Xbox Live: Should it be free?

Xbox Live is a major advantage in buying a 360, but there is the annual price. If they make this service free, I believe it would give them an extra boost in this next-gen war.
So shouldn't Xbox Live be free?

Also what do we get when our paid service goes down for days? An ARCADE game that I ALREADY HAVE, a game that I already PAID for? And I don't get anything else?!

xbox live shouldn't be free, because if it were free the service would be terrible like the psn (i own a ps3) , microsoft would stop staffing the xbox live sector and only make xbox live a requirment when some of there staff do some overtime. its a very small price to pay for such a great service, and yes it may go down rarely but they compensate for it, it is just unlucky that he/she has already owned the free game. --- BUT --- America is not the only country that has xbox live MICROSOFT , we pay that same as the americans maybe more 4 less content, my only complaint about the service.

I wouldn't even mind a lower cost (hey, I'm a student) - but I doubt it'll happen anytime soon since it's been the same price for 5 years. Until the PS3 can match all the XBL features [with the same quality], it won't be free or reduced.

Oh well, it's a pretty good service.

I wouldn't even mind a lower cost (hey, I'm a student) - but I doubt it'll happen anytime soon since it's been the same price for 5 years. Until the PS3 can match all the XBL features [with the same quality], it won't be free or reduced.

Oh well, it's a pretty good service.

Aaron89

yh man i really wish it was free though regardless

Xbox will stay and should stay with a yearly fee.Free memberships would make it too easy for boosters,messed up friends list that you cant keep up with,Messed up leader-boards,Private chat problems,updates wouldnt be frequent it just wouldn't be the same if it didn't have a fee,I honestly don't mind pulling $50 out of my pockets as long as they keep a steady server,nice updates,and overall fun i wouldnt mind.

it shouldent be free updates and service is good i dont think ps3 get updates same time as xbox360 i know this as when the COD4 update came out my PS3 fanboy mate hadnt got em two days later.

also i think i remember the PS3 COD4 servers went down for ages on PS3 and they had to do a double EXP weekend or somthing.

its cheap enough if you work it out each day

it shouldent be free updates and service is good i dont think ps3 get updates same time as xbox360 i know this as when the COD4 update came out my PS3 fanboy mate hadnt got em two days later.

also i think i remember the PS3 COD4 servers went down for ages on PS3 and they had to do a double EXP weekend or somthing.

its cheap enough if you work it out each day

AsHeavenIsWide

well owning a PS3 and 360 I can answer this. The only reason why the PS3 didn't get the COD update when 360 did was because IW was waiting on conformation from Sony. It was in an article on gametrailers.com. This was sony's fault... not their "online service". Also.... there was NO SUCH COD 4 server going down on the PS3 "for ages" nor was their a "double EXP weekend". I've had the game since release and I have never experienced not being able to get in a match or a doubled weekend of EXP points. That's just my own experience though. Don't know about others.

No I don't think XBL should be free. I usually swing buy Gamestop and pick up a 12+1 month card for 50 bucks about 1 month before my subscription ends. No biggie for me. Not to mention the prepaid cards make great Christmas/Birthday gifts. :)

Not sayin this is everyone. All my friends my age have jobs and don't mind the fee, but all my friends that are younger and in school still and have no jobs, want it to be free.

If it was free microsoft would stop updating and they really would not care as much anymorebxgt

People should stop saying that, Sony is always improving their network for free!

hows it a major advantage?

i got both a 360 and ps3 and the only difference i notice is i have to pay for live

the only bad thing about the ps3s network is the store but its still navagational!

what the?

Heck yah it should be free.

Micro$oft don't need my 5 bucks to keep their servers running..... I get the same online experience on my PC for free. I don't see the value.

On the other hand, while relatively cheap, the fee does create a barrier to keeping all the total losers away, unlike the free PC servers that are constantly hacked, cheated, flamed, crashed, offline and whatever else (fill in your own here _____)

That's my $0.02........:)

My thing is: most services cost money. Most people pay +$50 a month on cell phone bills, cable bills, car notes, etc. Anything free is usually free for a reason: you're getting less. $50 dollars a YEAR is negligible when you consider that it affords you the opporunity to play ANY online game at ANY time for as LONG as you want.

Would I like XBL to be free? Hell yes. Am I mad that I pay for it (when commpared to the sub-par FREE online experiences of competitors?) Hell no.

Man, if you're struggling to pay 50 bucks a YEAR then you just need to quit life.

But neways naw, it shouldn't be free because if it was then we wouldn't get updates and Live needs to be maintained and stuff.

Xbox Live is a major advantage in buying a 360, but there is the annual price. If they make this service free, I believe it would give them an extra boost in this next-gen war.
So shouldn't Xbox Live be free?

Also what do we get when our paid service goes down for days? An ARCADE game that I ALREADY HAVE, a game that I already PAID for? And I don't get anything else?!

lightinggunner

i don't mind paying for it.. but most of the crap on it should be free.

either charge me for the service, or charge me for the pictures/dlc/whatever else..

don't make me pay for both.. i think that's BS, and just M$ being greedy. (that's why i've yet to buy anything on live, i think it's a joke)

of course it should be, but microsoft wouldn't do it. magera21

It may be cheap but ithink microsoft is greedy and selfish. More than half of the stuff you find in the market place is worth money. Come on game pics why charge them when there just simply measly pics, for a buc ur crazy. Themes i can just find better ones from the internet and put it on my 360. This is a selfish aproach microsoft

y would they give up millions of dollars to make it free? its worth it.