320°

Pachter predicts Xbox Live tiered payments

Another interesting snippet from our interview with industry analyst Michael Pachter, was his prediction that Microsoft might introduce a tiered payment system to Xbox Live.

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criticalgamer.co.uk
Genesis55240d ago

Oh Mike just give it up would ya!

scruffy_bear5240d ago

Good old Michael uniting fanboy worldwide :)

ABizzel15240d ago

I'd sell my 360 if that ever happened.

Redlogic5240d ago

hooray!! more Pachter predictions!! As I sit here in my cubicle, I wonder...how come I couldn't get a job as cool as his? I wish I could through sh!t at the wall and see if it sticks...for money!! Ugh, FML.

Lifendz5240d ago

this guy won't stop until it happens. Mike, sorry but this is yet another prediction of yours that just doesn't seem likely. So you can either keep making the prediction and appear more foolish, or you can admit you got it wrong and move on. Tiered payments of 30 bucks every quarter, ten bucks a month, just stop it already.

Chubear5240d ago (Edited 5240d ago )

You tell me, when MS introduces a $100 per year model for Live just in time to play Halo Reach MP, do you really think the 360 base will not pay that to play halo reach online?

Please, it's only 8 bucks a month and you'll get additional feature you dont' have today too.

One of the tiers will be that you could play online but you won't have your stats tracked. You just pay to have the privilege of playing online. You'll see soon enough.

boodybandit5240d ago (Edited 5240d ago )

there isn't a game made I would pay $100 dollars a year to play online. If MS raises the price I will walk away the minute my account expires.

SilentNegotiator5240d ago

Unfortunately, I wouldn't see MS struggling much from making it that high. People would probably still shell out the money.

sikbeta5240d ago

Do all of you know if this guy get paid for saying nonsense all day?

lol

DocEvil5240d ago

They all have an interest in making more money. pachter works for himself and investors trying to make money. He suggests $100 a month and sees what everybody says. Everyone gets pissed so maybe he tries a softer 'two tier' $60/$100. Still people are upset but not as upset as before. Next it could be $60/$75, less people upset then, after everybody has been softened by his ridiculous predictions, MS can announce a two tier $50/$70 and people are actually relieved that the basic services haven't increased and some people will happily get the upgraded service since they thought it was going to be $100. MS makes more money and pachter and the investors that follow his advice make more money. It's disgusting industry incest.

And the exact same thing is happening with Sony and all the rumours of charging for PSN. It's only to soften up the consumer cows so that the lower than expected PSN charges seem like a deal compared to what they could have been. It makes me want to puke.

Just watch what pachter predicts and compare it to what he recommends as stock buys and you'll see that he is actually trying to influence the market in his favour. The man is lower than a used car salesman in my opinion, sneaking around in the dark corners of the stock market. I am less disgusted by rotting feces than I am by pachter.

Bnet3435240d ago

Looks like Chubear and Pachter smoke the same crack. ;)

darthv725239d ago

To get more silvers to switch I can see them lowering the price. Maybe down to something like $30-35 a year. That gives the user the online basic experience with the same current bells and whistles. Then having a more expensive level of $65-70 would get the users discounted prices on live games as well as movies/tv shows.

Redlogic5239d ago

who's the disagree fairy? someone disagrees with my own opinion....i weep for the future.

kneon5239d ago

It seems the only requirement is to say whatever pops into your head whether or not it makes any sense at all. It'll take considerable effort but I'm sure in I can learn to come up with even dumber stuff than this guy :)

It may be possible that Microsoft and/or Sony will come out with higher priced premium services but I can't see either getting away with charging more for what customers are already getting anytime soon.

Anon19745239d ago

Microsoft makes a tonne of money off XBL, that's no secret. I bet if they introduced a lower tier that simply gave online play without all the bells and whistles they might lure more people online with their 360's. They'd probably make more then enough to offset the few Gold subscribers who may downgrade their service.

TheDeadMetalhead5239d ago

Since Pachter said it, It will never happen.

vhero5239d ago (Edited 5239d ago )

Sounds the most reasonable thing so far to be honest. Also as for saying since patcher said it, it will never happen your deluded. He makes his living by doing these guesses and gets them right more times than he gets them wrong trust me! Would you rather them just up it to $100 a year or prefer this tiered system? I know which I would prefer..

y0haN5239d ago

His only prediction I believe so far is the one that MS will start charging more for Xbox Live. If/When that happens, I will sell my 360.

STICKzophrenic5239d ago (Edited 5239d ago )

I don't even care about FaceBook, Last.FM, Zune Video etc. I pay about $35-$40 for my Live (Ebay is your friend), and I feel Live is worth it. There's no way I'd pay $100 for the current crap they offer, but I would probably pay $60 (or whatever price I can find on Ebay for cheaper) for the online play, and hopefully party chat would be part of that tier.

TheBrit5239d ago

This guy cant make his mind up about anything. He must be a royal pain to be married to.

+ Show (17) more repliesLast reply 5239d ago
Jockie5240d ago

Hey well, he had to say something to rile up the 360 owners after annoying PS3 users earlier..

Either that or he's an impartial industry analyst.. but somehow i doubt anyone is gonna buy that..

DemonStration5240d ago

I can't imagine MS giving up all the good will they've built up with their service just to make a few extra bucks.

kaveti66165240d ago

Oh? I can imagine that, but that's beside the point. Pachter has a very poor track record. I'm curious as to where he gets his info from and why he still has a job.

mjolliffe5240d ago

He could be right, he could be wrong. You never know with this one.

But people won't believe him because he's been wrong 80%+ the time.

scruffy_bear5240d ago

This be the one of those that he's right and still no one will believe it

vhero5239d ago

Your wrong you dont hear about most of the stuff he predicts so you think he's wrong 80% of the time that's all. That's why he's still got a job and earning hundreds of thousands a year most probably. Companys listen to what he says and work around him when releasing new games etc..

mrv3215240d ago

Michael Patcher relies on the fact that if you say enough you will eventually get something right, Michael Patcher doesn't realise this only works for people who have some common sense and not a troll...

karan86245240d ago

Some time a thousand years in the future something similar will happen in the Micronesia world goverment and everyone will think of him as nostradamus :P

/Sarcasm

mrv3215240d ago

I believe trolling transcends time and space and like energy cannot be created or destroyed and as such Patcher shall allways be know as a troll.

(That sounds like Doctor Who)

Sangria5240d ago

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

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20°

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Has Appeared On The Xbox Store

Activision and Raven Software's 2006 action role-playing game, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, has found its way to the Xbox Store.

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twistedvoxel.com
LG_Fox_Brazil1h ago

Used to love this one, but X-Men Legends 1 and 2 will always be my favorites, especially Rise of Apocalypse. Would pay some good money to play it today with online multiplayer, back then I had no way to get a modem

ZeekQuattro1h ago

I remember buying them dirt cheap on the PS4 and then a few days later I read they were delisted. I was wondering why the bundle was price so low and got my answer when that happened.

90°

10 Weirdest Video Games of All Time

Plenty of unforgettable games have completely messed up their players throughout the years, all the way back from the PS1 days to the dark recesses of the modern internet.

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culturedvultures.com
JonTheGod1d 1h ago

Why are the Katamari games not on the list??

130°

70 percent of devs unsure of live-service games sustainability

With so many games fighting for players' attention and interest losing out over time, time sink games are at risk of eventually losing steam.

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gamedeveloper.com
thorstein1d 22h ago

It was worrisome to begin with.

It's a niche genre with only a handful of hits that can stand the test of time.

Cacabunga1d 1h ago

I like the sound of that!! I will for sure never support these gaas games.
Sony must be shocked at gamer's reaction, making them cancel a few of these and hopefully go back to the good heavy hitters they had us used to..
now bring on that PSPro reveal and show us some SP 1st party awesomeness.

CrimsonWing691d 21h ago

What’s to be unsure of!? Look at the ratio of success to failure!

DarXyde1d 4h ago

It's pretty ridiculous.

Imagine having a breadth of data at your disposal to see the statistically low success rate of these games, only to be laser focused on the exceptional case studies.

shinoff21831d 20h ago

Yes. Stop all the live service bs.

jznrpg1d 19h ago

Only a few will catch on. You need a perfect storm to be successful in GaaS and a bit of luck on top of that. But a potential cash cow will keep them trying and some will go out of business because of it.

MIDGETonSTILTS171d 19h ago

Helldivers 2 manages just fine…

Keep production costs low… don’t just make custscenes until the mechanics and enemies are perfected first.

Make so much content that you can drip extra content for years, and the game already feels complete without them.

Most importantly: make weapons, enemies, levels, and mechanics that will stand the test of 1000 hours. This might require more devs embracing procedurally generated leveled, which I think separates Helldivers 2 from Destiny’s repetitiveness.

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