Why do people pay for Xbox Live?

[thelonewolf266]

You have to remember that Xbox live premièred with the original Xbox and that even the Xbox 360 was running live for 2 years before the PS3 couple that with the fact that a lot of features that PSN didn't have to begin with but does now where already present in Xbox live so a lot of people will have bought an Xbox then and why would change now seeing as they have a back catalogue of games an established Gamer tag and in my opinion a much more active and interesting community.

 

[Shameless]

I pay so I can use online multiplayer.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

A better connection than on the ps3 and cross game chat, as well as the deal of the week and certain demos.

I'm not sure if Live offers a higher download speed than PSN. My friend has a good cable connection and stuff he downloads of PSN downloads fast. I have a slow connection so stuff downloads slow regardless.

If you are talking about better connectivity during an online game, you are wrong. Almost every game is played peer-to-peer style where a player in the game acts as the server. Lag in online games is dependent on the player host (and the other players connections) along with the netcode of the game. PSN or Live has no say in the amount of lag you get in online games.

Overall, I pay for it because I have to, and I'm not that bothered by it. I can afford thirty something quid a year.

Would you be bothered if you had to pay both the cable company and DSL company for Internet service when you just have cable? That's exactly what Microsoft is pulling. And, you don't have to pay for Live; PSN and Steam are free alternatives.

 

[Anti-Robot Man]

I would be very surprised if Sony don't charge for online play on the next gen console. They didn't this gen because they were late to market and the basic cost of the console was very expensive - they used free online as a marketing tool. We can already see them making steps in this direction with PSN+. Once this happens, and you can bet it will, PC will be the last refuge of free online (Nintendo's service is so lousy it doesn't bare mention).

I don't mind paying a reasonable subscription fee for a service I feel justifies it. What I am concerned about is EA, Activision or the other publishers trying to muscle in and individual games suddenly requiring additional fees on top of the basic subscription. They are definately pushing for that, and it will really drive the cost of gaming up if they get their way.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

I pay so I can use online multiplayer.

But why are you paying Microsoft for a service they aren't providing you? It's like paying EA a monthly fee to play COD, why would you do that?

 

[Tdc2182]

Because they charge for it.

But in all seriousness, Online is about 90% of my time gaming. PSN doesn't cost as much money, but when you think that a PS3 cost about 50 dollars more (from the last time I checked) and doesn't have the same amount of support and a faulty wireless adaptor, you are in essence paying about the same.

 

[Sun Flash]

Because I like Left 4 Dead and Halo, among others, and I do not begrudge paying a top up fee of £40 a year to play those games online. Plus all my friends got Xboxes before I upgraded to the current gen, and no one has a PS3. Also, I don't like PC gaming. I know that is cutting me out of a lot of quality content straight off the bat, but that's a hit I'm willing to take.

I guess it just isn't that big of a deal to me.

/shrug

 

[Chelsea O'shea]

Microsoft uses the extra money to actually protect users' data.

this and,upgrade LIVE as often as the do,which is a lot since they add a new feature like every other week.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

microsoft really cares about xbox live users.they give us good protection,deleteing freind requests is easy as hell.sony really does not care about psn users at all.you guys got hacked because the manager of psn said that becaus it was free they dident have to give you protection.

Steam is free, are you saying Steam gives you no protection as well? Microsoft cares about getting free money for their customers. You might as well send me a $10/month and I "promise" to make COD even less laggy than it is now, it makes the same sense as paying Microsoft to play COD.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Microsoft uses the extra money to actually protect users' data.

this and,upgrade LIVE as often as the do,which is a lot since they add a new feature like every other week.

A new feature that has nothing to do with what Microsoft is providing. If Microsoft just gave you a web browser, you could use Facebook, last.fm, and any other sites that offer free services.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Just look at the PlayStation Network and Live.That money goes places.

What about Steam?

 

[Ridgemo]

Does it affect you? People have told you why they pay, yet you straight up come back at them saying it's pointless?

I don't see what your trying to achieve. People can do what they want with their money.

It's not like we're asking you to pay our sub.

 

[Chelsea O'shea]

Microsoft uses the extra money to actually protect users' data.

this and,upgrade LIVE as often as the do,which is a lot since they add a new feature like every other week.

A new feature that has nothing to do with what Microsoft is providing. If Microsoft just gave you a web browser, you could use Facebook, last.fm, and any other sites that offer free services.

we can use FB,what are you under the impression we can't? its on there most of us just see no need to waste our time with it on our console when its on both out computer and phone already.

and we get multi-way,multi-game chat functions,and better customer support,nothing against psn but honestly LIVE is alot better,and the cost is so it can keep running without issues like what just happened with sony,it does indeed effect security,silver members do get it yes but if no one paid for gold no one would have the protection and what not,it all comes down to "you get what you pay for"

 

[Psycho Cat Industries]

Just look at the PlayStation Network and Live.That money goes places.

What about Steam?

Simple,people are lazy,myself included.Personally,my computer can't even run Steam.Live is simple,points out everything you need and lets you go.It may be lock and key but at least you don't have to get a new card of some sort every year or two.Graphics get better as the future progresses and such.Here's my question.Why do you prod at a proven system which in itself proves simple and with little requirement?

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

First I'm going to say this. I play games with people on PSN at their house and when they come over to mine we play on XBL. We ALL agree that XBL has 1. A much better interface 2. Better online features and 3. Better security.

So why do we play for it? We get much better content (usually) and it (usually) comes out first on XBL, it's a better service and if you think otherwise, you are part of a very small minority.

If you still disagree, to quote Yahtzee, "Go fuck yourself, you miserable fanboy twat."

Better interface is an opinion, both work just fine. Better online features? Outside of cross-game chat, what do you get on Live that's not on PSN? Really, better security? Before this PSN incident, you and your friends had conversations about how Live was more secure than PSN when Live has gotten hacked before PSN? It's not like Live can't get hacked like PSN. Live may be more secure but PSN was secure enough where nothing bad has happened to PSN users due to this incident outside of having PSN down.

How am I a fanboy? I said both services were about the same in quality. I don't care about cross-game chat as I have never felt the need to talk to a friend when we were playing different games. I also said if PSN had the same fees as Live, I wouldn't pay Sony for PSN, and I'd go to Steam.

 

[Buizel91]

I pay because i like it's service, and the people who i ring up when XBL is playing up for me are EXTREMELY helpfull, seriously, the guys at Microsoft are probably the most intellectual guys to speak on a help service.

And i know this sounds weird, but i rather like paying for things, cause then when something happens to the service, they can usually solve it straight away...unlike some other Corporate giant which begins with S... who i wont mention on this post >.>

*Cough cough* Sony *Cough cough*

 

[Kukakkau]

Look at PSN... Now look at XBL.


That is all.

/thread

This made me think of the old spice advert

OT simply that LIVE doesn't mess up with user details and you can actually chat with friends via party/voice messages. Wheras PSN has pretty bad user to user functions

 

[Dr. Feelgood]

This is not at all a Live sucks, PSN is better thread, I actually think both services are very similar in what they do and how well they do it. Everything I'm about to say is completely factual.

My problem with Live is that Microsoft wants to have their cake and eat it too as Microsoft charges you for services they don't provide. The FREE Silver Live account offers services that actually cost Microsoft money and resources to provide. Running and maintaining the servers that store the games, demos, DLC, etc. for everyone to download is at least 90% of the expenses of the Live service. And, all that stuff is offered for FREE through Silver membership because Microsoft wants everyone to have access to their store so people can spend money in their store.

For Live Gold membership, Microsoft charges you for Netflix, online gaming, Facebook, last.fm, etc. So, in order for you to have the ability to watch Netflix, you have to pay Netflix, your ISP, and MICROSOFT!!! Microsoft is not incurring any costs of any kind when you watch stuff off Netflix, Netflix is streaming movies from their servers using their bandwidth to you over your bandwidth that you are paying for, Microsoft is not involved in any way. To prove, rather simply, for people who might not believe that, PS3 users can still use Netflix with PSN down.

Onto online gaming, which is another big slap in the face to Live customers from Microsoft. If you play any third party game (e.g. COD), Microsoft is not incurring any costs or bandwidth when you play COD online as you are not playing on Microsoft's servers (you are not even playing on a server as almost every console online game is player hosted) and the publisher of the game is running the game servers that just track stats and nothing else. For a game like COD, the developer puts probably about half its resources into the multiplayer aspect of the game so about half the money you payed for the game is for the multiplayer. On Live, you have to pay Microsoft to unlock game content (online multiplayer) that you already payed for when you bought the game. The only thing that would make sense is if for Microsoft to allow online multiplayer for 3rd party games for Silver accounts, but only allow Gold accounts to pay first party games online. However, Microsoft isn't going to do that because people would be like, "I can play COD or Bad Company for free, screw Halo and Gears" and those communities would be a lot smaller. Also, Microsoft doesn't even run any dedicated servers whereas Sony does run dedicated severs for a few games (MAG, Killzone, Warhawk, etc.).

The only service Microsoft is providing you for Gold membership is cross-game chat so you are basically paying $60 a year for cross-game chat and that is it.

This is why I will never pay for Live as I'm not going to pay someone for a service they aren't providing, it's that simple. If Sony pulled this, I'd turn into a PC gamer and use Steam, which also provides the same services Live Gold does for free.

Maybe because we don't mind paying for it, and like the little features that come with it. I'd bet that the main reason Microsoft charges for it is that most people will pay for it. Could you imagine if SONY realized some people would pay for PSN? I think they would start charging too, but the way it is now, they need to keep it free because its flaws have been exposed.

 

[A Curious Fellow]

Well, we pay to not have our information stolen >.>

<..>

I pay for xbox live because every alternative SUCKS.

Was this really worth a thread? I mean, really?

 

[Radoh]

Simple, the pay because Microsoft charges.