110°

On the Concept of Subscriptions

As more companies make the transition to web-based services, certain fees arise that have to be covered somehow. There’s hosting, server usage, advertising, and sundry other expenses. In-your-face advertisements and pop-ups are much easier to avoid now, but that in itself can make things harder for a web site or business looking to turn a profit. As gamers, most people are no strangers to the concept of subscriptions. The internet is littered with pay-to-play games, and big titles like World of Warcraft and EVE require a monthly fee. On top of this, services like Xbox Live and Playstation Plus are in place to offer something a little more robust to the people out there willing to pay a subscription.

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kokugamer.com
Ziriux5014d ago

I think their both great service, although, PSN peeps are fortunate enough not to have to listen to a lot of little kids on XBL. I do prefer XBox online a bit more, but the sheer amount of great singleplayer games on the PS3 overthrow the online gaming on the 360.

VINNIEPAZ5014d ago

Guess all the PS3 kids are trying to rape girls on HOME

ZombieAutopsy5014d ago

Rape is never funny NEVER!!

ThanatosDMC5014d ago (Edited 5014d ago )

If it's rape play with your gf... yes it is! Though she did knee me in the nuts by accident one time. Now, that wasnt funny but she couldnt help laughing.

LordMarius5014d ago (Edited 5014d ago )

Every single match I played today in Uncharted 2 there was a stupid kid screaming in my ear -__-

Colonel-Killzone5014d ago

I usually tend to mute everybody except my friends.

GamingForever5014d ago

Wii needs something like this too...

Cinotix5014d ago

Oh the system is weak to handle such big loads of MP features, you'll never see a 16 player online game on the Wii.

Funqy5014d ago

Subscriptions done right are a good idea IMO, but there should always be a free, lesser-privileged option for the sake of accessibility and variety IMO.

Carnage12905014d ago

I definitely prefer the stuff Xbox offers me even if I have to pay for it. Well worth the money to me, can definitely see a case for it not being worth it to someone but I don't mind paying.

Ziriux5014d ago

Yea that's the same way I feel to be honest with you. I love the dashboard, the features, and free DLC at times.

5014d ago Replies(4)
Colonel-Killzone5014d ago (Edited 5014d ago )

They are both completely different.

PS+ is a Subscription of discounts free games and also access to betas and demos earlier etc.

Live Subscription is built on actually paying to play on. Which is why people pay for the sole reason of going online to play. The features and stuff is nice on live but I doubt thats why people pay for it in my opinion. Then again to each is their own some might actually pay then to just play online.

rdgneoz35014d ago (Edited 5014d ago )

Yep, love how people don't understand that PS+ and Live are completely different things. Subscription for discounts/free games, themes, avatars/access to betas & demos Vs subscription to play online with others. If you want to play online on the 360, you have to pay for Live. PS+ is optional. Some may like it (I saved like $30 from first month alone) and others might not get any value from it at all since they have the things already. Though if KZ3 and DCUO give beta invites to PS+ users I can see alot people getting it. And as you said, to each their own.

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70°

Ar Tonelico Qoga: Knell Of Ar Ciel Retro Review – Love Conquers All

Gary Green said: You’ll be forgiven if you haven’t heard of the Ar Tonelico trilogy. The previous two games arrived so late in the PS2’s life-cycle that they simply went unnoticed. While most were tinkering with their shiny new PS3s, Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia and Ar Tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica were being ‘returned to sender’ by your local Game stores. Luckily, you won’t need to have played them to understand and appreciate this third and final chapter, Qoga (pronounced k-yoga) tells the story of a racial war between humans and Reyvateils, a breed of biologically produced female cyborgs capable of reproduction, while still having a digital mind.

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pslegends.com
Giga_Gaia1h ago

Oh my god. I kinda wish this would get a remaster on PS5, it would be awesome. One of my favorite games on PS3.

That and 3D Dot Game Heroes. It's a shame that some stuff is stuck on PS3.

60°

Pacific Rim Pinball comes to Pinball FX

This could be fun as they make great tables. Go big or go extinct. Prime your senses for a neural handshake and step into the cockpit of a Jaeger. It is on you to cancel the apocalypse when Pacific Rim Pinball comes to Pinball FX on May 16.

280°

Microsoft’s Surface and Xbox hardware revenues take a big hit in Q3

Microsoft just posted the third quarter of its 2024 fiscal financial results. The software maker made $61.9 billion in revenue and a net income of $21.9 billion during Q3. Revenue is up 17 percent, and net income has increased by 20 percent.

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theverge.com
darthv721d 4h ago

Xbox content + services up 62% while hardware down 31%... seems about right with the way they tout you don't need the hardware to play. People can play on their phones or smart tv or other means. I don't hardly play on my consoles directly since getting devices like the logitech g-cloud and ps portal. Which is to also say I have been playing more digital than physical because of these devices.

solideagle15h ago

you should apply in MS PR team buddy, I think you will do a great job in my humble opinion :)

Sonic188113h ago

I thought darthv72 and Obscure_Observer already work for Microsoft 🤔

dveio12h ago

MS: "Xbox services and content without AB up 1%, with AB up 62%. Hardware down 31%. In total a loss of 350 mill."

darthv72: "Seems about right."

MS: "Excuse m ..."

darthv72: "I don't hardly play on my consoles directly."

MS:

Lightning778h ago

What he said was facts. How he plays games is no concern of you. Don't get too mad about it.

Cacabunga15h ago

I can tell people like you are an absolute minority..

If service is up means their fans and fanboys accepted this model and subscribed to it. The near future you will see a big decline because the service is saturated.

darthv721h ago

to you it may seem like the minority... but your bubble is shrinking because more and more are following suit. convenience is a hell of a drug and its also why physical sales only amount to 30% of overall game sales. times are changing, you either get with them or you get left behind.

shinoff218314h ago

But that's been ms for years. When things aren't going their way they try to change the way things are said. For instance console sales are down, they stop telling how many sold instead telling us how many hours spent in halo or headshots. So it makes sense console sales down just say people are playing on more devices then previous. What they won't say is how many xbox players jumped ship to ps5.

Cacabunga13h ago

Hardware sales are so bad that Sony and Nintendo are blowing the sales off the water with their hardware.

If Xbox are losers, others aren’t..
Xbox already tried everything with Xbox live then subscriptions went down so much that they had to find something else. Their fans subscribed then reached saturation rather quickly.

Hardware and exclusive games is where it’s at! Keep gamers excited, announce decent software and people will support you

itsmebryan9h ago

@shin
Well keep it simple Sony 's operating income is down 26% and Microsoft's is up 32%. No MS spin there, just facts. 😉
Cheers

S2Killinit2h ago

MS is after diminishing consoles as a medium. They want to destroy this market because they couldnt win. MS’s vision is to dissolve console gaming.

romulus238h ago

Odd that a company that touts you dont need the hardware to play is already touting another console in the works.

darthv728h ago

They are not reliant on the HW but still want to maintain a presence (no matter how small) is a good thing. It shows commitment to the craft. It reminds me of SNK and how they made games for their own hardware (Neo Geo) while also making them for others because they knew there was a market to do so. They knew they would sell more to others but also sell to their own niche fan base.

TheEroica1h ago(Edited 1h ago)

Perfectly reasonable post down voted by insecure corporation friendly folk.... But not gamers. Real gamer want accessibility and ease of acquisition for all.... Company shills are the only ones still telling us that hardware locking people from games is good for us.

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purple10118h ago

Xbox hardware revenue tanks to lowest point of Xbox Series generation

Profchaos17h ago

I'm not surprised surface is struggling they aren't relevant anymore

DOMination-7h ago

In the last two years they've started exiting the consumer market altogether. All of the newest Surface products are business models only. They can't seem to work out what they want to do with it.

XBManiac17h ago

Too expensive hardware when others offer the same or more for less? Good work, Green Team.

SimpleDad16h ago(Edited 16h ago)

"Despite some early successes for Xbox games on rival platforms, Xbox hardware is down by a massive 31 percent this quarter."
"Without Activision Blizzard, Microsoft’s overall gaming revenue would have actually declined this quarter."
"Xbox content and services would have only been up a single percent without Activision Blizzard..."
"It looks like next quarter is going to be a similar story for gaming at Microsoft, too."

That is crazy... so A/B/K is carrying the whole Xbox gaming.
Oh and Microsoft will be fine. Windows, Office and Cloud are growing with each pc purchase.

purple10116h ago

Activision: "we gonna need a bigger rucksack/backpack please"

Microsoft: "why's that"

Activision: "to carry yo' weak ass'

Profchaos15h ago(Edited 15h ago)

Top brass have also wanted to start seeing returns on the 100 billion they have put into various Xbox related moves so seeing more multiplatform games is highly likely especially from abk

It's basically saying that PlayStation is the reason Xbox is afloat right now thinks to Ps5 versions of COD

Kornholic14h ago

So basically PS and PC gamers' money is keeping Xbox on life support.

MrDead7h ago

The only growth MS will get out of the console industry is if it supports it's rivals platforms. Xbox is a pointless machine now. I can see them on a big push for live next, and they won't give up on trying to buy Steam.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 7h ago
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