Xbox LIVE price hike
Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:41 am
http://kotaku.com/5625516/xbox-live-pri ... november-1
So at least we see Microsoft hiking up the prices.
Over the last year Xbox LIVE has seen numorous add-ons like NetFlix, ESPN, FaceBook, and Twitter. (maybe more but I use none of these anyway)
And naturally the cost of the service goes up with the extra services added.
But there is a problem. The core purpose for Xbox LIVE, it's original purpose, is for gamers to play with other human beings.
Not to chat up on Twitter and what not as many of them have computers to do this with.
So for most gamers, the pure gamers, myself included, all these extra apps, extra add-ons, extra services, go unused and ignored as we sign on to just to play.
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The reactions to this are mostly negative.
One one side of the fence, you have all the hardcore gamers enraged by the increase in cost. Many of which present promises/threats of rage-quitting and purchasing a PS3 for their future gaming.
On the other side of the fence, the one I reside on, has people don't see this as much of a problem as they either A) are the social type and actually use the extra services or B) are core gamers that find that extra 10 dollars to be no reason to bunch one's undergarments over.
The problem with the "rage-quit" side of the fence is that switching over to PS3 would require high initial cost compared to the measly 60$/year, but that's assuming you don't already own a PS3. While Sony's online service may be free, it lacks in quality as the result.
The problem with the "meh" side of the fence, which I guarantee will be the overwhelming majority, is that by accepting the extra 10$ a year, that will give the green light to M$ to increase other prices as this stunt is obviously a way to "test the waters."
One post I found interesting was this one regarding a quite possible compromise.
-----------------------------------------
Discuss.
So at least we see Microsoft hiking up the prices.
Over the last year Xbox LIVE has seen numorous add-ons like NetFlix, ESPN, FaceBook, and Twitter. (maybe more but I use none of these anyway)
And naturally the cost of the service goes up with the extra services added.
But there is a problem. The core purpose for Xbox LIVE, it's original purpose, is for gamers to play with other human beings.
Not to chat up on Twitter and what not as many of them have computers to do this with.
So for most gamers, the pure gamers, myself included, all these extra apps, extra add-ons, extra services, go unused and ignored as we sign on to just to play.
-----------------------------------------
The reactions to this are mostly negative.
One one side of the fence, you have all the hardcore gamers enraged by the increase in cost. Many of which present promises/threats of rage-quitting and purchasing a PS3 for their future gaming.
On the other side of the fence, the one I reside on, has people don't see this as much of a problem as they either A) are the social type and actually use the extra services or B) are core gamers that find that extra 10 dollars to be no reason to bunch one's undergarments over.
The problem with the "rage-quit" side of the fence is that switching over to PS3 would require high initial cost compared to the measly 60$/year, but that's assuming you don't already own a PS3. While Sony's online service may be free, it lacks in quality as the result.
The problem with the "meh" side of the fence, which I guarantee will be the overwhelming majority, is that by accepting the extra 10$ a year, that will give the green light to M$ to increase other prices as this stunt is obviously a way to "test the waters."
One post I found interesting was this one regarding a quite possible compromise.
-----------------------------------------
Discuss.