430°

Microsoft Increasing Xbox Live Subcription Pricing November 1st- Will Consumers Follow?

Whether consumers will continue to see value in Microsoft's service remains to be seen, but the truth is that Xbox Live is no longer the 'only' way to play most of today's most popular titles online in the console realm. Whatever advantages the service once held have largely been erased by competitive pricing and increased value from its rivals, and its going to become increasingly difficult for them to justify packing what is fast becoming essentially a collection of services that can be found elsewhere - for free.

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Iceland4986d ago ShowReplies(5)
Kain814986d ago

i dont know why...but this reminds me of an old game from Psygonisis "Lemmings" ^_^

0mega44986d ago

but instead of them raising the price they should have instead made multiplayer free

as you've already purchased the game and usually half of it is multiplayer

and if you wanted all those extra features that is the reason for the price hike you could get them if you wanted them

microsoft is a greedy company they've always abused there xbox consumers
with wireless adapters
hard drives
console fail rate
battery packs
etc

Trebius4986d ago

Bubbles, very clever ;)

On Topic: I wouldn't mind paying for it as long as I had the OPTION. When you dont have the OPTION to play online for free (like you do on EVERY other system) then there's something wrong.

The choice for current Xbox360 owners is,

"Do I want to pay MORE for my online gaming? Or do I not want to play AT ALL?"

Of course theyre going to choose the latter, otherwise they'd be unable to play Reach and Black Ops which are just around the corner.

M$ is very smart in the way they dig into your pockets ... I'm glad I dont game on Live.

DaTruth4986d ago (Edited 4986d ago )

Notice how they do it in September, knowing Reach and COD are just around the corner and their customers are gonna be thinking about this when they choose.

Why not January or June? Just like the console banning 2 weeks before MW2, MS sees you like the starving Looney Tune sees a cooked chicken in place of their friend, except you are a giant money bag!

Edit: If MS had a decent bone in their body they would only charge this to new subscribers and not to long time good customers, like most tenant law in the developed world does. It's not like you can return your online portion of games!

badz1494986d ago

right before the release of MW2 and this year is XBL price hike right before Reach? M$ sure is the best when it comes to how to keep sheeps paying while throwing sh1t at them!!

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4986d ago
Mista T4986d ago ShowReplies(8)
Philoctetes4986d ago Show
8-bit4986d ago

With Halo Reach right around the corner the answer is a definite yes.. MS knows this too

Blaze9294986d ago

I got a job and it's a $60 per year expense....'YEAR'

Plus it's not like I have much of a choice until PSN gets up to par. I hate that service's current condition with a passion and going from LIVE to that will be like smartphone to dumbphone

fooltheman4986d ago

...so you compare something you must pay for... with something that's free..

Well Free is always better...
(escpecially when in functions well)

Bell Boy4986d ago (Edited 4986d ago )

They should slap another $20 or $30 then...lol

Hear that MS this sucker thinks it's a great deal get some more added on you are under charging ..lol

There is a sucker born every minute and appears they all bought 360 and defend here on n4g till there last breath.

News for you folks this is bad for gamers in general...MS appear to being this just in time to cash in on the likes of Halo and Sony and Nintendo will watch then consider what they may get away with in the future.

But sure go ahead defend charging for playing the games you bought online, o wait you can even tell your friends about the hike while you play different games...pmsl

Neko_Mega4986d ago

wow, this is a person that knows nothing about the psn.

Psn has been a lot been then what it was in 2006, heck if it was, it couldn't run mag, demon's souls or ff14.

Just because you pay for something, doesn't make it any better.

SilentNegotiator4986d ago

LOL, Microsoft should definitely charge more. People will pay for and justify anything.

Cause it's JUST per year, right? Just 0.00000465 cents per second, right?!

"I hate that service's current condition with a passion"
Free and with several more dedicated servers?

Trebius4986d ago

You're obviously misinformed ...

The PSN service is definitely up to par, people just live in the past.

The only defense you have is X-game chat. If it's THAT important to you, then pay for the service, by all means.

But what you dont understand is that people are arguing the fact that M$ is not giving any CHOICES.

You either PAY, or you DONT PLAY.

It's people like you that let M$ make decisions like this on a whim and make boatloads of cash.

You remember a few months ago when they released the information about how much they've made off of subscribers? And how it's a monumental success?

Well, if it's such a success and they're making so much money, why do they need to charge more??

Oh I know why, (and so do they) cause they know people will pay it to continue gaming online.

bjornbear4986d ago (Edited 4986d ago )

thats exactly what MS is expecting their consumers to say.

"its ok, its only 10 more bucks a year, it won't bother me"

remember the example of the frog in the pot of boiling water?

throw the frog into boiling water and he'll react in pain
( smacking consumers with a 60 buck price point from the start : insane)

throw the frog into room temp water and slowly increase the temperature to boiling point, the frog will die without reacting.

as far as you're concerned, if MS increased 1 buck a month you wouldn't mind until you realized you were being ripped off (by then, you will have been ripped off well before your realisation)

this just proves: MS marketing department outsmarted you.

smh

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4986d ago
ThanatosDMC4986d ago

Apparently, cross game chat is worth it. /s

morganfell4986d ago

Aren't these Live hike supporters the same ones attacking an optional PS+?

Anon19744986d ago (Edited 4986d ago )

Morganfell hit that one right on the nose.

Edit: Hey, look below a few posts. niceguywii60 is using fake VGChartz data instead of the official data from each company to try to make a point about how much the PS3 is losing? What a guy!

Just a quick question for ya, Vgchartz boy. According to the official numbers, the PS3 has outsold the 360 by 1.6 million consoles in the first half of 2010 alone while the 360 suffered 4 back to back quarters of year over year declines just before their last quarter. At it's height, the 360 had over an 8 million console lead over the PS3, now it's down to 3.3 million. How about you try using real data, not VGChartz's best guess when arguing? Oh, what's that? Because then your point is shot all full of holes? Pity about that....

CaptainPunch4986d ago

This is the truth, a $10 increase doesn't seem a lot but it will add up.

gtamike4986d ago Show
sikbeta4986d ago

Well, they have no option, is either Pay or lose on-line gaming + features...

SilentNegotiator4986d ago

Exactly why I've always been reluctant to support it. Once you stop paying, you lose the second half of most of your games (And with a lot of xbox exclusives, more like 95% of your game).

avengers19784986d ago

The question is are the going to give you more stuff.

I pay for PSN+, but then again It has already given me more in free stuff than the 50 dollar year sub, that I paid for. I know some people say it's only renting the game, but really if i don't plan on letting my subscribtion end ever then I'll have them forever.

AtatakaiSamurai4985d ago

and people will still pay for this?! but why? why would people support this? this is crazy!

+ Show (9) more repliesLast reply 4985d ago
Millionaire4986d ago

Of course they do. They don't have a choice after all.

sikbeta4986d ago (Edited 4986d ago )

True, they'd not pay but at the same time lose on-line gaming, making games like COD aka the best seller games, useless, since the "strong" point of this kind of games is the on-line MP and such and SP is short and it's not worth the $60 price-tag...

Hacking4986d ago ShowReplies(2)
STGuy10404986d ago

A price increase, eh? It sounds like Microsoft is hurting a little and needs to charge more. This is just a friendly observation that will probably get flamed to death. LOL

Omega44986d ago

Obviously, but its strange how europe doesn't get a price hike, or asia.

Hallmark Moment4986d ago (Edited 4986d ago )

EUR and ASIA are possibly not getting all the features the regions with the price increase will be getting. We'll have to wait until MSFT releases the full list of upgrades around the update launch like every year. These articles are getting stupid the 360 fanbase spends millions on games and content so whats with these quasi doom articles?

LOL @#4 really? been reading the news lately or at all?

CimmerianDrake4986d ago

They're trying to gain more consumers in those territories, where the PS3 is killing them. Increasing the price there will just continue to kill their base there. Only in North America will this price hike remain largely uncontested.

niceguywii604986d ago (Edited 4986d ago )

Not getting killed as much as you think.

http://n4g.com/news/594561/...

Worldwide Hardware
Console Weekly (change) Total
DS 264,781 (-7%) 133,351,126
X360 185,542 (-8%) 42,468,435
Wii 143,758 (-8%) 73,479,723
PS3 142,698 (-4%) 37,111,119
PSP 74,664 (-12%) 59,609,561
PS2 30,873 (-5%) 136,786,052

Yeah Yeah Yeah NPD factors into it shown by these numbers from the July NPD Meaning NA helps the 360 win WorldWide

360: 444K, down 9K (-2%)
DS: 398K, down 113K (-22%)
Wii: 254K, down 169K (-40%)
PS3: 215K, down 90K (-30%)
PSP: 84K, down 37K (-31%)

EDIT

CimmerianDrake

Stop your crying I was showing the World Wide Numbers and showing the reason before a fanboy could use what I posted as an excuse
Stop.

"Obviously you can't read."

TeH IRONY

Comprehend much?

CimmerianDrake4986d ago

You offer up total WW numbers (in which the 360 is obviously ahead since it's been out longer), as well as factor in NA numbers (which is NOT the territory we were discussing) and choose to include numbers from the 360 S as some kind of proof that the PS3 is losing to the 360? I bet you got your numbers from VGChartz too.

It's a known fact that in Europe (excluding the U.K.) and Asia, overall the PS3 is killing the 360 in sales. Way to isolate one month as a prop to your lame argument, while padding the numbers using NA figures and total console life sales.

Fail.

fooltheman4986d ago

You're using vgchartz...
that ends your fidelity...

The Maxx4986d ago

What are you using to counter his numbers?

fooltheman4986d ago

I just say that those numbers have no fidelity...
I sincerely must say that there aren't any numbers who covers the facts...

Look at what they did with starcraft 2...

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4986d ago
scofios4986d ago

@Omega4  
Because the know NA will pay even if xbl cost 150$ , and europe and asia wont .

GodHandDee4986d ago

they thought the more devoted fans like you are in the usa? Myth or fact? I dunno

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4986d ago
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40°

Mugen Souls Retro Review – Sexy Demon Space Adventure

Gary Green said: We have a juxtaposition of 2D and 3D visuals, flashy turn-based combat, quirky anime characters with cheeky dialogue with plenty of partial nudity; Yes, this is a Compile Heart JRPG. Whilst the engine is borrowed from Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2, Mugen Souls is more of a Disgaea spin-off. It’s not a strategy RPG as such, it merely sits within Disgaea’s ever-expanding universe (Multiverse? Netherverse? Your guess is as good as mine). You won’t find cameos though, since Mugen Souls is a franchise which aims to stand on its own two feet.

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110°

Looking Back At 2008, An Unbelievably Incredible Year Of Video Game Releases

Huzaifa from eXputer: "2008 was home to the likes of Call of Duty: World at War, Dead Space, GTA 4, Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead, and many other hits, which is outright remarkable."

CrimsonWing693h ago

I don’t think anything can compare to 2023

lucasnooker3h ago

1998 - the best year in gaming! Metal gear solid, crash bandicoot 3, medievil, half life, ocarina of time, thief, tenchu, resident evil 2, Spyro, tomb raider 3, oddworld abes exodus, banjo kazooie.

It was a different breed of a gaming era. You’ll never understand what it was like back then. The aura of gaming, it was different!

KyRo3h ago(Edited 3h ago)

I second this. Gaming was a lot more varied and fun than it is today. I'm 35 so getting on compared to some here but I got to see all the changes from NES up to now but I've never felt so disappointed in any generation than I have this current gen. I was expecting more from this generation rather than prettier versions of games that came before it. Game mechanics have become so refined that alot of games feel the same and has done for a while now.

Maybe it's time to have a break for a while. I love gaming but I don't feel I get much fun in the traditional sense out of it anymore.

CrimsonWing693h ago(Edited 3h ago)

Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2, Abe’s Exodus, and Ocarina of Time are the only things from that list that I liked.

Here’s the 2023 game releases that I personally liked… and big releases that I didn’t care for:

- Dead Space Remake
- Wo Long Dynatsy
- Resident Evil 4 Remake
- Diablo 4
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Hogwarts Legcay
- Street Fighter 6
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Like a Dragon: Ishin
- Octopath Traveler 2
- Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters
- Final Fanatsy XVI (actually ended up not liking this, but it was still a big deal release)
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
- Lies of P
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Starfield (Ended up hating this one, but big release)
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (I’m an old-school Zelda fan, but didn’t really enjoy this game)
- Alan Wake 2

I mean, honestly I’ve never seen a year of major IP releases like that, ever.

Profchaos20m ago(Edited 17m ago)

Isn't it just a generational thing realistically.

I've been gaming since way back and I some of my favourite games go as far back as the late 80s for me each generation has a year or two of game changing releases one after another before an inevitable dry spell.

I kind of agree gaming had a different feel games hit different because we didn't have the internet nothing got spoiled and you really had to put in the effort to beat a puzzle which could set entire groups of people looking for a solution. But most importantly games were experimental and not as cookie cutter as today even basics like controls were not universal today r2 is shoot l2 is ads garunteed you can't deviate from that in a shooter back then it could of been square, R1 or R1 and circle nothing was standard.

But as time moves on a new generation picks up their controller they are going to be interested in different things that PS1 demo disc with the t Rex blew our primitive 16 bit brains back on launch but to kids today it's laughable.
The new gen of kids coming into to hobby seem to value different things to us there seems to be a huge focus on online play, streamers, gaming personalities, and social experiences, convience of digital downloads. To me I value none of that but that's ok like my parents not liking the band's I would listen to its just the natural cycle.

120°

6 Fun Games Where You Actually Play As The Bad Guy

While the mainstream media always sees things turning in favor of the hero, here are 6 games that own being a bad guy.

Profchaos9h ago

Pretty much all of these games listed are based around a morality system you don't have to be bad and you don't have to be good.

It seems to have left out some real amazing games like red dead redemption 1/2,ass effect and true crime la/ny

Tacoboto8h ago

Armored Core VI?

Ok, I'm really missing something here. Just beat chapter 3 earlier this evening, unlocked A-rank Arena fights. I'm not seeing or sensing any branching paths or morality system and I've done every side mission and arena fight available to me up to that fight.

Is something big coming soon to branch the story?

banger888h ago

No mention of Grand Theft Auto? Saints Row (original trilogy), Manhunt? Also The Suffering (depending on the ending you get).