stopping people from wanting it and it continuing to be sold out.

Yes, it's essential. You can't play any game online without it. If Lemmings think it's an optional service (i.e A fee that should not be included in the price of the X360), then we should just assume all X360 games have no online play.KeyWii

Yes it's essential. IMO.
white_sox

[QUOTE="white_sox"]Yes it's essential. IMO.
Blue-Sphere

[QUOTE="Blue-Sphere"][QUOTE="white_sox"]Yes it's essential. IMO.
smokeydabear076

[QUOTE="smokeydabear076"][QUOTE="Blue-Sphere"][QUOTE="white_sox"]Yes it's essential. IMO.
Blue-Sphere

[QUOTE="FrenziedRaldo24"]And yet when a X360-PS3 price comparison pops up and someone points out that the service costs $50 a year, many lemmings immediately backpeddle and say that you only need silver, which is free.Baird-06

[QUOTE="Blue-Sphere"][QUOTE="smokeydabear076"][QUOTE="Blue-Sphere"][QUOTE="white_sox"]Yes it's essential. IMO.
smokeydabear076

[QUOTE="KeyWii"]Yes, it's essential. You can't play any game online without it. If Lemmings think it's an optional service (i.e A fee that should not be included in the price of the X360), then we should just assume all X360 games have no online play.beldugo

[QUOTE="smokeydabear076"][QUOTE="Blue-Sphere"][QUOTE="smokeydabear076"][QUOTE="Blue-Sphere"][QUOTE="white_sox"]Yes it's essential. IMO.
Blue-Sphere

$4 a month is a pittance but yes you can actually have fun without it you just don't get as much fun from your system. You can actually say the same thing about having to pay $50-$100 for a quality HDMI cable that does not come packed in with the PS3, sure you can still play games without it but its just not the same.

not in the least,im happy with having just sliver,it's free after all:D

With a Silver account, you still can access

• A universal friends list
• Achievements 
• Gamercard
• Text/voice/video messaging
• Live Aware through all games at the touch of a single button
• Connection/viewability of your account on the web via Xbox.com 

A Gold subscriber can take advantage of the following: 

• XBL is a closed, secure network where modded boxes are actively disabled from the service.
• Offers features that helps the community to be self-regulating, like gamerzone and rep and prefer/avoid status on the friends list.
• For times when intervention is needed, there is a feedback system that is actively monitored platform-wide
• XBL has a functional cross-game invite system that's more than a simple text message
  

Extending beyond the physical console, MS offers

• Active support of its community with the likes of Major Nelson and Trixie who are a direct link between MS and all the XBL gamers out there
• Heavy support to community developers like gamercard.net and 360voice.com
• XBL ambassador/VIP program that invites major fansite leaders to game premiers and trade shows
• The whole dream-build-play/XNA initiative to help spur garage developers to become legitimate game developers
• Cross country campaign to educate parents and legislators about online gaming

[QUOTE="FrenziedRaldo24"]And yet when a X360-PS3 price comparison pops up and someone points out that the service costs $50 a year, many lemmings immediately backpeddle and say that you only need silver, which is free.Baird-06

A lot did!

With a Silver account, you still can access

• A universal friends list
• Achievements 
• Gamercard
• Text/voice/video messaging
• Live Aware through all games at the touch of a single button
• Connection/viewability of your account on the web via Xbox.com 

A Gold subscriber can take advantage of the following: 

• XBL is a closed, secure network where modded boxes are actively disabled from the service.
• Offers features that helps the community to be self-regulating, like gamerzone and rep and prefer/avoid status on the friends list.
• For times when intervention is needed, there is a feedback system that is actively monitored platform-wide
• XBL has a functional cross-game invite system that's more than a simple text message
  

Extending beyond the physical console, MS offers

• Active support of its community with the likes of Major Nelson and Trixie who are a direct link between MS and all the XBL gamers out there
• Heavy support to community developers like gamercard.net and 360voice.com
• XBL ambassador/VIP program that invites major fansite leaders to game premiers and trade shows
• The whole dream-build-play/XNA initiative to help spur garage developers to become legitimate game developers
• Cross country campaign to educate parents and legislators about online gaming

So yeah... there's plenty to enjoy no matter what level of subscriber you areVoodooHak

Please! You're just verifying his statement.

It's an option, something cows can't receive ;)Nemme

Option is another word for indecisive. Real men don't have that problem.

[QUOTE="Nemme"]It's an option, something cows can't receive ;)shungokustasu

Option is another word for indecisive. Real men don't have that problem.

[QUOTE="Nemme"]It's an option, something cows can't receive ;)shungokustasu

Option is another word for indecisive. Real men don't have that problem.

[QUOTE="shungokustasu"]

[QUOTE="Nemme"]It's an option, something cows can't receive ;)Fusible

Option is another word for indecisive. Real men don't have that problem.