It’s Time for Xbox Live Gold to Be Free

Gizmodo - If you didn't catch Microsoft's press conference at E3 today, here's a brief recap: game, game, XBOX LIVE CONTENT STREAMING SPORTS MUSIC APPS, South Park game, exeunt. The message was clear: streaming services aren't just the sideshow anymore; they've got a spot in the main tent right alongside Master Chief.

As of today, the Xbox 360 is officially one of the best set-top boxes in the world. So you know what? It's time to start acting like one.

Hulu Plus. Netflix. MLB.tv. Amazon Instant Video. Last.fm. Crackle. ESPN. Even before today's additions of NBA League Pass and NHL streaming, Microsoft's Xbox Live Gold offering more than held its own against top-tier streaming boxes like Roku and Apple TV. The console costs twice as much as those two, sure, but it's also a video game/DVD player and a Windows Media Center powerhouse. Totally worth it.

[WayneKerr]

Been on Xbox live over 8 years now, Made some fantatic friends, had some great arguments, 1000s of fantastic experiences.

I will continue to pay for it because the Quality of the unified experience cannot/has not been replicated anywhere else.

But I do think it should be free, Especially with all the advertisement that’s going on now.

I only use my Ps3 for exclusives, I really think PSN is pretty poor, I could argue that LIVE on the original XBOX was a better quality experience than the current PSN-

• Game invites from the start
• Clear comms
• Voice messaging
• 8 was dash chat
• In-game music
• DLC….Maybe not a good thing

If Sony get its online together next gen, I might move over to PlayStation as my main console. As a core gamer I’m stating to feel let down by MS, Only Live keeps me
& many others there.

[dangert12]

''I really think PSN is pretty poor, I could argue that LIVE on the original XBOX was a better quality experience than the current PSN''

You can't be serious SMH

On topic:
I don't think xbox live Is worth a damn penny In comparison to other gaming offerings what people need to remember Is these ''Gold features'' are only possible because It Is included In the hardware you payed for...you are not getting a good deal out of it because if you're xbox could hook up to psn it would be possible they are making you pay extra to allow you to use you're console to its full potential and yearly too

Just because MS have cut of the console full potential unless you pay them does not mean it is worth paying for...or that would mean the system It's self was never worth buying lol

I agree xbox live should be free but I don't care too much as I don't own one for this very reason

[MAJ0R]

Well I know were arguing about console services here, but Steam beats the hell out of paying $60 a year for Live, and it's FREE.

The features in live do not justify the pricing, no matter which way you spin it.

[HammadTheBeast]

@ Major

Steam is undoubtedly the best, but that's against the likes of Origin and other PC ones.

[blitz0623]

You could list down tons of features Live has that PSN doesn't and it won't change the fact that the main reason people buy Live is because their friends have it. Do you actually pay the $60 to use the awesome features of Live that PSN doesn't?

The most used feature is online play with a party of friends and voice chat - a very basic feature that the FREE PSN service has.

[da_2pacalypse]

I won't lie, I agree with what this article is saying. I would switch to sony's service if they had a chat system (which they don't). That's really the only thing that keeps me and my gaming friends coming back, because we can't have the same experience on the PS3.

These apps need to be free, and in addition, they need to be available in counties other than the states. Us Canadians are getting ripped off -_-

[kreate]

The main problem here is that ppl forget there are features psn has that xbl doesnt. and vice versa.

psn is definately worth it cuz its free. its worth it for everyone. xbl gold is worth it for some ppl.

[dangert12]

@Shepherd 214

I haved an xbox I had It before I had a Ps3 and I thought paying ....was worth it UNTIL i actually got a ps3.

So what there Is no party chat I can still talk to the people I'm playing games with and If I'm playing single player I like a good story so I don't need anyone talking over it etc

[gaffyh]

If Microsoft made online gameplay free on XBL Silver, Gold subscriptions would drop 90% easily. Nobody cares about the extra features, they just want to play their damn games online.

[krisq]

Spot on! Bubble.

[Shepherd 214]

Dangert12

Im pretty sure if i switched to only PS3 the only thing that would happen is that i would miss talking to my friends, something i do almost every night. If my friend was playing shadows of the damned, id be shit out of luck for awhile. and who really needs to pay attention to that game, or any game for that matter unless its your first time playing it? You're being stubborn, if multiple players talking to each other in multiple games was a stupid idea, then me, all my friends, and hundreds of thousands of others wouldn't do it. Im not going to play Resonance of Fate(does it even have MP?) just to talk to my friend. Im just not going to do it and theres no need to pay attention to its story too much anyway, that game is all about difficulty and combat, so I've heard. Plus if 3 or more friends DO want to play the same game, we all can join a party together to easily and smoothly plan it out. And if you don't want to play games while in a party and sit there in the dark by yourself, you can! its a win/win, i don't see the problem here.

I would never dream of talking in a party while playing Mass Effect my first time, but for my second and third playthroughs I'm intelligent enough to pay attention while I'm talking a bit to friends about tons of things. Party chat is an incredibly useful feature and you cant refute that.

[insomnium2]

@shepherd

Me thinks you are about 17-22 years old.

Kids and their voice chat... smh. MS really hit the jackpot with these kids.

[KillerBBs]

Do not make it free. I don't want MicroSofty to lower there standards and whats the point of banning these little sh!t talking teens if the account is free.
I have no problem jewing up for XBOX live.

[nukeitall]

What people seem to miss completely is that Xbox Live isn't *just* about features. It's about the community.

If I enter a matchmaking room, I'm far more likely to meet people that has a microphone, and if I friend them, they are likely to stick around and play often.

On PSN, people abandon accounts, don't have microphones and often times play online minimally.

So apart from the unified experience, cutting edge features on console, you are also paying for MS foresight to create a *very* active and social community i.e. people I *want* to play with!

[SignifiedSix]

@gaffyh: That's weird, because a lot of my friends use the apps on live.

Don't see why all you idiots are arguing about some stupid shit. They both have their ups and downs.

Like LIVE for instance. Everything is streamlined and built into the OS unlike the PS3s.

You don't have to pay for PSN to play, but if you get PS+, You get tons of free shit. That right there would be great for us Xbox LIVE members, but MS isn't as generous.

I've been a gold member since the launch of the 360 and i'd expect MS to be giving their loyal customers some free shit for paying $60 yearly..

But in the end, both services are great and I'm happy paying $60 a year although i only get a few hundred MS points a year for a reward.

Enjoy your system and end this annoying war! :)

[PwnerifficOne]

Well I pay $12 a year for Live and I think it's worth that.

[gaffyh]

@signified - yeah you might use the features now, but if those features were the ONLY thing that XBLG had, and online play was free, none of your friends would renew their subscriptions. You might think you would now, but you wouldn't because you can live without them features.

[nukeitall]

gaffyh:

...but without the fees, Xbox Live wouldn't be as awesome as it is. When was the last time Sony did anything with PSN?

Even a small things like Trophy syncing is done with batch processing. What are we? In 1995?

PSN is clunky to use, and anyone claiming the experience is the same on XBL and PSN is lying, or really haven't used XBL. There is a reason why people pay for Windows, even though Linux is free as free can be! It's called User Experience.

Keep your PSN as I want Xbox Live the way it is and be happy there are options, premium or free!

[tokugawa]

agreed wanyekerr lol

i have also been on live since 04, and i just find it much better than the psn. i also have a ps3, which i use just for exclusives as well.

i am sorry kids, the 30 pound i pay for my gold subs on ebay is well worth it. whereas i wouldnt pay 10 pound a year for the psn. argue all you want, live is a great service

[Shepherd 214]

Insomnium2

actually you're right, I'm 21 years old, I'm going to the state police academy in a couple of months, and I don't use stupid sayings like "smh", I though only Facebook goers and high school girls used things like that. Maybe afte a few years of being an officer I'll be a bitter and cynical older guy like you too?

[Anon1974]

You just can't reason with some of these guys. They're brainwashed, plain and simple. The only thing keeping people coming back to XBL is the fact that they have no choice if they want to game online. If you stripped online play out and gave it away for free, no one would pay $60 a year for the additional "features" XBL offers.

And no matter what, people will defend this blatant cash grab. It just makes me shake my head. A fool and his money are soon parted.

[Treian]

"I will continue to pay for it because the Quality of the unified experience cannot/has not been replicated anywhere else." Steam says hello. I don't see how XBL is any better than Steam and PSN. As long as it supports multiplayer, that is really all that matters. Want to talk to someone? Use a cell phone or go out with them!!!!

[Mottsy]

@ blah blah, Are you really going with that, use a cell phone or go out with them?? Lol get real bro. I have both consoles as well, and if PSN was as good as XBL then that is all i would play. Closet your Fanboyism for a second. Sony beats Ms on almost every other level except the internet part. Communication is a must for most video games these days and XBL has made that very easy and enjoyable.

[KeiserSosay4788]

Steam straight up strokes both console services honestly. It also has a party chat that doesn't sound like crap. Plus, easy accessible forums for your games concerning pretty much any issue and in some cases direct contact with the devs themselves make it far superior to Xbox live in my opinion.

[Simon_Brezhnev]

Yeah im a PC/console gamer. Not even their beloved XBL can touch Steam when it comes to quality. Steam is superior and guess what also free. So if you want to be dumb to pay for stuff thats free everywhere else i dont know what to say. LOL

[Campy da Camper]

All I want is to play a game with my friends and be able to go to party chat so I don't have to spend 10 minutes in the lobby muting all the dbags that are screaming and playing their music too damn loud.

[Shepherd 214]

the cell phone thing really isnt practical. Seriously, there are many more things you could have brought up for why Live isnt worth the money than that.

But, its pretty useful to have cross game chat. While im playing minecraft, a game where you dont need to pay attention to story or doesnt require crucial communication, i can talk to my friend whose been playing Resonance of Fate. Our chat party stays open for other friends who are doing their own thing to join us in our bashing of the Battleship movie. That sort of thing isnt possible on PSN. You could still argue that Live isnt worth that, but to me its very important to keep paying and playing over PSN. Another reason is the excellent game deals that Gold members get.

Its hard for some people who only have a PS3 to understand. Ive seen some comments say "why would you want to talk to someone else when their playing a different game?" Hundreds of thousands of people on Live do just that. Its a very simple and natural thing and i never thought about it once until i read N4G comments. Its like having a smart phone. Smart phones are a must for lots of people. For years i said i didnt need one, but now that i have one id never give it back. Cross game chat with multiple people in multiple games is extremely handy. Is it $60 handy? Probably not, but for a guy like me who has only a few real life friends and a gf that is lovely but sadly doesnt relate to games and movies too much, cross game chat is very important to me for socializing, which is why i reluctantly pay for it.

[FunkMacNasty]

@ blahblah346

REALLY!?! So using a cellphone (which is exactly what my PSN friends do for multiplayer on ps3) and making a conference call to a group of friends so that you can communicate during an online multiplayer match is a good example of how the PSN is "beter" than XBL!?!? You say "as long as PSN supports mutiplayer, that's really all that matters"... but it's not FULLY supporting multiplayer if YOU CANT COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER PLAYERS.

Wow. Just WOW. Talk about reaching for straws. Though given your anti-xbox avatar pic, of course you would throw yourself in front of the train to defend Sony and it's single console drawback.

[A-Glorious-Dawn]

PSN and Steam both allow you to communicate with other players.

PSN doesn't have a 'party chat' feature.
but it does have text chat room. which works much the same way if you have a party of friends. And If you have USB keyboards communication is even easier. and you don't need to hear their annoying voices..

Just my 2 cents

[KillerBBs]

I have both and PSN doesnt cut it. sorry.

[Persistantthug]

Because you won't stand up, take a stand, and tell them, "NO".

[xPhearR3dx]

Nope. I don't mind paying when the competitor is a ways behind. You cant even send voice messages on PSN.

[Genghis]

He's not stating that he's too cowardly to take a stand. He just thinks it's a valid service worth paying for. There are a lot of things about Live that are great. Just like there are a lot of things about Playstation Plus that are great. If he and most 360 owners believe the service is worth paying for and can justify it, than good for them. And if MS can take that money and reinvest it into the service, than great! Nintendo used up ALL of their revenue to fund the WiiU. It may look silly, but with all that money invested, I trust them to make a worthy successor to the Wii. Just as I trusted Sony to use the revenue from the PS2 to fund the PS3. I trust MS to use the money made from Live to make the next network iteration prosperous. These are not thoughts of someone being cowardly and not standing up, but of someone who thinks their money is being invested in something they believe in. If it fails and MS ruins the online experience with the next generation of consoles, then that's a lesson for us all. But for now, we have no reason to believe MS won't keep providing a service that we think is worth paying for.

[TekoIie]

look at the evolution and improvements of XBL dashboard since day one and then look at the PS3's XMB... You see where the money goes? Improving the Xbox. Only people that fail to see that are people that dont own one...

Basically if me paying for a service will result in the improvement of that service then i think im cool with that :)

[trenso1]

@xphearr3dx really voice messages are really that important? I don't want to get a message from some butt hurt kid cause I beat him in halo or whatever which happened the last time I played halo on my friends Xbox. Some of the "perks" xbl has aren't that important and aren't worth $60.

[P_Bomb]

@xphearR
Being behind in certain things goes both ways. On XBL I can't check my sent messages, can't type a message in a friend request telling the person who I am, can't see time/date stamps on all my achievements, can't check how many total cheevos my friends have, can't check their completed games at a glance (only gamerscore).

Never once have I cared to send a voice message to someone. Personally, for me, I'd rather have the above options, especially the ones related to cheevos.

As a side, I just find it kinda funny that I always read about how everyone on XBL needs to be talking all the time, yet off the system I spend more time texting on my phone than I do talking or doing conference call 'party' chats. I've become pretty proficient at typing I must say, lol.

[The_Blue]

I Agree. Xbox Live is a lot of fun but I only play when there is a major release of a good game. Like when Halo 4 drops this fall and Black Ops 2.

I also see a lot of deals for Xbox Gold so it isn't that bad.

.

[TBM]

Man Im sorry but im not going to pay someone else to use my own damn online service when i already pay my cable subscriber to use online period end of story. its rather stupid imo to pay for things on live like apps that are free everywhere else.

as all as i have a headset and can connect with my friends online I'll stay using PSN for online gaming. i have NO problems being a silver member on live.

[Blacktric]

"Been on Xbox live over 8 years now, Made some fantatic friends, had some great arguments, 1000s of fantastic experiences.

I will continue to pay for it because the Quality of the unified experience cannot/has not been replicated anywhere else."

Been on Xbox Live for over 2 years as a Gold member. Made some decent friends, got called tons of names. Because I killed a girl twice, his boyfriend stalked me with her, in a chopper, in GTA: Episodes From Liberty City and repeatedly killed me and then kept sending a couple of very well written and kind messages. Tried to argue with a couple of good people, got called even more names.

I will continue to not pay for Gold ever since I cancelled my subscription six months ago because the quality of this so called unified experience can be easily found on PC and PS3 for absolutely free. Because let's face it, no one would like to pay 60 dollars a year to listen annoying little brats and get branded a homosexual repeatedly for being decent at a multiplayer game. Add all of those streaming and music services that I can't use because of the region I live in and... Well I don't think I should say anything more...

[RockmanII7]

Well that's what happens when you get upset about a little name calling. Grow thicker skin and come back. Same with the GTA chopper, deal with it or GTFO. I'm sorry if this post itself is hurting your feelings, but this is the internet it's not supposed to be taken seriously.

[SITH]

You are a prime example of somone who does not now how to use Xbox live's avoidance options. You could have simply opened the offending party's gamer card and filed a complaint. That filed complaint would automatically not let you join those idiots in a game, and not let them join you in a game unless you purposely invited them. And yes, grow a thicker skin light weight.

[Blacktric]

"Well that's what happens when you get upset about a little name calling. Grow thicker skin and come back. Same with the GTA chopper, deal with it or GTFO."

Why are you being so mean to me? Oh God... I'm gonna cry right now.

"That filed complaint would automatically not let you join those idiots in a game, and not let them join you in a game unless you purposely invited them. And yes, grow a thicker skin light weight."

OMG OMG you guys are so horrible...

/s

Joking aside, you people do need serious help for purposely missing the point that I am trying to make to support your own "claims". The issue is not getting insulted. The issue is paying a service 60 dollars per year to play online, and getting insulted and not being able to use most of the services they offer on top of that. Of course I got called names on the PC and sometimes on the PS3 via ingame voice chat or text messages. And I'm gonna be honest, I laughed to most of them. Oh and also, you both are the prime examples of the stereotypical Xbox users who assume that they know everything eventhough I didn't say anything about not reporting them. I did report the ones who sent two, three messages before I blocked them, and also marked them as avoided. So please, take your "super intelligent bad boy" attidues and get out. No one needs to see you try to cover your insecurities on N4G...

[Prince_Dim-Lu]

LMAO at people like you Blacktric...

Nobody forces you to open a message sent by some stranger on Xbox Live. Hit the X button and delete it right away without even opening it.

Problem solved.

Next.

[insomnium2]

It's much easier to play on PSN and NOT get harassed at all. I would HATE it if everyone had mics. It would ruin my online gaming.

[GamingPerson]

Steam has steamworkshop, 85,000 skyrim mods, 35,000 portal 2 puzzles, cloud saving, cheaper games = free.

[Asgaro]

Fucking console gamers disagreeing with a FACT.
This is hilarious.

[NegativeCreepWA]

Does Steam or PSN handle matchmaking for games like Live does, nope didn't think. so. And steam is far from unified like some here are claiming.

[killerhog]

Blu-ray
Text chatting
Video chat
Text and video chatting
Web browsing (drop box, save target as, etc.)
Music unlimited, Sonys own video store
Crackle, vudo, Hulu+, amazon video, MLB, NHL, MLS all before Xbox 360
Remote play (especially vitas awesome remote play)
Free give always/promotions to non plus members as well
First party games have dedicated servers (minus r3 and kz3)
Less cheaters (hackers, glitchers, etc.) ruining online play
Video and photo editing (although basic)

Yup PSN is definitely "poor" /s. But I knew you were a troll after reading, "I could argue that LIVE on the original XBOX was a better quality experience than the current PSN-".

[Prince_Dim-Lu]

LMAO, less glitchers, and less hackers.

You do know that hackers brought down ALL of PSN right?

can you give us a link to the findings that there are less hackers and glitchers on PSN over Live, or are you just going off the fact that more people game on Xbox Live over PSN?

[killerhog]

Yeah *once*and they didn't 'bring it down', Sony 'shut it down' to prevent access. Has it been hacked since? Nope. Now the question is, is the Xbox 360 still hackable since launch? Yup, hardware, software and accounts.

You want facts/links that Xbox has more hackers ruining online? Buddy just play cod, halo, gears, and everyone other 360 games. Go google, I'm not going to hold a blind Xbox fan's hand, when he's choosing to close his own eyes. Xbox is exactly that, a cheap PC with weak security. The only cheating on the ps3 is limited modded controllers and lag, but I rather take that over: lag, modded controllers, auto-aim bot hacks, wall hacks, unlimited ammo hacks, account hacks through games etc.. Go lookup all the game editors for the 360. Go look up how easy it is to mod an Xbox 360 (which I know how).

But I bet if I said, 'more piracy takes place on the 360 over ps3', ya'll go 'where show us facts/links', completely oblivious to common sense and knowledge.

[Eddie20101]

You buy an Xbox 360 game which has multi player but you can't play the multi player game you payed for without paying Microsoft more money. Doesn't seem like good buisness to me. Absolutely no one else does this.

[BlackTar187]

U forgot in order to pay said game online that you paid $60 for you have to also pay your ISP to have internet access so in theory you are paying 3x to play online for 360 x2 to play on ps3.

Honestly you guys i pay for it but that's because i have friends who don't have ps3. I believe you are really reaching for justifying paying x3 time to get to play online. Anyways to each there own but i have a feeling most of you don't pay your own bills.

[Bobby Kotex]

"Xbox gold" is why my 360 has been boxed in a closet for years.

[FunAndGun]

lol, sucker!

[AAACE5]

I was with xbl for 5 years until i abandoned it and went with ps3. If xbl went free i would consider switching back. But all i really miss from xbox is gears and carcassone.

It was rough for me to switch considering games like call of duty dont look as good on ps3. But i seem to have about the same experience as on 360 in reguards to gameplay.

[otherZinc]

XBOX Live works, period!

When a new release hits XBOX, online works! cant say that for PS3.

You get what you pay for!

I pay $100 per year for 4 live accounts (my family). Money well spent.

Live works, period!

[BlackTar187]

Thats not true at all.

Madden still has problems. COD 4 had connection problems. Battlestation idway would drop people 1/2 thru games almost 90% of time.

Actually most maddens are broken online on 360 or have been for awhile.

Other games like Too Human? That would delete your save file in coop and then crash?

Or how about the lag that was in GeOW1 and the host advantage.

Stop making stuff up all games have problems on release for the most part.

[Asgaro]

8 x 50 euro = 400 euro so far.
And then Xbox gamers say the PS3 is a LOT MORE EXPENSIVE.

Hahahahaaa, you guys are funny!

[andrewsqual]

You do realise Wayne they brought the sound quality of headset chat up from 11,000 khz only 6 months ago on Xbox 360, FINALLY? I pity poor saps like you paying 8 years for something that you definitely should not be paying for. People have a better service on PC for 20 years and it was free all that time. PSN had fucking cloud saves before Xbox lol. But keep up with that subscription, Major Dickhole and Bill need another private jet and jewel encrusted pajamas you sap.

[tigertron]

Nice stealth trolling Wayne/Horlicks or whatever you used to be called.

[Waddy101]

It never will be though because Microsoft aren't willing to give up a major income stream for them.

[Shepherd 214]

You wouldnt either.

[davidmccue]

If Microsoft are not willing to give Xbox Live for free, the least they could do is follow in the footsteps of Sony with PlayStation Plus, by giving their users free games each month to justify the charge.

At the moment Sony are putting Microsoft to shame with their online service.

[GameOn]

Youre still paying for those games. Theyre not free.

[PimpDaddy]

Sony is not giving you those games for free. You pay a subscription in order to "rent" the games. If you cancel your subscription you don't get to play the games anymore.

Sony is following in Microsoft's footsteps by setting up a Pay To Play service. They are just going about it a different way. They are both only the equivalent of $5.00 a month. To me it's worth it for a unified online gaming service.

If Sony introduces the features that XBL has that they are missing then I would gladly pay to play...

[Megaton]

It would already be free if nobody would pay for it. It's that simple. The proof is in the GFWL.

[DigitalRaptor]

I always hear speak of people who think it should be free, but don't mind paying for XBL because they think the service justifies it. It's a paradox caused by a hard-to-break loop caused by Microsoft. The only way to break it is for fans to step aside and let them know this. Most PC gamers did just that with GFWL.

But the cold hard fact is that there's no real choice in the matter and the fact that MS has always charged for it means that they will ALWAYS charge for it. That's the loop. Most people pay for it for the wrong reason: because they have to in order to be able to play online with their friends. How can they charge for that simple feature? I've always said this: let gamers play online for free, and charge for the extras. There's no way that this is an unreasonable notion, but for MS it's a revenue stream suicide and another reason why it won't happen.

All I can conclusively say say is that MS better have something rather substantial in the pipeline because next gen, the services are likely to be on par and both Nintendo and Sony are going to be much more competitive, especially Sony since they've got their act together with the online, so MS has really gotta pump out something to keep their XBL fee attractive. If these features are added to PS+ for the PS4, well that already kills the proposition of charging for XBL (you know, with all them free games and all. AND the deciding factor - playing online for free).

Just downloaded LBP2 for free* and about to play. Now that kind of service is worth paying for!

[PimpDaddy]

How did you download LBP2 for free of you're "paying" for Playstation Plus? Better yet. How will you feel if you cancel Playstation Plus and have to give back your "free" game???

[C0MPUT3R]

Actually I see them raising the price in the next 2 years.
.
$99 a year or $9.99 a month.

[yewles1]

Try $14.99 a month...

http://majornelson.com/2012...

[xPhearR3dx]

That $15 is paying for your Xbox 360, Kinect and XBL Gold for 2 years. Don't act like it's $15 a month just for Gold. Please.

[Mikefizzled]

But thats only for people who cant buy the Xbox full price though

[Ryo-Hazuki]

When PS4 drops you will have party chat and online for free.

[WetN00dle69]

We will see if the service will remain free.

[GraveLord]

Just look at Vita. That has party chat and PSN is free on that. It's a sign of things to come. Nothings going to change.

Look at Playstation Plus. That is what's going to carry over to PS4. Great Value and Great Savings.

[wishingW3L]

Wii U online offers tons of services that are way superior to XBL like watching your friends play games and is all free.

[one2thr]

Vita has it (off topic, so its nothing special... Or is it?)

[Kurt Russell]

If that's the case I will move my online to Playstation, until then I will stick with Xbox as it's communication is sadly worth paying for against the current alternative.

[FunAndGun]

lol, damn, they got you.

I always thought Kurt Russell had more principles and stood up to corruption.

"it's all in the reflexes"

[GameOn]

Im definitely interested to see how live will compete next gen and stay relevent as a paid service.

At the moment I cant see me sticking with xbox next gen.

[TheGOODKyle]

This shouldn't have been charged for in the first place. Online gaming should and always be free. Can't believe 360 users don't say

"You know what, we shouldn't be paying for this. O wait generic CoD is coming out again and all our friends are doing it? Ok Microsoft here is $50 for just one year. O wait again? OOOOOOO that's right you increased it to $60 about a year ago. O well, friends and CoD are what make the gaming system"

>.> end rant

[BanditGamer]

prime example of what I said below. It's like we always have to be so antagonistic towards each other. Instead of teaming up as gamers against greedy corps, we turn on each other and spew retarded rants like yours.
Honestly, how difficult would it have been for you to get your point across without belittling millions of people?
Come on people, why can't we just get along?

[TheGOODKyle]

Because the majority of the human race is stupid. it's a sad lesson you learn when exposed to the truth of the real world.

[GameOn]

Its true, Just look at the people on this website.

[BanditGamer]

All gamers know that this is something xbox 360 owners want, however because of the rampant and rabid trolling of the other side (the opposite is true when its a ps3 issue) 360 owners have a difficult time admitting it.
You need only read the above comments to see the validity of my statement.
I tell you, if this were an xbox 360 only site, everybody would agree that they wish Xbox Live Gold were free, I know I do.

[WetN00dle69]

YEP same here! I too wish Xbox Live were free!

[Hicken]

This was an issue long before PS3 users started "trolling" 360 users for it. To be frank, it should NEVER have been a charged service, and 360 owners should have stood up to the practice long ago.

They didn't.

They made excuses(much as they do now): it's not that much a month, it's superior to PSN, it has cross game chat(a feature that wasn't a launch feature). Most of the time, Sony fans were too busy defending their console from the "has no games" and "costs too much" and other arguments, so it's only been within the past few years that they've gone on any sort of "trolling" offensive.

360 users have dug themselves in a hole by continually justifying paying for Live. And now that they're in it, they're in denial. The fact that it's a very plain sort of situation- in terms of being able to see just what's going on- makes it that much more difficult to just sit back and watch.

It's like seeing somebody about to walk off a cliff, and you warn them, and they deny it could happen. But they're walking slowly, so you've got time to warn them again and again; even trying to force them along another path is met with resistance, because they're absolutely certain there's no cliff in front of them.

[badkolo]

if sony's ps4 comes out and matches live, then ms will stop charging its that simple, while i agree ps3 has this for free and it is more then good enough to play online and do much more, it still isnt as fluid and easy and rich as xbox live, this isnt knocking ps3's service but many can agree live is better in certain aspects and up till now was worth paying 4 bucks a month and even I always fealt and still do that paying twice stinks and ms better watch that.

But as I said above , once the ps3 service comes out ms will need to rethink about charging us just to get onto live. UNLESS, ms does them 1 better and add services or features that once again justifies them to charge us for xboxlive again. i doubt this as i dont think sony will make this mistake again and make sure the next psn is top notch forcing ms to drop its price, other then that the ONLY other thing that might happen is this:: SONY enhances their online service so much that they are forced to charge for PSN. then what??

[BanditGamer]

and I really do, I could do without all the extra stuff and just have free online multiplayer without cross game chat or voice messaging.
I doubt however, that many people would pay for the extra goodies xbox box live platinum if they could have the simple Gold multiplayer.

[ChunkyLover53]

I don't mind paying for Xbox Live Gold. One of the main reasons I like gaming on Xbox Live is because its set up so well socially. As a person who does a lot of competitive gaming and recruiting for a gaming clan, its the perfect setup. I can send out mass voice messages to all recent players, put my teams website and information in my bio and tons of other options as well.

I also like that people don't run around with 10 different accounts, you pretty much know who is legit and who isn't.

I've never paid more than $30 for Xbox Live Gold for a year, and I've been a Gold member for almost 7 years now, they run several discounts throughout the year and that is when I buy mine.

Microsoft makes a ton of money through Xbox Live and I don't see them up and saying "Lets just drop Xbox Live Gold and lose 500 million a year" or whatever the amount is that they make.

The smart thing is that companies usually lose money on a new console, XBL helps recoup some of those losses, its smart business, even if some people aren't happy about it.

A lot of people say XBL isn't worth it, but it has a ton of features and a personality that I just haven't been able to find elsewhere. I'm sure I'll get a ton of disagrees, but its just how I feel about it.

[_Aarix_]

I also love how everything is together, the in-game dashboard almost NEVER asks you to leave the session to do something. On my ps3 the only thing I get to do is connect my bluetooth mic, in any case its not that big of a deal, if you don't like it get a different console, simple as that.

[Silkside]

If Microsoft weren't greedy they would at the very least allow basic online play with Silver, but fill it with ads like they have now and no extra services like Xchat, then make Gold ad free and include all the extra services.

It's absolutely disgusting that they make people pay just to get online and play their games on multiplayer when they know for a fact that the selling point for most games these days is the multiplayer.

It's inexcusable and nothing more then Greed.

[cstyle]

live is second to none. PSN is still behind on some features and its not quite as unified as xbox live. I've never paid more than 35$ because you can always find deals and discounts. I have both ps3 and xbox but live is better than psn. Better interface and like i said more unified and it just gives you a better overall experience with kinect.

[Laika]

hmm i disagree about the better interface. ps3 has a better interface imo. its faster and simpler(out of game) xbox is clunky, cluttered and scattered with ads. you may be right about it being unified though

[cstyle]

No way dude...live interface is much better than psn, plus live is much easier and simpler to use and Kinect makes it even more simpler by just saying where you want to go. The ads are really no issue for me. They are in a small corner and you hardly even know they are there until you move the cursor over it and I do believe you can disable them.Live is much better all around and sony knows this. You can bet next gen they will change the look of psn to look something like live.

[i3eyond the Circle]

$60 a year...eh. I guess I'll turn my kitchen stove light off an hour earlier to keep a balance...because it's so expensive.

$4.09 a gallon for gas, 3.99$ a gallon of milk....if XBL was free I could have more bowls of cheerios and increase my risk of getting into a car accident by having an extra 2 gallons per month.

You can get as much mingling on Facebook as you can on EHarmony lol...but EHarmony charges...Facebook is free.

Steam can't stream netflix...why? oh yeah..it's on PC and isn't a console.

I rather pay 200$ then go another year on the PsN its not as good as XBL its a wasteland where games go to die a few months after release in terms of online players.

I can still play Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Kingdom Under Fire Circle of D. (even though people didn't like it) I thought it was fun, Gears of War 1, Turok, TF2, Chromehounds and amazingly find matches with full games.

Some time ago...I had my entire room to computer desktop decked to the brim with Killzone 2 everything and thought it would be a great experience...and it was...but the community KILLED it.

XBL has more dedicated to the cause gamers and while there is no statistic to flaunt on that besides personal experience...but on PsN it just seems people only talk on CoD literally...

[Ducky]

... why would you want Steam to stream netflix? O.o
You can just use netflix directly.

I'm not sure about XBL, but I haven't really found any issues with finding people to play with on PSN. KZ2's server browser makes it pretty easy to find a match.

The demographics of each system is debatable (and often variable), but in terms of harboring an active community, I don't see how XBL does things any better than PSN to justify the cost.

[Nathaniel_Drake]

It boggles my mind when people think they are done paying for the 360 after they bought it when in fact they keep putting money for it.

On the software side when you buy a game 360 owners are paying $65 while ps3 owners are paying $60.

When it comes to apps like netflix 360 owners also pay extra just to use netflix on top of the subscription.

Why these practices just mentioned are defended is beyond me?

[ChunkyLover53]

What exactly are you talking about with software? Xbox 360 games and PS3 games are both $59.90 new. Its not like people are paying XBL Gold Memberships for every app they have on XBL. I usually end up paying $30 a year, I pay for online functions, I don't really look at it in any other way.

I am not exactly what $30 a year breaks down into, but most people spend more a day in cigarettes than XBL costs for the entire month, if your a smoker. Or people drink more in one sitting than XBL cost. Honestly my hair cut bill per year is more than XBL.

People just like to complain, I've never heard of a single person on my friends list or anyone in my real life complain about the cost of XBL. Its usually other people doing the complaining, most of the time its people that don't even have an Xbox but want something to hate on.

[Hicken]

You know what? I don't like spending money if I don't have to.

If I can get something for free, or for a good deal less, I'll take it, because that's money that can be spent elsewhere, or even saved.

So when I hear, "It's only $60 a year," I think, "It's one less game I can buy a year." When I hear, "It's like $5 a month," I think, "That's five dollars I could be spending giving random things to my nephews."

Be honest: if you could take the money it costs to pay for Live, and instead put that toward another game, and STILL have access to Live, wouldn't you?

[KMCROC54]

It's 0.17 cents a day . what are you spending that big load of change on these days.

[ger2396]

Personally I think it should be free, but microsoft is running a business. If they can get away with charging for online and other media content, I say more power to them. That's not the issue, the issue is people have a choice. People chose to buy live, cant blame microsoft for capitalizing on this opportunity.Microsoft markets their products so well they could sell ice to an Eskimo.

[DragonKnight]

I like how this article says "charge us to game online" but draws the line at charging twice for services. It's so ridiculous how MS has brainwashed so many people.

[BitbyDeath]

Even if Sony had the undeniably better service MS would still charge as long as people kept paying.

Will be interesting to see how this plays out nextgen.

[KMCROC54]

Have no issue paying for XBL, will continue to pay for it as long that service exsit. besides have never had any issue with it .

[Nathaniel_Drake]

That's fine pay for x-chat, voice msg, but keep online gaming free.

[KMCROC54]

I will , but can't make any promises.

[mayberry]

I personally buy most of my games with the online component a priority. I have psn and xbl. I do not use x-game chat at all and have lots of online friends on both systems. My live runs out in 6 mos (1 mo free after 360 was repaired under warranty) , wont re-new it because...... .....why?

[Veneno]

There are two awesome things IMO that 360 and xbox live do that PS3 and PSN don't: You can change your Gamertag and you are able to switch between profiles while being in-game and you don't have to quit the game then switch profiles and start up the game again like on PS3.

Its true that when the guys at Microsoft designed the xbox360 and xbox live interface, they really had the gamers' wants and needs in mind. Ps3 and PSN was pretty terrible at the start (no in-game XMB was awful). It's come a long way but there are still features that aren't in the interface that boggle the mind as to why they aren't in there.

[LAWSON72]

Live has been $1 for the past 2 months for me hope they have a promo again on 6/22

[urwifeminder]

Im happy to continue to pay for a stable service with great features its not an issue for me at all.

[KontryBoy706]

it will NEVER be free. stop with this bs. why would they just stop charging for something that's making them so much profit? that's just foolish to believe they will just turn around and say hey, it's free now enjoy.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

I think regular multiplayer should be free (silver) With gold being the premium stuff like crackle and Epix (With better services and deals) we should get free. But standard multiplayer is and has always been a free model. I'm afraid MS won't make silver a free multiplayer model because there banking from making us charge but XBL is convenient.

[Lucretia]

aslong as their are idiots willing to pay for everything everyone else offers for free, then MS will keep raising the price and people will gladly take that crap.

it's like having to pay for a straw when you buy a drink, or pay for the napkins or salt&pepper, then saying its better than the rest because you paid for it.

people don't like knowing they wasted their money so they brainwash themselves to thinking its a good buy.

they pull crap like saying "live is only 5$ a month if you divide it" yet they pay it at once.

thats like saying the 20$ lobster and steak combo was only 1.66 a month for the year.

there will always be people like this so their will always be companies that take advantage of it

[mysterym]

You'll be joining those idiots if sony decide to charge for online for PS4.

If sony had there time again they would charge for online.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

Sorry, double posted.

[Morgue]

People are still beating this dead horse?

[chuckyj1]

MS makes tons of money off of XBL and you know Sony is jealous. Xboxlive gold will never be free. MS stands to make nearly $1 Billion dollars off of it every year or so.
It's time for these Free discussions to go away...

It's broken into 2 categories those that don't mind paying $60.00 (usually you can get it for $35 yr.)

And those that will never pay for the service. MS understands this. Consumers need to realize this. If you don't ever plan to pay for a Gold subscription MS dosen't care.

[xabmol]

Should have been free 2-3 years after launch...

[Lucretia]

you know it amazes me how stubborn people are.

they justify their worthless Gold Membership with idiotic reasons.

Live is not faster, its not smoother, its not more intuitive and doesnt offer more.

the old arguement used to be "But Cross Game Chat!!!!"

2 years ago MS raised the price of Live to 60 for no reason and people still were blind.

Sony released PSN+ and offers TONS of free content aswell as discounts and yet its lackluster to the Live owners.... Im not sure how that makes sense and im sure that fanboyism is to blame

[KMCROC54]

I am not stuborn , have no idiotic reason , it is not faster , it is decent, it offers me what i want, like talking to friends, was not blind to the price increse. yes Psn offers those things, but what it really comes down to is prefernce, needs, wants, choice , for me personaly i just don't like using my PS3 for gaming other than offline exclusive play & watching my BDS.

[mysterym]

We have two 360's and two ps3's in our house. My kids and I use the 360 online constantly - the last game i even bothered with online on the ps3 was pacific drift. Yes it played well, but honestly, we love our shooters and for that you can't beat a 360 and live (halo\COD\MW\gears have kept me entertained enough.)

I do enjoy Sony first party games but don't play them online (i.e. uncharted 2) as multiplayer just seems to be bolted on. Yes i could buy multiplatform shooters on the ps3 but its just a better experiance on the 360.

I've had xbox live for the last 8 years, and will continue to do so even with the next xbox.

Fact is if you are a serious console multiplayer gamer the 360 has to be your first choice of console.

Its dillusional to think that Sony won't start charging for psn at some point in the future - probably when the ps4 arrives - they are losing money like its going out of fashion and will look to recoup there server investment.

[gazgriff2k12]

WHY!

[mochachino]

After owning both PS3 and 360 for years, in my opinion in terms of online gaming lag, connecting to game speeds, finding full matches, etc. PSN and Live are equal.

For most of the incidental but also important stuff (responding to messages, voice chat, Youtube, movie rentals services) Live is a better service. However, Netflix is vastly superior on PS3 and movie rentals on PS3 are much cheaper and MS points are horrible.

My only real problem with PSN is that responding to messages and game invites takes so many steps whereas on Live it's one or two steps on PSN it's 5 or 6 (same with seeing achievements versus trophies in a game). Also, voice communication on PSN can be really bad at times requiring devs to patch it sometimes months later.

PSN is still a great service and is free. Live is a better service but also overpriced imo. Next-gen Sony really needs refine it's OS and make it require less steps to do things and make it more 'attractive'. I don't need photo apps in OS updates I need better game related functionality. Sometimes I get a game on 360 simply because it's one button press to see what an achievement is for whereas on PS3 it would require 6 steps.

Also, it's embarrassing that a multi-billion dollar technology company can't make a decent web browser on a device as powerful as PS3. My 3 year old phone's web browser is leagues better than my PS3's, which is a bit pathetic for Sony.

[allyc4t]

After attempting to play on the PSN, I will never, ever bitch about having to pay for Xbox Live again.

[dcbronco]

All of the people saying it's not worth $60 don't have Live. If they did they would have known that only fools pay $60. I usually pay $35-40. Sometimes less. It's really simple to buy when it's on sale. When PSN is dropping online support for games that are still on Live. I got my moneys worth. When I can chat with my friends. Money well spent. All of the increasing services, I'll buy that.

Stop pretending that Sony doesn't want you to pay. They keep upping the free stuff for Plus until you do it. Free old games cost them nothing. But you finally pay for the cost of all of those servers. Not sure why you would have a problem with that. If Sony fans love Sony so much. Help them with the millions spent to run those servers in their time of need.

[iamlegend9999]

Oh god, a console war has started. (Proceed with caution)

[gcolley]

these articles bring out the douche in people.

[BitbyDeath]

I agree, it is quite funny to see people trying to justify their purchase though.

All these responses can be applied to any new tax.

PS. I'm selling oxygen, please forward over $30 and i'll have you covered for a year.

[HacSawJimThugin]

Both services have positives and negatives, but this constant back and forth about who's better is lame. Nothing in life is perfect and never will be, hopefully each company will listen to its fans and give us what we want or at least something close to it.

PSN needs to get better period and XBL should be free.

[honkyjesus]

At this point they need to look more to Playstation Plus for value in comparison. The freebies/"rentals" Sony is giving away for the same price as Gold should make MS take note.

Except, they haven't yet.

[SITH]

I pay $34.99 anually due to a Xbox live promotion offered a year and a half ago. That small amount is nothing to my yearly income. You people complaining need a new cheaper hobby.

[DiRtY]

I gladly pay for Xbox Live, just because it is worth it. Best service in the industry without a doubt. Better than Steam, battle.net, PSN etc.

And yeah, I played on all those services, including Dreamarena for Dreamcast.

*edit* I make about 80k USD per year, so $50 will not ruin my life.

[Jazz4108]

I own both systems and live is much faster and does most things in one step were psn feels tacked on. I would never pay for psn but I don't mind paying for live as it is worth it and being a multi console owner my 360 get the most use and my ps3 gets turned on once or twice a year for an exclusive as live has a great arcade and great indie channel as well installs on all games. Not mandatory half installs like psn but just convence installs. Live seems to cater t gamers needs while psn really is worth about what you pay forit. With sony going broke I feel if the ps4 is up to par with live then ps+ will be a requied service as sony can't afford to harbor all the costs of online networking.

[AngryEnglish]

Well for me, its worth the $60 just for the party system, ive got all consoles, but i prefer XBL, to have 8 of us in one place chatting while all 8 of us can be playing different games is a major plus point, i hate the way you cannot talk to someone on PSN unless there in the same game.

PSN is great dont get me wrong, its free and cant argue with that, but i dont mind paying $5 a month for a superior chat system, i talk to my kids on there and friends on there, its great, especially as i live in USA, its all down to peoples wants on which one is better, just enjoy them for what they are

Stupid brand loyalty does not mean yours his better then theirs...

[ShadowKingx]

Once PS adds cross game chat it's going to be a big turning point for PS or if next generation games are going to be much higher as we saw with the wii u games.Then gamers are going to look to save a buck or two and right now PS might not have the best services but playing online games for free without a charge is whats most people look for because of the word FREE. Microsoft is going to have to do something about it. Personally i don’t see anything wrong with free online gaming on xbox. they can still have certain services that requires gold. Just like certain service on PS requires PS+

[JustInTlME]

Ive been an Xbox Live subscriber for 8 years and have never paid $50 or $60. I always get my sub for $25 or $30. Worth every penny!

[kingslayer1000]

psn>xbl

-Get Mad

[Veni Vidi Vici]

Do you get Hulu Plus for free with Live Gold?

[juanvan]

No Still need to pay for hulu

[Veni Vidi Vici]

Thanks. Bubs for you.

[th3_d3an]

they have no choice should have been free from the start or optional shouldnt have to pay twice for online psn did it right and after all the free games we got xbox better do something. and the games werent just arcade games im talking blockbuster games. u disagree with this sorry you have been brainwashed.

[iliimaster]

its simple xbox users simply understand xbox lives worth and playstation fans just dont get it i use to think like who needs to talk to anyone? or who the hell needs a mic anyways but when i got use to it going without it wasn't the same experience i use to play the hell out of my nfl 2k on my dial up with a crappy usb keyboard on my ps2 and now i can talk just not text it makes a difference

[juanvan]

Being that the PlayStation had another console before the xbox was released, is what makes PSN+ jump out, they give away PS1 games, and I personally love it. Then they gave away PS3 games LB2 etc.. That was also great.

I wish the chat was better on PSN not just cross game but sound quality in general.
And all the seprate steps to doing things, really brings the bla out - Syncing trophies, updating and installing Disc games, Installing arcade games.

Having owned a PS/PS2/PSP - I was given an xbox just for halo to play with my friends. I now only play on the online with the xbox and offline on the ps3 exclusive games.

35$ a Year - small price to pay for a clear call, and easy operation.

And if ya disagree; take a boost mobile phone, and tell me how making a call from the basement of a house goes. There is a reason Boost Mobile is 50$ a month unlimited, and plans from At&T and Verizon sell just data for 30$ a month - the service is better..

[MilkMan]

Keep dreaming.

[PurplePeople007]

Why should i pay to play with game modders on xbox 360 GTA TBOGT multiplayer ?, when i can play for free on ps3 GTA TBOGT multiplayer that doesn't have any game modders.

I bet that no one can give me a logical answer.

[KYU2130]

personally i think they should really look at the xbox live offerings and move over some of the subscription based services they provide to the regular side. its not very balanced to offer something like youtube access only if you have XB Gold, or even Netflix. Why should i pay for netflix and then have to pay MS just to be able to use it on my xbox.

MS is playing middleman to the gateway when i already have a middleman!!! my service provider.

[nolson10]

So basically the XBOX people are saying it is worth paying 60 dollars a year for party chat and voice messages. Because voice messages are that important. lol. The experience between both is pretty much the same other than those two features and if you think that is worth 60 a year...be my guest. Just remember one thing. Everyone who bout a 360 in 2005 with live has paid 400 + 250 = 650 dollars. More than what people paid at launch for ps3. Kinda funny all of the kids who laughed at the 600 who now have paid more then that.

[XboxInnovation]

PSN is depressing and the community is even more depressing. The only Sony game with a robust community is Socom, or PS home if you count that. I've made more friends on Xbox live in one month than 4 years on psn

[LNDCalling]

How about making some 'real' friends or you scared they they won't like you!!

[LNDCalling]

Yes!

As for XGC if you wanna talk to your mates (real life ones) get off your arse and go meet them for real... If you'd rather chat online than play your game then you shouldn't be a gamer and you should get out a bit more and see what the real world has to offer!

And I appreciate that there are games XGC is useful but 90% of the time that's not what it's used for... it's like people these days have a phobia of face-to-face contact!!

[BattleTorn]

I've, quite happily, paid for Xbox Live for 7 years now.

I think it's worth it cause the cross-game party chat is a feature I would not want to live without. And the download speeds are exceptional!

PSN updates can literally take hours. Xbox updates take minutes, at the most.

Just yesterday, a friend of mine purchase GTA:IV TBOGT so he could play with me. His 1.8gb download took 20mins.
Contrary to when bought Starhawk, and I went to download my pre-order bonuses, and the few hundred MBs took 88minutes!!!

[OldSnakePS3]

xbl fans keep paying for cross game chat and adverts

ill keep paying for ps plus and get hundreds of dollars worth of gaming content

ps plus FTW

basic online should be free regardless of platform

[neversawthestars]

I've never understood why i'm being charged as a consumer $40-50 retail for Gold just to be able to play the other half of my $60 retail multiplayer copy of Crackdown. I mean at the core that's what upsets me. I pay to be able to access content that i've already bought the license for on a CONSOLE. I pay for the privilege to access their network as well as pay for the privilege to buy services off them. I STILL pay for Ads that plaster my once streamlined blade. I pay to access HULU and NETFLIX and HBO GO when its free to access on the PS3 and WII.

I do agree that psn has long dl times, and Live is streamlined to get easy chat sessions and party chats but its not worth the money when everything else is equal and PSN+ give out games. PS+ is now giving 12+ games a month thats 148 games i play for a year with free multiplayer on all games and get into all the betas. Live i get no games and have to pay 50 bucks a year to play multiplayer on a game i already spent $60 for.

To those who say well you just rent games with plus. Well you just rent the other multiplayer half of your full priced retail game with LIVE so STFU.

[neversawthestars]

Say i dont pay for Live and have a silver acct, its a Joke. no party chat no multiplayer but i still get Ads for cheetos on my dashboard and this is on a next gen gaming machine? Psn at least i still get access to hulu, netflix which i dont on LIVE silver acct. I also get Free Multiplayer and FREE games. What free games you ask? DC Universe Online, Free Realms and Dust514. 2 mmorpgs and a shooter. As a gamer your really going to say LIVE is the better deal. Just astounding.

[Elvis]

It's time for you to go to bed.

[neversawthestars]

time for you to change systems....

[Elvis]

Well, I own both systems, so I can change systems whenever I want. SUCKA!

[YodaCracker]

Another comment section where we get to hear a bunch of people who have never used Xbox LIVE nor even owned an Xbox console complaining about the price of Xbox LIVE. Oh, joy!

[neversawthestars]

Please tear down my arguement piecemeal on how as a gamer how LIVE is a better deal on either a silver or gold account compared to plus or basic psn.

[capcock]

Knowing microsoft, they'll increase the price 10$ if they do anything.

[SephirothX21]

Xbox Live is overpriced and there's no arguing about that but it is a better service than PSN. Much better presentation, more features, more reliable and nicer to use overall. However, it should be half its price. Steam is only properly available on PC and Mac and some gamers don't have the money to buy good pc hardware and Mac is just a joke. Therefore, many people see Xbox Live as their best option. Many people are clearly subscribing to Xbox Live. Otherwise, the price would drop. Though it hasn't dropped since Live launched meaning there is demand enough to justify the price.

[Father Murder X]

If you don't want live then don't pay for. People have the right to spend their money the way they damn well please.
How about Mcdonald's start giving away big macs. How about Sony start giving away blu-ray players or apple start giving away Ipads. You don't give something away that makes money.

If the people that subscribe to xbox live didn't feel like it was worth the money then they wouldn't pay for it. You like steam they play on steam. You like PSN then play on Psn. don't worry about the xbox gamer he will be alright. You do what's best for you and shut the fuck up.

people vote with their wallets and guess what they like Xbox live. I haven't paid full price for Xbox live in 3-4 years.

[Hudahudahuda]

You know I support Psn and I would never ever pay for live but everything you said was true. People should buy whatever the fuck they want.

[gamer_70]

It has nothing to do with people paying for XBL, but has everything to do with their choice of platform. Nothing changes here on N4G immaturity still reigns supreme. I can't wait for next gen and the new "pay online" PSN service. We all know it's coming so plugging your ears and going "lalalalalala" won't make it go away.