Xbox Live: What Are We Paying For?

[brazenhead89]

Apologies if this has been covered in the forum already, I'm sort of new.
Has anybody wondered why Xbox online users have to pay for their online service, while Wii and Playstation3 users don't? The only reason I can possibly come to is that the Xbox Live community is significantly huger than either of the console's competitors, especially the Wii. But at the same time, I can't help feeling that should the popularity of the other 2 consoles suddenly skyrocket, it would be too unpopular a move for either companies to jack up the price, and they're likely to let the service remain free.
Any ideas? It just seems a little unfair.

 

[Hamster at Dawn]

There is the community thing and there's also all the updates. Apart from that, it's mostly just Microsoft making more money but for good reason imo.

 

[Eagle Est1986]

Well the Live service is generally a lot better than the PSNetwork, no idea about the Wii's one, although I have noticed that Live games seem to suffer more lag than PS3 games.
I dunno, it should be free really.

 

[Neverhoodian]

Well, having had limited experience with Nintendo's Wi-Fi approach, I think that the main reason for Xbox Live's price tag is its dependability. I bought a Nintendo USB plugin for my PC so I could play Super Smash Bros. Brawl online. After a relatively painless setup, I was raring to go. When I started the matches, however, I was disappointed about the lack of features present.

Nintendo's "friend code" system is, frankly, a concept of idiotic proportions. Since nobody I know has a wi-fi capable Wii, I was forced to play with random people whose skill varied greatly. Moreover, there was practically no options; we were all forced to fight two-minute matches, with no control over the items, damage effects, handicaps, etc. Voice chat was absent, so it felt like I was just fighting a brawl with CPU opponents, except I had to put up with awful lag spikes if more than two fighters were present.

After about an hour or so, I went back to check on the USB plugin. To my suprise, it was already getting quite warm. Consequently, I disconnected it when I was through. The next time I tried plugging it in, it stopped working. After a bit of searching on Google, I found out that I wasn't the only one who has problems with it. Turns out that practically EVERYONE who owned one had malfunctions, and Nintendo had actually stopped supporting the product! Now it's sitting on my computer desk, an impotent plastic rectangle that mocks me every time I look at it.

So there you have it. Nintendo's online service, to quote Yahtzee from Zero Punctuation, is a bunch of "bull**** and chips," at least if you use their (now unsupported) plugin. I've had problems getting onto Xbox Live (my stupid computer doesn't recognize wireless modems or routers plugged into modems), but I do know that once you're connected, you're set for unlimited gaming and voice chat to boot. This is why I think Microsoft requires that people pay for their service.

 

[Dosed]

Probably the ability to play games online which when you think about it will take alot of money to run. Although I suppose it is run by Microsoft who probably don't know the meaning of "alot of money".

 

[dekkarax]

What are we paying for in xbox live?
to have pre-teen morons hurl racist and homophobic abuse at us
I'm joking but still, the internet should be free, the only reason I haven't bought a 360 is from the long term costs (online, batteries, etc).

 

[PhoxHound]

My exact mentality when I determined that purchasing Xbox Live was a waste of money. But then again, I'm such a cheapskate that I'm iffy about purchasing Far Cry for 9 dollars from Steam.

 

[The Franco]

See: Succubus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Succubus

 

[wilsonscrazybed]

There's nothing really "huger" about Xbox live. There is a level of quality in their online service that isn't present in the Wii or PS3 online yet. (I am speaking of the present, who knows where PS3 will be in a year?)

I don't mind MS's payment system, even though I've been an outspoken critic of monthly charges for years. For me it's a little thing they decided on early in their development of the Xbox. Simply, I can buy game cards at the store. That means I don't have to incur interest on a card for gaming, and even more importantly; I am really lazy and forget to cancel things I'm not using.

The games I actually play these days on Xbox: Mass Effect, FM2, Simpsons, and Dead Rising. All have a solid single player element. Therefore I am fine with my silver membership for now. The ability to download music videos doesn't appeal to me right now, and there aren't any betas or exclusive deals that interest me enough to pay a couple of dollars.

Next month though, I expect to play GTA4 multiplayer with a bunch of my friends. That means I will probably spend a few dollars and get a few months worth of time. Considering that MS has to pay for servers and support staff I think it's more than fair that I give them some money to enjoy games I like with my friends. I'd be an idiot to pay for multiplayer for just one game that I play regularly. That's why Orange Box is on my PC, and not my console. That's also why I don't buy multiplayer games on Consoles that I can get on the PC (See: Frontlines)

After the novelty of GTA multiplayer has diminished it'll probably be almost time for spore or WHOL. I will then happily neglect to grab another subscription card, because most likely I will be Zombified in front of my computer for months.

I think Live is like room service. Yea, it costs more than going down to the diner. Ordering in is easy, mostly hassle free, but there is no hotel policy that says you have to do so.

the internet should be free

The internet isn't free. Unless of course you're writing from the library, but there you can't look at porn, so really that's not the internet is it?

 

[The Potato Lord]

For me the Fee also makes Microsoft money but also acts as a kind of guarentee that says"If this system messes up we WILL fix it" where as free online says "If this screws up we're ditchin' it." Basically if we're paying for it they're obligated to resolve the problem as fast as possible. But if its free they don't have to fix it at all if they decide so.

 

[Clownilingus]

I haven't played on XBL nor do I own a 360. I'm on PS3 pretty much all the time and there are a number of features so critical to the online experience that are missing from the PSN:
1. Access to the XMB (cross media bar, it sort of the OS menu) during games.
2. In game messaging. We get a pop-up that says we have recieved a message when we're in games. But to access said messages, you have to quit your game, wait a few seconds for the OS to load up. Then go open your message, find out that it wasn't really worth exiting your game for, then go restart your game. Good God it is infuriating. It should have been there on the first day. I imagine if any of you 360 owners switched over to PS3, this would absolutely drive you even more nuts than it does me.
3. I hear you can chat across different games on XBL. Guess what you can't do on PS3? On top of that some online PS3 games don't even have voice chat. What a joke.
4. In game messaging
5. In game messaging
6. In game f*cking messaging.

So it's free. Dog turds on the street are free but do you pick them up and take them home?

I know these are supposed to get fixed this summer but I don't have the faith in Sony to do it right. I'm dreading downloading the update that address these issues only to realize that it's crippled by something idiotic. I don't even know how they would F' it up but I know they will. I wish PS3 had just completely ripped off XBL. I swear I'm the only PS3 owner I know who doesn't think 360 and Live aren't retarded/gay/rip-offs or whatever.

 

[Easykill]

If you can be arsed to, you can get Xbox Live for free. You just need a throwaway MSN account once a month. Besides, They do offer SOME stuff for free. That whole Silver account thing.

 

[Frapple]

I gladly pay the £30-40 a year, it's like 5p/week and is much, MUCH better than anything else I've tried, and with Nintendo trying charge for that excuse for an online, we're getting an awesome deal.

 

[[HD]Rob Inglis]

I think it's just the fact that they are jerks willing to take advantage of consumer demand.

 

[Jumplion]

I haven't played on XBL nor do I own a 360. I'm on PS3 pretty much all the time and there are a number of features so critical to the online experience that are missing from the PSN:
1. Access to the XMB (cross media bar, it sort of the OS menu) during games.
2. In game messaging. We get a pop-up that says we have recieved a message when we're in games. But to access said messages, you have to quit your game, wait a few seconds for the OS to load up. Then go open your message, find out that it wasn't really worth exiting your game for, then go restart your game. Good God it is infuriating. It should have been there on the first day. I imagine if any of you 360 owners switched over to PS3, this would absolutely drive you even more nuts than it does me.
3. I hear you can chat across different games on XBL. Guess what you can't do on PS3? On top of that some online PS3 games don't even have voice chat. What a joke.
4. In game messaging

I know these are supposed to get fixed this summer but I don't have the faith in Sony to do it right. I'm dreading downloading the update that address these issues only to realize that it's crippled by something idiotic. I don't even know how they would F' it up but I know they will. I wish PS3 had just completely ripped off XBL. I swear I'm the only PS3 owner I know who doesn't think 360 and Live aren't retarded/gay/rip-offs or whatever.

Hey, even i admit that the Xbox Live service is the best one so far (though i've only played about 7 online battles so far)

I agree with most of your points there, especially the messaging one. Though i don't have to many PSN friends so far, it's not much of a problem, but when they spam my message box it is really annoying.

 

[Kogarian]

For the past couple of hours, I've been trying to get onto CoD4 and get the new maps. However, it won't let me download the updates for the game and the Market Place wouldn't come up (I was told to try again later). I've checked my internet connection, and everything tests out normal. Right now I'm pissed off because my friends can get on fine, but I won't let me.

That being said, I still think the Live service is currently the best and is worth paying for. I think they could stand to charge a little less, especially since the company already makes such large profits. But I still like it overall.

 

[stompy]

I think that its all about consumer demand. People are willing to pay for Xbox Live, so Microsoft charges. If people don't pay, then Microsoft won't charge. Oh, and all that jazz 'bout being able to download movies.

I suppose I would like it if Silver could play online, but it was nerfed, kinda like PSN. As a gold member though, you get extras, like the ability to download stuff earlier, and so on. It would be nice, but most likely not gonna happen (see paragraph above).