Microsoft Ups Price For Xbox Live Subscription

[Gamegodtre]

geting the pitchfork and flaming torches ready......

 

[Conkzerton]

Considering that me and my younger sister get paid for monthly, and our budget is ever tightening, this might be the £1 extra each that costs us LIVE. That said, I wouldn't mind so much if we weren't so poor right now. It isn't too much more, I get it. Just going to be hard to pitch that when I ask for more "waste-of-time-game-allowance".

 

[mattttherman3]

Another expense, good thing I save those free month and 48 hour codes from games

 

[Rad Party God]

I'm glad I sold my 360, I don't have to buy any single month for their crappy "service with shouting 12 year old kids".

Also, increasing it from 499 pesos to 599 is baffling to say the least.

 

[StriderShinryu]

Not a bad deal, really. As said, if you're already paying for Live and are happy with the service then I don't see this increase making any real difference.

I'm totally on board with those who would like to see a different tier of service created that includes online play and maybe things like early demo access or access to the special deals they run once in a while. I currently don't subscribe to Gold because I don't see it as being worthwhile to me, particularly because I view all of the "extra" stuff included in Gold as useless stuff that I'd never use. For a reduced price, however, I could be tempted into subbing just for online play. The thing is, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who would make use of the new tier and MS would see a very large portion of it's current Gold subscriber base dropping to the lower online play only level.

 

[stabnex]

hmmm... I unsubscribe, and they raise the price the next week. Coincidence? HA! I guess I'm to blame! The money they aren't making from my subscription drove them to the brink of bankruptcy and they had to raise the price to survive!

 

[Saucycarpdog]

Given that this is the first rate hike since the service was launched, and that it's a far more robust service than when it started, a small price increase hardly seems unreasonable.

Compared to PSN, which as also become far more robust since launch, and is still free. Even with PS+ none of the original features have been charged for.

Okay, seriously, the comparison was going to happen if it hadn't happened already. But overall, I have to agree with these guys here;

Oh wow your service has grown, Its gains at least a dozen features I don't use and never plan to use. I don't want ESPN, I don't want net flicks, don't care bout Facebook or twitter. If your complaining that these cost allot their is a solution, only charge to those who want it or use it, why should i have to pay more for services that are nether wanted or used.

Exactly, that's why to respect to those who do use it, I am not going to pay for the services YOU will be using. I live in Europe, sure I am not affected but I forsee they will push this price scheme even further.

All I want from Xbox Live = Online gaming / Inside news / Patches & my achievements.

Bullfuckingshit.

I honestly, personally, don't get what makes LIVE worth the money. I don't care if it's just a cent a year, why would I give them my money if I can get just as good, if debatable better, services for free? I don't care about Facebook, Twitter, or Netflix, and especially not the ESPN thingamajig that they were hyping up at E3. It's something called a computer, I'm using it right now. All I care about is the games, and apparantly I have to pay an extra $5 (now $6 depending on the plan) just to access the online portion of it.

I dunno, I'm just getting a real bad vibe for Microsoft's future in this industry. Maybe it's because I'm a Sony fanboy, in fact it probably is, but with the way they're handling Kinect and now this show of money-grabbing (again, most likely bias), I'm just really worried for them. I respect them as a company, but I dislike them from a gamer standpoint.

I agree with these guys.

Susan, I understand your point of view. A $10 raise after 8 years doesn't sound very crazy. But some of us who have looked through the article, instead of look-at-title-then-post, and are still upset.

I just don't see why we have to pay $10. We are just getting ESPN and a kinect video feature. I only ever use ESPN to see if my favorite team won the night before and I'm still on the fence about getting Kinect. Facebook and twitter are useless as typing posts on live takes forever and last.fm pales in comparison to pandora. I will say I do use netflix. Very good service I might add.

I will end up paying the price hike, because I love live, but that doesn't mean I will support it. I hope mircrosoft will let us choose if we want to stay at $50 or upgrade to $60.

 

[Eldritch Warlord]

Hmm, factoring inflation rates since 2002 that's actually a price increase of about 60 cents for the US 12 month subscriptions.

 

[Blackadder51]

Or of course I could continue to use the free and wonderful PSN that i have never had any problems with and is far more easy to use...

 

[Dexiro]

Well given that a lot of people are moving to PS3 now, well... actually they aren't helping themselves here.
Maybe they think they're past the point of no return and want to milk the last bit of money out of the subscriptions.

 

[Jumplion]

I will end up paying the price hike, because I love live, but that doesn't mean I will support it. I hope mircrosoft will let us choose if we want to stay at $50 or upgrade to $60.

That's a bit...contradictory, don'tchyathink? I mean, so long as you pay the extra $10 you support the service as far as Microsoft is concerned. It's like saying "I will buy your ice-cream, but I will not like it!", so what, you already bought it, doesn't matter if you like it or not.

Just saying, if you really don't support it then don't buy it. If you love LIVE enough to warrant the extra $10, go for it, I have no qualms with you. But as far as I'm concerned Microsoft are just being greedier than ever because they know that they can squeeze every last penny out of the American consumer, because frankly we're idiots.

 

[SelectivelyEvil13]

Oh wow your service has grown, Its gains at least a dozen features I don't use and never plan to use. I don't want ESPN, I don't want net flicks, don't care bout Facebook or twitter. If your complaining that these cost allot their is a solution, only charge to those who want it or use it, why should i have to pay more for services that are nether wanted or used.

This is something that has always peeved me because there are plenty of features that are only worthwhile to some. As someone who quit Live because using only the online (even just random/quick, no friend matches) there is limited value.

Those who use and love the service to its full extent, pay what you will because I feel I am one not to judge the entire service. However, that is where I think Live needs more than a flat rate of "use or it lose it" essentially. Silver membership granted me access to DLC, demos, and basic downloads which even then I do not use anymore. It just seems that for online play alone instead of the frivolities, there should be a middle-ground membership.

 

[HaloHappy]

Why in God's good name can't Microsoft just make online play free? That's all I use Live for, and paying, now, $60 a freaking year, is total bullshit!! You don't need to pay to play with someone over PSN or Wi-Fi, so will Microsoft stop being the hybrid of every greedy miser in the history of existence and cut people some fucking slack?!

 

[Naheal]

Why do I get the feeling that this is going to turn into a total console war thread?

 

[Vicarious Vangaurd]

Wait wait, maybe I didn't read this correctly.

 

[ultimasupersaiyan]

I have to pay AU$119.95 for Xbox Live next year? Screw That!!! I pay AU$79.95 via credit card atm and to have to pay either AU$99.95 via credit card or AU$119.95 prepaid card is bullcrap! I think it's unfair to charge extra for stuff we don't get on the PAL Xbox Live and on top of that we pay more for the same damn service in Australia. People will still keep up there subsciptions because of Halo and Call Of Duty but I bet if it weren't for that they would give it for less! Our currency isn't weak against the US dollar and week pay more regardless. We pay roughly US$72 for the same service with less that you guys pay US$50 for more. I am going to complain to Microsoft because it's unfair to gouge Australia for less. Most of you probably don't care but you'd be complaining to if the shoe was on the other foot.

 

[wastaz]

SentUAMessage - I hope MS stops putting those two berks on to answer questions which can be solved with a 20 second trip to Google.

I'd actually become really sad if they cut SentUAMessage. I don't care much for the question, but I like their humour They always manage to make me laugh.

 

[latenightapplepie]

Yay, Australian prices are unaffected! Jolly good.

 

[Darth_Dude]

While this may anger some people, $24 a year isn't alot when you put it into context.

EDIT: Although someone just mentioned above that they have to pay $120 a year....That's alot, but I guess you just pay once and forget about it till the next year.