Poll: Should Xbox Live Be Free?

Recommended Videos

The_Echo

New member
Mar 18, 2009
3,253
0
0
If Xbox Live was free, I would actually buy one. It's really the only thing keeping me from doing so.
 

Spirultima

New member
Jul 25, 2008
1,464
0
0
Im sure i sound like a fanboy, but i speak truthfully...Microsoft go for instant cash, making you PAY for your online because online is what people want.

Sony on the other hand make you pay for the package, and that includes free internet of course, its one of the three main reasons i don't own a 360 any more, I'm not forking out £60 for a wireless adapter, paying for games and the console, THEN have to pay for going online.
 

Scarecrow38

New member
Apr 17, 2008
693
0
0
I think it's wierd for a console to boast player connecitivity and online play... and then to mumble "for a nominal fee". In my eyes, it's just one more reason why PC is better. I shouldn't have to pay for something I can get for free on a gaming system with more games.
 

Coldsnap

New member
Oct 24, 2008
95
0
0
Microsoft is a company, a companies base goal is to make money.

If they feel they can charge you for something and you will pay for it, they will. It would take a huge drop of profits and user-base to make them alter their decision about charging for their service.
 

Xanadu84

New member
Apr 9, 2008
2,946
0
0
If they could make it free, and eliminate one of the largest reasons people get a PS3 instead of a 360, they would. So apparently, they can't do it. Congrats to Sony for makeing there online free, good luck to Microsoft in improving Live, and we consumers will try to pick through all of this to find out what's best for us.
 

Rensenhito

New member
Jan 28, 2009
498
0
0
The thing is that Microsoft has SO many other sources of income that making Xbox Live free should be no hassle at all. Like someone else pointed out, you still have to pay for Microsoft Points and other stuff like that, so even if they're not cashing in on subscriptions, they're cashing in on downloads. That, combined with the HUMONGOUS amount of advertising on Live, should more than cover the cost of server maintenance while feeding the entire continent of Africa for seventy years.
 

BolognaBaloney

New member
Mar 17, 2009
2,672
0
0
No, because we pay for xbl, we get a better online service for it. PSN is decent, because it's free. But xbl is far more fleshed out, and better maintained, because we pay them to keep it so.
 

Coolness

New member
Nov 4, 2008
125
0
0
I think it should be a choice. You can pay and be ad-free, or you can have the same services for free, but have be swamped by enough ads to make up the difference from you not paying.

And that's probably a lot of the ads.
 

orangebandguy

Elite Member
Jan 9, 2009
3,117
0
41
Yes, it should then I might use it. It's bad enough having to pay for broadband and the stupidly overpriced network adaptor to then have to pay for Live too.
 

megapenguinx

New member
Jan 8, 2009
3,865
0
0
Although I hate the necroing of this thread, I'll join in on the discussion
phar said:
Yeah sure the servers cost money but when was the last time you had to pay to game on any other platform. They could easily swap ads for paying and no one will ever notice.

They easily absorb the cost in sales anyway.
See thing is, Live has advertisements already. They're on the dashboard when you log in. There's no real reason it shouldn't be free.
 

MGG=REVIEWS

New member
Dec 2, 2007
558
0
0
I have been playing xbox live for about 3 years now and i have enjoyed every second i have played it! and i have tryed PS3 online and it is always lagging and neally all content cost!
 

Paragon Fury

The Loud Shadow
Jan 23, 2009
5,161
0
0
You know the old saying "You get what you pay for?" It certainly applies here.

PSN is terrible compared to XBL. Poor Customer Support, spotty patching, poor content features, and overall poorer online service than XBL. But hey, its free, right?

Wii Online doesn't charge anything because there really isn't anything to charge for - there are no leaderboards, stat tracking, dedicated servers or anything like that. Its all P2P, and all relavant information is stored on the Wii itself. Wii Online functionally is also basic enough where there would be no sense in charging for it.

There are very few online games or systems out there that go into as much detail and depth as the XBL system that are free, if any.

And besides, for everything you get, you can't say XBL isn't worth at least $40 a year. You get unlimited online play, fast and free patching, movies, music,TV, well-intergrated and useful community features, reliable, if annoying at times, customer service, game content, free community events, and lots of special offers.
 

xXGeckoXx

New member
Jan 29, 2009
1,778
0
0
Janus Vesta said:
Xbox Live shouldn't be free because it costs money to run the servers and keep the maintenance. The have a few million customers worldwide and provide an excellent service. A price drop would be nice though.
This....Excellent service costs and the result of freebies is reflected in PSN.
 

Eagle Est1986

That One Guy
Nov 21, 2007
1,976
0
0
Paragon Fury said:
And besides, for everything you get, you can't say XBL isn't worth at least $40 a year. You get unlimited online play, fast and free patching, movies, music,TV, well-intergrated and useful community features, reliable, if annoying at times, customer service, game content, free community events, and lots of special offers.
The only thing I can think of on your list that PSN doesn't have is the community features, is that really worth £40 a year? I really don't think it is but then I don't like people. Actually, thinking about it, PSN now has Home which as a community feature, beats the crap out of Live's party chat.

Also, PSN now lets you stream music videos to your PS3 for free, they're pretty good quality, even on a 40" tv, and they've got thousands of videos to choose from. I'm pretty sure you have to pay for the on the 360 don't you?
 

Eagle Est1986

That One Guy
Nov 21, 2007
1,976
0
0
xXGeckoXx said:
This....Excellent service costs and the result of freebies is reflected in PSN.
I think a lot of you have a very negative view of PSN, it's changed a lot since the PS3 first came in, it's really not as bad as so many of you seem to think it is. In fact, it's great for a free service.

Btw, I know I'm sounding like a Sony fanboy right now and I apologise but it's only because most of the posts seem to be weighted in Live's favour, I'm just trying to give Sony's side a bit of weight.