Xbox live Why does it cost money.
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99% of console games dont use servers and are p2p. So I don't see how hosting servers has anything to do with this. You DO know what p2p is, right?8-Bit_Jack said:
Well depending on how much money you have the cost of a game can be quite a lot and that *IS* one less game (that they doubtlessly get a cut from anyway), and playing games is why I bought the console. Besides the other thing to consider is that you need to pay for your internet (and to game requires a decent connection) already, the XBL fee is on top of that.
To correct what appears to be some misinformation however, XBL does *NOT* require a paid service to download demos, movies, or arcade games. You need to pay points for those things but "gold" is not required, I know because I use the free membership and have done all of those things. I have more games from XBL Arcade than I'd like to admit, some of which turned out to be truely horrible even when I tried the demo first.
In general XBL Gold Membership allows you to play multiplayer, and be eligible for XBL membership benefits like contests and give aways and such. The big selling point to their multiplayer is both it's alleged quality, and in addition to the contests and such that they periodically hold organized events like "Gamerchix nights", and get developers and celebrities to play with the public at specific times. Part of the arguement being basically that if you like think the Fragdolls, or some of the promotional models, or whatever are hot there is a chance with XBL that you can actually meet them in whatever game they are promoting. I haven't really checked out these events in detail since my interest is minimal, but they do spam my dashboard with that stuff as incentives to try and get me to pay them for gold membership (which I might do a month at a time when I get a new fighting game or something... usually I'm done multiplayer within a month).
Aside from the "celebrity game matching" I see no real benefit to this as free multiplayer has been something the PC has been providing for years. The PS-3 has ALSO provided it for free even though Sony is getting greedy and plans to start providing premium features to do the same thing. The basic attitude is that just because something was free, doesn't mean that they shouldn't start trying to wring MORE cash out of the players.
Honestly I think the support for XBL has motivated a lot of companies to get greedy (proving that stupid mainstreamers are ruining gaming more than anything else I can think of). It seems right now that everyone is trying to get people to pay for online. I've heard stuff here and there about companies charging for access to their servers for various games in the coming years, and of course there is the PS-3 thing, and while they say everything you can do now will remain free, I have my doubts that this will remain true in any practical sense. For all I know what they will wind up doing is simply letting you play the current games free online still but any new ones beyond a cut off date will require a premium membership or whatever. Either that or they will create something so integral to creating online that while "optional" will force people to pay to avoid being gimped... whatever, we'll know more as more time goes on.
Truthfully I have both a PS-3 and XBox360. I play games on both with some frequency (though admittely I play single player on my 360 a lot more). I'm not just ragging on Microsoft for the heck of it when I say that Gold is a complete rip off. However since so many people buy it, there is no reason for them to change it. At the most, gamers who want to play multiplayer will whine as they pay the fee. The only way for them to change would be for people to stop buying it, and really I don't think the mainstream gamers supporting it are going to forego immediate gratification even for their own benefit.... Halo addicts alone would justify keeping it a pay service, and there is no way your going to convince enough many of the fanboys to stop playing Halo for ANY reason, even self interest.
To correct what appears to be some misinformation however, XBL does *NOT* require a paid service to download demos, movies, or arcade games. You need to pay points for those things but "gold" is not required, I know because I use the free membership and have done all of those things. I have more games from XBL Arcade than I'd like to admit, some of which turned out to be truely horrible even when I tried the demo first.
In general XBL Gold Membership allows you to play multiplayer, and be eligible for XBL membership benefits like contests and give aways and such. The big selling point to their multiplayer is both it's alleged quality, and in addition to the contests and such that they periodically hold organized events like "Gamerchix nights", and get developers and celebrities to play with the public at specific times. Part of the arguement being basically that if you like think the Fragdolls, or some of the promotional models, or whatever are hot there is a chance with XBL that you can actually meet them in whatever game they are promoting. I haven't really checked out these events in detail since my interest is minimal, but they do spam my dashboard with that stuff as incentives to try and get me to pay them for gold membership (which I might do a month at a time when I get a new fighting game or something... usually I'm done multiplayer within a month).
Aside from the "celebrity game matching" I see no real benefit to this as free multiplayer has been something the PC has been providing for years. The PS-3 has ALSO provided it for free even though Sony is getting greedy and plans to start providing premium features to do the same thing. The basic attitude is that just because something was free, doesn't mean that they shouldn't start trying to wring MORE cash out of the players.
Honestly I think the support for XBL has motivated a lot of companies to get greedy (proving that stupid mainstreamers are ruining gaming more than anything else I can think of). It seems right now that everyone is trying to get people to pay for online. I've heard stuff here and there about companies charging for access to their servers for various games in the coming years, and of course there is the PS-3 thing, and while they say everything you can do now will remain free, I have my doubts that this will remain true in any practical sense. For all I know what they will wind up doing is simply letting you play the current games free online still but any new ones beyond a cut off date will require a premium membership or whatever. Either that or they will create something so integral to creating online that while "optional" will force people to pay to avoid being gimped... whatever, we'll know more as more time goes on.
Truthfully I have both a PS-3 and XBox360. I play games on both with some frequency (though admittely I play single player on my 360 a lot more). I'm not just ragging on Microsoft for the heck of it when I say that Gold is a complete rip off. However since so many people buy it, there is no reason for them to change it. At the most, gamers who want to play multiplayer will whine as they pay the fee. The only way for them to change would be for people to stop buying it, and really I don't think the mainstream gamers supporting it are going to forego immediate gratification even for their own benefit.... Halo addicts alone would justify keeping it a pay service, and there is no way your going to convince enough many of the fanboys to stop playing Halo for ANY reason, even self interest.
The idea that it costs money because "its Microsoft" is simplistic. What you are paying for is:
- The service and mantainance.
- The servers, both for MP and for content (demos, movies, etc).
- The bandwidth to download games/demos/movies.
I know its not perfect, but XBox Live is a service with a significant cost, and the consumers pay for it.
The alternative is PSN, where the users don't pay for the service... The publishers does. The cost of mantaining PSN is transfered to the producers of content, not the consumers. In other words, the publishers have to pay to put demos or videos there, and have to pay for each MB of transfer that users get from these content (the bigger the demo, the more they pay). They also pay different rates on the first weeks than the followings.
That is why many publishers care so little about the quality of the games on PSN, they prefer to create demos only for XBox live, or not at all.
- The service and mantainance.
- The servers, both for MP and for content (demos, movies, etc).
- The bandwidth to download games/demos/movies.
I know its not perfect, but XBox Live is a service with a significant cost, and the consumers pay for it.
The alternative is PSN, where the users don't pay for the service... The publishers does. The cost of mantaining PSN is transfered to the producers of content, not the consumers. In other words, the publishers have to pay to put demos or videos there, and have to pay for each MB of transfer that users get from these content (the bigger the demo, the more they pay). They also pay different rates on the first weeks than the followings.
That is why many publishers care so little about the quality of the games on PSN, they prefer to create demos only for XBox live, or not at all.
I never got it either. I mean it doesn't affect me too bad cause I don't play online, so I guess it depends on how much you play online? Also I've heard XBL is less laggy than PSN and easier to use, dunno how much truth there is to that but PSN serves me right and I don't think I've had a laggy match on anything just yet.
The question should be why are you paying if you don't like it, not why are they charging. If I was selling slaps in the face, and you came up to me and bought one....
OP... I made a thread about this once stating all the same points you just did.
The fact is you are 100% correct, but you're going to get total idiots who have no idea how an online service works disagreeing with you. I was labelled a troll and a PS3/PC/Wii fanboy for a while. (Yay for inconsistent childish name calling)
I wouldn't even bother trying to get a decent discussion. You'll either get "yeah I agree" or "omg troll! xbox live rulez!!1" and such.
The fact is you are 100% correct, but you're going to get total idiots who have no idea how an online service works disagreeing with you. I was labelled a troll and a PS3/PC/Wii fanboy for a while. (Yay for inconsistent childish name calling)
I wouldn't even bother trying to get a decent discussion. You'll either get "yeah I agree" or "omg troll! xbox live rulez!!1" and such.
Sometimes it's good to be a misanthrope like me. I don't enjoy online gaming.
OT: Because live is $50, and a new controller is $40. Why not pay an extra 10 and be able to play with millions of people instead of just playing with one other person.
OT: Because live is $50, and a new controller is $40. Why not pay an extra 10 and be able to play with millions of people instead of just playing with one other person.
The xbox wing of MS has only recently made profit. The first xbox cost MS quite a lot, I believe, but it is part of a long-term business plan. XBOXLIVE, along with decreased XBOX 360 manufacturing costs, and improved stability (repairing all those RROD bricked 360's under warranty would have cost a fair sum), are now helping the XBOX division finally be economically viable and make a profit.
Remember, at the end of the day, MS is in it for the money.
Remember, at the end of the day, MS is in it for the money.
yep. dont know how the magic box works to play my games though. dont care y'see. Have better things to do. as long as it works, Im good.slopeslider said:
Yea there's no way I would pay $15 a month for it. I dont care how much I like multiplayer.Bananajoy said:
Well, 360 users pay $60.00 a year (in Canada) for live and must experience ads on their console, and in games. Microsoft makes money off of these ads. The PSN has small unobstructive text ads, and some ads if you highlight the PS Store icon in the XMB, it is free. The PC for most games has no ads, bar steam store updates. I can't justify paying to see ads, can you?
Watch this guy, he's very smart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyq5yu3_dGQ&feature=sub
I'm willing to pay for something that works. PSN= general failure.
Sorry, I do have PSN and XBL and I prefer XBL because I have VERY few problems with it.
I'm willing to pay for something that WORKS.
Please watch this video before you make judgements.
I own all consoles, I don't love a console more than the other, the 360 has weakness and the PS3 has weakness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyq5yu3_dGQ&feature=sub
I'm willing to pay for something that works. PSN= general failure.
Sorry, I do have PSN and XBL and I prefer XBL because I have VERY few problems with it.
I'm willing to pay for something that WORKS.
Please watch this video before you make judgements.
I own all consoles, I don't love a console more than the other, the 360 has weakness and the PS3 has weakness.
I have not paid for XBL since it is a large expense to play with people I don't know and aren't friends with and I have TWC and lately my internets have been sucking. But I've watched others on XBL and saw how frustrated they were dealing with the random morons, asswipes, and assorted douchemuffins that seem to frequent games that are popular on the service.
Remember though, there are still MP games that work off of one system or via a system link. Try that instead unless you don't have friends near you with a 360.
Remember though, there are still MP games that work off of one system or via a system link. Try that instead unless you don't have friends near you with a 360.
xbox live costs money for 5 specific reasons:
#1: they charge to cover the cost of running the xbox live services, such as their online servers, voice chat, cross game chat, the party system, the friend system, facebook, zune video, last.fm, etc.
#2: to cover the cost of production of each system, so that they actually get a profit when someone buys an xbox 360, unlike sony who is still losing money for every ps3 produced.
#3: you are basically paying for a more cohesive and well put together online experience. sure, the ps3's online is free, but it isn't as reliable, and you don't have as many options as you do on xbox live, such as a party/friend system.
#4: the point in having a paid online experience is so that they can pay to do maintenance and keep the servers running efficiently, like what blizzard does with WoW.
#5: xbox live is only $50 a year... are you really that cheap?
#1: they charge to cover the cost of running the xbox live services, such as their online servers, voice chat, cross game chat, the party system, the friend system, facebook, zune video, last.fm, etc.
#2: to cover the cost of production of each system, so that they actually get a profit when someone buys an xbox 360, unlike sony who is still losing money for every ps3 produced.
#3: you are basically paying for a more cohesive and well put together online experience. sure, the ps3's online is free, but it isn't as reliable, and you don't have as many options as you do on xbox live, such as a party/friend system.
#4: the point in having a paid online experience is so that they can pay to do maintenance and keep the servers running efficiently, like what blizzard does with WoW.
#5: xbox live is only $50 a year... are you really that cheap?