Why is Microsoft not giving Xbox Live free?

[Dogstile]

They charge for it because they know we'll pay for it, no matter how much of a rip-off it is.

You know, plenty of people have done the math, and it roughly balances out to under 20p a day.

How is that a rip off exactly? I can't name many things that are cheaper.

 

[Ferrious]

Steam isn't really a fair comparison. I mean, Steam is a distribution platform first, and a community second. It's profitable because of the money they make selling games, the community services are just to keep you on the platform so you buy more games. XBL Gold is a multiplayer service first, distribution platform second.

I have an XBL Gold family subscription for my whole household and a PSN+ subscription. I prefer my Xbox for online gaming, but that's primarily because the titles I want to play on it handle it better (I want all multiplayer games to have the "Halo-style" matchmaking where I just say "I want to play a game" and it actually connects me to roughly the right people).

Of the two I think XBL is worth more to me. I've had it since it was in beta and never once regretted it. I've had more hours out of XBL multiplayer than any other platform (possible exception of WoW and EVE, but MMOs don't count - I had to pay for them separately). Multiplayer on the PS3 just doesn't feel as smooth or as well integrated. I'm hoping this eventually changes, but in the meantime getting "free" games from PSN isn't so bad (as long as I keep paying them).

But the bottom line is as has already been stated:

The market is willing to pay for it, why give it to them free? (i.e. at a loss).

 

[thelonewolf266]

The reason why Xbox Live arguably a better online service than PSN is because we pay for it. Our money lets Microsoft make improvements to XBL.

That's why even though it costs money, more people are on XBL than PSN. It's an all round better service.

I agree though another contributing factor is that their greedy bastards just like Sony who try to get more money from console sales by saying that their on-line is free its just two different tactics to reach the same end.MEGA PROFIT.

 

[KaiRai]

the real reason is it isnt free is because we will pay for it

sorry but Mr gates loves him some money

Bill Gates hasn't been at Microsoft for a few years. That explains how something as wretched as 7 could slip out.

I think Windows 7 is great! Well....It is next to Vista anyhoo. Certainly beats Windows ME *graphic shuddering*

OT: I quite like Xbox live. It's simple. I played both PSN and Xbox Live round a friend's before I decided on my Xbox. I just found it less alien to me, despite being a PS1 and 2 owner.

 

[Mantonio]

As well as all the other, valid answers as to why Live sucks posted in this thread, let me point out that if you pay them with a debit card for, say, a years subscription, they also put you on their subscription list, and automatically charge you each year!

In America people can turn this off with their website, but in other countries (such as mine) you can't! So you have to ring up an awful service with a bunch of data you have never needed up until this point, to shout at someone who barely speaks English for your account to be cancelled.

 

[Mr.Squishy]

Because it PRINTS MONEY!

 

[Tdc2182]

The reason why Xbox Live arguably a better online service than PSN is because we pay for it. Our money lets Microsoft make improvements to XBL.

That's why even though it costs money, more people are on XBL than PSN. It's an all round better service.

and yet pc gamers have the best service and its costs us even less

Don't make me get the squirt bottle I reserve for when my dogs start fighting.

OT: Because money.

 

[Wado Rhyu]

i got a good idea for this problem. make online gamming free on XBL. maak everything else ( downlaoding DLC, and the other crap i don't care about) cost more money.

 

[SpAc3man]

*snip*

or you could use open office (it,s free and legal it can also read more file types then MS office)

I have it installed too it just so happens. Its nice to use but I only ever use word processors so I am not too familiar with it.

 

[Legendsmith]

This has been debated before. I encourage anyone who sees this to watch this video.

Part 1:

Part 2:

 

[IronicBeet]

They charge for it because they know we'll pay for it, no matter how much of a rip-off it is.

You know, plenty of people have done the math, and it roughly balances out to under 20p a day.

How is that a rip off exactly? I can't name many things that are cheaper.

Okay, maybe not a ripoff if you're okay with paying money for it, but I just think that if I'm paying for online I should get more benefits than LIVE parties and matchmaking MP.

 

[xchurchx]

The reason why Xbox Live arguably a better online service than PSN is because we pay for it. Our money lets Microsoft make improvements to XBL.

That's why even though it costs money, more people are on XBL than PSN. It's an all round better service.

This i can say as a ps3 owner is totlay true
The Xbox has a huge Comunity compared to the playstation
and thats because they have money coming in to it from live
there are many things that i have yelled at sony to make (like a cross game voice chat) but they just cant afford looking into it too much
thats why they created Plus, a service which u pay for, which not only gives sony some research money but gives you certain discounts or demos
the only difference between this and live is that its optional

 

[Di'kut]

Xbox sucks, I'm paying $20 for internet, and another what is it, like $50 a year to USE the internet? yeah, fuck off microsoft, your user base is mostly shit headed little 12 year olds, or at least they act like it. Not all of them are, but a lot of them are/do.

I love how there are still so many PC gamers who pretend that that's not the case with PC too. Makes me wonder if you've ever even played online on a PC.

As has been said a thousand or so times already in the thread, the payment is for, among other things, keeping games online and playable. If I for whatever fucking reason wanted to go back and play some Perfect Dark Zero online I could, sure, there probably wouldn't be that many people to play with, but I could still do it if I wanted to.

 

[Yopaz]

It's because in life, you get what you pay for.

M$ charges less than the price of a big mac once a month to provide a service which in constantly being updated and improved and which provides extensive tech support. This has made it the best online gaming service available currently.

You pay an amount to get a better service compared to other services. Same reason why people buy Mercedes as opposed to Ford.

Steam. Free online service that is constantly updated, got a wide variety of content, such as new games you can download directly. Midweek offers where they lower the price on certain games for a few days in the middle of the week. Weekend offers where they lower the price of certain games for the whole weekend. Both these for all regitered users of Steam, not just those who have paid a membership fee.
My friend's birthday is coming up, what do I give him? A game on Steam, because Steam (and the wii which is also free don't know about the PS3) got a gifting opportunity unlike Xbox 360.
On the Xbox 360 I can download 1 game, but if I want to downlaod another I will have to wait for the first one to finish downloading. If I want to play online the download will stop. In Steam I can download 30 games at the same time while playing an online game.

Valve once said that the best way of earning money is to make it so cheap that the consumer will buy it even though he wasn't interested. Lowering the price of TF2 to 1 dollar actually made them earn money.

OT: people pay for Xbox live because they getsome good deals on games from Xbox live, most don't want to buy a console that costs more just to get free online (which is not as good) when they already have an Xbox. Without Xbox live you can't enjoy the full aspect of some games.

 

[RamirezDoEverything]

Even while paying for the bells and whistles I STILL HAVE TO PAY MORE FOR THE REST OF THE GAME(first strike *cough* *cough*)

Maybe I've missed it because I haven't bought the right games, but besides the DLC, what part of games isn't being included when you buy it? Could I get a specific example of HAVING to own a Live account in order play a game? I've never had that issue and I'm not able to use Live during the summer when I'm not at college

While there is no game that requires pay in order to play it(disregarding the initial 60 bucks), I am referring solely to DLC. Map packs require pay if you want to stay with the crowd with all other gamers, I can't remember how many times my friends are sighing in anger as I ask for the invite.

 

[Pyro Paul]

Xbox sucks, I'm paying $20 for internet, and another what is it, like $50 a year to USE the internet? yeah, fuck off microsoft, your user base is mostly shit headed little 12 year olds, or at least they act like it. Not all of them are, but a lot of them are/do.

I love how there are still so many PC gamers who pretend that that's not the case with PC too. Makes me wonder if you've ever even played online on a PC.

As has been said a thousand or so times already in the thread, the payment is for, among other things, keeping games online and playable. If I for whatever fucking reason wanted to go back and play some Perfect Dark Zero online I could, sure, there probably wouldn't be that many people to play with, but I could still do it if I wanted to.

no it is not.

Games on Xbox are P2P games.
They use your console as the server.

this is not something unique to Xbox games either, Rainbow Six: Vegas and Vegas 2 both run off of a P2P network system too, even for the PC version. Company of Heroes and Dawn of War 2 also run off of P2P network systems when playing the acctual game on multiplayer. There are even P2P programs which trick games into thinking that it is a LAN game allowing you to play games which no longer have any dedicated servers.

What you pay for with a Gold Subscription is to Unlock the Multiplayer capability of your console and Nothing else.

what i think is funny is how well Microsoft has built this pit that people blindly throw money into...

People think they also pay for access to Netflix, Twitter, Facebook, Sky Player etc.
But in truth, These companies are Paying Microsoft to Post their content on LIVE...

You're paying microsoft to use a service that is provided by a company that is paying microsoft so that they can provide the service to you...


Edit:
i would also love to point out that the LIVE program itself is free.
LIVE for Windows has no subscription fees and still provides PC gamers with the capability to play LIVE games online, such as Bioshock 2 on the PC.

just to re-itterate.
All the Gold subscription does is Unlock the Consoles capability to Recognize multiplayer.

 

[Azure-Supernova]

I just threw in Steam because it does everything live does for free to brush aside the usual Live > PSN argument.

So, how's the cost to get a gaming computer (usually around 900 or more US dollars if put together, more if bought already made, sometimes lower if lucky), the hours it takes to configure it, and the cost of constantly updating it over the years to then get your Steam?

Eh, I'll stick with my $ 200 gaming console that lasts for years and only costs approx. fifty dollars a year. Even at five years of Gold, I've only spent around $ 550. That's just little over half it cost to even buy a basic gaming PC. I'd rather take my Xbox Live.

I'm quite tired of seeing people stating how much more expensive a good gaming PC is, do you hail from the middle of the last decade? There's such a lack of context in every argument (and occasionally this goes for the PC crowd too). So here's a little clarification:

Xbox 360
The average cost of an Xbox 360 (Elite 250Gb, brand new) is £186.26 across 8 shops, the cheapest being ebay and the most expensive being Argos. Let's say over two years you purchase a game a month for full RRP at £39.99 is £959.76. Let's also go ahead and throw in two years of Xbox Live and full use of it's features. So a Netflix subscription ($7.99 a month or £4.95, £118.8 over two years) and Party Chat you'll be wanting a headset and an official 360 wireless headset averages at £28.74 (same 8 sources as console). Xbox Live Gold averages at £33.97 across 6 shops. So Xbox Live and its features come in at £215.44.

Overall you have £1361.50 worth of entertainment over two years. Not bad. But then for arguments sake lets say you have to buy a tv (just as you would a monitor for a PC) and according to 10 shops the average price of a 24", full HD TV from a well know manufacturer (Samsung) is £247.74. So this now £1609.24 for two years entertainment, still not bad.

PC

HD Radeon 5770 - Average £89.13 across 8 shops
AMD Phenom II X3 - Average cost £55.36 8 shops
ASUS M4A77TD Pro - Average cost £56.93 across 6 shops
Coolermaster elite 330 + 500W PSU - Average £54.8 across 6 shops
Corsair XMS3 2x2Gb kit - £31.07 across 8 shops
1TB Samsung Spinpoint - £34.0 across 10 shops

Unless my addition is really bad, that's £321.94. Keyboard and mouse are negligible, I'm using a £15 Microsoft Comfort Curve and Optical Mouse combo and I've got no issues. And if you really can't deal with a mouse and keyboard a lot of PC games allow a gamepad.

So let's throw in the average cost of a full HD 24" monitor by the same well known manufacturer which is £163.35. A decent pair of 2.0 speakers will dent you by about £25 max. Windows 7 Home Premium will cost an average of (based on 8 shops) £50 if you're a smart shopper and you can then upgrade to a better edition whenever you want with a significant discount; or you could try Linux. Assuming you already have an internet connection you're pretty much set. Again let's say you buy a game a month at RRP of £29.99 it'll cost £719.76. This isn't even taking into account Steam's frequent discounts and free games and DLC when titles are pre-purchased. As for your headset try out a cushy Logitech ClearChat for an average of £59.43 (across 10 shops).

So by my (sometimes) questionably addition, it looks like maintaining an Xbox 360 and PC over an identical period of time and taking advantage of both platforms features, it will cost roughly £1609 for the 360 and £1359.93 for the PC. Hell with the difference in cost you could easily have a better GPU or CPU and still save.

This isn't aimed at you in particular sir, but I really am getting sick of the misconception. And of course there will always be variables in comparisons like this; I just tried to make it as fair as possible.