Getting Xbox Live Gold (and the ability to easily piss me off)

[Low Key]

Paying for online is what lets them provide the best service of the major consoles.
What we really should get on Microsoft for is charging money for icons and backgrounds the PS3 has for free.

Actually, I'm guessing the Ads make up the costs. What you're paying for is essentially running a server, nothing else really.
OP: If you don't want to buy gold, then don't. Spend it on something else.

But after the initial cost of the server is paid for, all that is really needed to cover is the electricity to run it. With all the people who pay for DLC, that pays for the bandwidth.

 

[Inco]

Wellllll, you can talk to others, hell, that is actually free. (Silver Membership) and sometimes it is better to pay as it will be better and better maintained. Why bother spend time on making something better if you are not getting money from it. People ***** about paying for Live too much. Maybe though, it is good as it weeds out the people I do not want to play with online.

Now that is a good way to put it.

 

[Zersy]

So my Xbox live gold membership recently ran out, and I am sitting here staring at amazon.com and wondering why im about to pay 50 bucks for another year of online gaming, sony got it right, god even nintendo got it right, but the cash cow that is microsoft is just unwilling to get its gold soaked hands off the piggy bank! anyone agree?

Do the month to Month thing

pay for it when you need to and hen just wanna play on another console then just keep it on silver membership

thats what i do if want to spend alot of time on my 360 then i make sure i have a 30 day gold membership so i get the most out of my time.

then i can just switch to my PS3

having both consoles is a great thing

 

[Nokillme92]

yes they did the same thing with their wireless receiver, they didnt include one, then market one for 100 bucks flat (rest assured they make them in some sweat shop in china for 10 bucks) now thats profit

From what I have heard, the wireless adapter is very bad at receiving a signal.

It's far easier to use a ethernet to powerline adapter, which essentially gives you the same signal strength as if you were to plug your 360 straight into your router and you can get them for $50. A much better deal IMO.

My wireless works perfectly with about 40 feet (and 3 walls) between my Xbox and the router

 

[Logan Badass]

So my Xbox live gold membership recently ran out, and I am sitting here staring at amazon.com and wondering why im about to pay 50 bucks for another year of online gaming, sony got it right, god even nintendo got it right, but the cash cow that is microsoft is just unwilling to get its gold soaked hands off the piggy bank! anyone agree?

uhhh.

no

 

[RicoADF]

unlike sony........ im still waiting for an email about replacing the ps2 microphone......

I've never had any issues with Sony support, quite quick actually. Ontop of that any mic (USB or BT) works on the PS3, so no need to give M$ more $$. I frankly dont see the betterness, its literally just M$ lovers trying to convince others that wasting money is a good idea when others give you the same thing for free.

 

[nova18]

Dont know why everyone has a problem with PS Network, it does everything it needs to, it connects me to people and lets me talk to them while I beat them down.
What else does an online service need?


But its only $50 dollars a YEAR?
Thats like £40 a year.

Admittedly if I payed for Live Gold for 4 years then the 360 would be more expensive than my PS3, but thats a good deal. Getting myself a 360 before Xmas, some games like L4D are too appealing to pass up.

 

[Mischiviktus]

So my Xbox live gold membership recently ran out, and I am sitting here staring at amazon.com and wondering why im about to pay 50 bucks for another year of online gaming, sony got it right, god even nintendo got it right, but the cash cow that is microsoft is just unwilling to get its gold soaked hands off the piggy bank! anyone agree?

Wrong, Nintendo didn't get it right, or even close, the whole concept of online from Nintendo is a mesh from hell. Sony, sure, it's sorta like xbox 360, and they're adding in irc text chatroom-like stuff *snickers*...seriously anyone who thinks that's a great idea needs to get meds, why the hell would we go back to text when we have voice? Or a messaging system.

 

[xXGeckoXx]

yes they did the same thing with their wireless receiver, they didnt include one, then market one for 100 bucks flat (rest assured they make them in some sweat shop in china for 10 bucks) now thats profit

From what I have heard, the wireless adapter has a very bad signal receiver.

It's far easier to use a ethernet to powerline adapter, which essentially gives you the same signal strength as if you were to plug your 360 straight into your router and you can get them for $50. A much better deal IMO.

I've never had a bad signal. I love my wireless receiver. Pricey,but worth it.

The receiver doesn't matter much compared to your router. Get a good router you get good wireless. I have an ethernet cable about 15 dollars in game stores.

 

[ChocoFace]

Hmm, why would a company charge it's costumers for anything? that would surely make them evil, etc.
(do i need to add a /sarcasm tag or are you fine without it?)

 

[Zac_Dai]

I use to pay £40 for Gold Live on the original Xbox and that was only to play Halo 2 online and since that was the only game actually even worth playing then I'd say the 360 live is a lot better value for money.

Having said that PC online gaming is still the best and its all free! (apart from MMOs)

Never had the chance to play a PS3 so can't comment. Wii online feels 10 years out of date.

 

[Wargamer]

now take the 360 where you also have a couple of MMO's on it, along with customer service that actually pretends to help you, unlike sony........ im still waiting for an email about replacing the ps2 microphone......

Really? Sony doesn't help? Funny that - I have only called them once because I was getting error messages trying to install my games. Within a minute they had a technician on saying "that error means the game didn't download correctly. Try again, and if it still won't work check your internet settings or try a wired connection."

Needless to say, it worked second time.

 

[Wargamer]

I use to pay £40 for Gold Live on the original Xbox and that was only to play Halo 2 online and since that was the only game actually even worth playing then I'd say the 360 live is a lot better value for money.

Having said that PC online gaming is still the best and its all free! (apart from MMOs)

Never had the chance to play a PS3 so can't comment. Wii online feels 10 years out of date.

The PSN is free. Free online gaming, free internet browsing, free vids / demos / expansions to download (not ALL DLC is free, but some is).

I've not seen a single 'improvement' the XBL sports that would make me pay for it. That said, I'm the sort of person whose contribution to a 'group chat' is "shut the fuck up, I'm trying to concentrate!" If I wanted to chat with friends, I'd be on the PC... or meeting them in person.

 

[Soigieoto]

They're hedging their bets that you'll be willing to pay for online services. They tend to eb correct in this. They get money, which is their goal.

Fair to the costumers? Maybe not. A fiscally sound plan? Hell yea.

As an aside, didn't 360's used to come with a free Gold Membership card? Like, a 2 week trial or something.

most games come with a 48 hour trial, but you pay for what you get. If I remember right the Playstation network was over-run with hackers [atleast with the PS 2]. dont get me started with the wii, when did playing online not include some form of communication? I know they released a type of microphone, but still, theres only three, if that, games that are worth playing online for the Wii.

now take the 360 where you also have a couple of MMO's on it, along with customer service that actually pretends to help you, unlike sony........ im still waiting for an email about replacing the ps2 microphone......

Uh Ps2 wasn't exactly meant to have online...
Psn is lovely now though. (No hackers) Its free.

Uhh I don't know why you think customer service with the 360 is so good.
For me it was okay, and sony doesn't have bad customer service (or at least from what me and my friends have experienced)
They both are about equal.

 

[Soigieoto]

So my Xbox live gold membership recently ran out, and I am sitting here staring at amazon.com and wondering why im about to pay 50 bucks for another year of online gaming, sony got it right, god even nintendo got it right, but the cash cow that is microsoft is just unwilling to get its gold soaked hands off the piggy bank! anyone agree?

Wrong, Nintendo didn't get it right, or even close, the whole concept of online from Nintendo is a mesh from hell. Sony, sure, it's sorta like xbox 360, and they're adding in irc text chatroom-like stuff *snickers*...seriously anyone who thinks that's a great idea needs to get meds, why the hell would we go back to text when we have voice? Or a messaging system.

He is saying the Wii got it right in the fact that its free... (just pointing that out)


Also the "irc text chatroom-like stuff" is in addition to a messaging system.

(Not saying I wouldn't welcome voice)e

 

[Spirit_Of_Fire]

I don't have live and I love to play games. You don't have to have live just to get a good gaming experience.

 

[ohgodalex]

50$ is a small price to pay for a year of fun. FUN. Not fake fun like PS network or Nintendo WIFI.

I have a blast on the Nintendo Wifi with Super Smash Bros Brawl.

Really? Are you playing with people via Friend Codes, or do you play with randoms? I tend to get no end of lag when I play with random people online, and it's still unpleasant to play with my friends. Mario Kart Wii, on the other hand, is an amazing game and only lacks voice communication.

 

[wgreer25]

I get what I pay for. I'm fine with Xbox live.

What he said. I can count the number of times my xbox has lost connection on one hand (since I have owned it). My PS3 looses connection about every third time I use it. The XBL is a much more robust system, plus it is the most popular (I.E the most people) online gaming service, by far. So you will always find people to play with.