With Steam doing so well these days, it was only a matter of time before Microsoft realized that the majority of PC gamers will never, ever pay to play games online.
Now that Games For Windows LIVE is free and its console counterpart Xbox LIVE isn't, it's only natural that people get up in arms. GFW LIVE Head Kevin Unangst spoke to Gamasutra to try and explain the whole situation.
He says that the PC focuses on game content, whereas the Xbox LIVE Marketplace is all about multimedia, not just game expansions or DLC add-ons. Plus, it's not like there are any alternatives to online gaming on the 360 like there are on PC.
Yes, we'd all love to have free Xbox LIVE, but that's not going to happen so long as the service remains as popular as it is today. Oh well, I guess paying $50 a year isn't that bad for what's offered.
-icon.gif){kind=icon}
21 comments + 95764 views
Maybe competition will force their hand one day? I agree they're not likely to just do it out of the kindness of their hearts.
I like turtles.
@Y0j1mb0
Me too.
Multimedia?! I've never even touched, nor do I plan on touching, any of their "multimedia" content.
Bullshit, I say. Especailly since you have to pay for the multimedia anyway.
yea but Steam is also shit... so you get what you pay for.
Honestly, I prefer Steam to XBL, I find functionality in Steam, where XBL is a pay service to help me host my own games, and almost nothing more.
In a nutshell, "We both know you've got no choice so hand over the cash bitches".
Screw 'em. I'm letting my membership expire. Silver is good enough for me since I have 3 other platforms for -FREE- multiplayer.
Speaking of turtles...
FD 10
RT 90
PU
FD 10
RT 90
PD
FD 10
BK 5
RT 90
FD 5
LogoWriter? Anyone?
Battle.net did a good chunk of what Live! does like 12 years ago. It was created by a very small company that had released like 2 games (Warcraft and Warcraft 2). It was free and worked (and continues to work) really well.
It's all due to lack of competition.
Where is JackofNoTrades? With his hatred for the Wii and the PC, I'm sure he'd valiantly defend Microsoft's money-grubbing tactics.
Trust me, if PC gaming died, you'd see Live! prices shoot through the roof.
Just great, not sure what justifies Live's "fee" to begin with.
Taking a break from being Gold for awhile. Honestly I don't feel assured about it altogether.
Much as I would also like it to be free, it most likely never will be. I still can't comprehend all of the whining over it when you could pay for a whole year of the service with less than a day of work at a decent job.
While i'm thinking about it, what makes people feel like they're entitled to some kind of free service in the first place? These companies aren't on your side, they're just out to make money. Sony probably made their online service free out of necessity, because nobody was going to pay for it but they needed it as a selling point.
Not to say that I think it's cool to milk us for what we're worth, but they're going to as long as they can get away with it anyway, they don't give a damn what I think about it. lol triple post.
Harassmentpanda: HOly shit, I remember that. One of the worst parts on middle school... I still don't know what was the point of that program.
if xbox live is all about multimedia then why do i still have to pay for any music or movies (not that i do or would unless that netflix merge thing doesnt suck)
can't they charge for all that multimedia crap i don't want and let me play my games for free. they could charge whatever they want for whatever they want as long i can play for free and i would be happy.
if xbox live is all about multimedia then why do i still have to pay for any music or movies (not that i do or would unless that netflix merge thing doesnt suck)
can't they charge for all that multimedia crap i don't want and let me play my games for free. they could charge whatever they want for whatever they want as long i can play for free and i would be happy.
Much as I would also like it to be free, it most likely never will be. I still can't comprehend all of the whining over it when you could pay for a whole year of the service with less than a day of work at a decent job.
Cause the alternative is free?
I was going to say that the XBL people must have woke up with a few more brain cells this mourning but after reading that I don't think so.
How many of you play world of warcraft? /end topic
I don't see what all the fuss is about. I've been enjoying free online on my PS3.
Just they try and say its mainly multimedia. All we get here is 3 Robbie Williams videos, Viva Pinata and a southpark. If they really are aiming for multimedia itd be coming out my ears right now.
Meh, PSN offers practically everything that XBLA and Nintendo Wifi Connection offers free online, I won't be resubscribing since I feel like it's a waste paying 50 and this year I didn't play a lot maybe if I find a cheap subscription card. The only reason why Microsoft won't stop charging because they don't want to plug up a money well and it's the only way to play online on the 360.
Meh, PSN offers practically everything that XBLA and Nintendo Wifi Connection offers free online, I won't be resubscribing since I feel like it's a waste paying 50 and this year I didn't play a lot maybe if I find a cheap subscription card. The only reason why Microsoft won't stop charging because they don't want to plug up a money well and it's the only way to play online on the 360.
@flamesofchaos:don't bother 'cause somehow the internet will always believe that XBL>PSN
I was pretty sure you could use all of Microsoft's multimedia without having a gold subscription.... so basically the only thing that we're being charged for is the online multiplayer.
@flamesofchaos
Have you tried downloading Siren off the PSN? It took me 2 weeks to get all 12 episodes. When I can download 1.5 gig demos on XBL in a matter of an hour or two I'll gladly throw down the 50 bucks (most likely less with deals) and have that extra server push.
XBL > PSN
@psuedo hero: Not sure what you're talking about. Just about everything downloads at the same speed for me on PSN as it did on XBL. The only difference I've seen is that games don't auto-install on PS3.
feels good I don't have to worry about this paying crap :)
Free feels very nicendiddy.
So people accept to pay for XBL because of the rich multimedia experience, not to be able to play online with other people? Ok dude.
@ pseudo hero:
I'd check your connection. I got the entire collection of Siren in a couple of hours at the most. Which, for like, what, 7 gigs, is pretty damn good if you ask me. I think the only two thing XBL has over PSN is a slightly better visual design and more people (which also equals more assholes), but if people begin to realize that there isn't that much of a difference except that one is free, it will begin to even out - only, Xbox can keep the assholes.
@necrozen: Thank M$ for making Halo, which seems to attract all those said assholes.
The only problem with that explanation is that most of the multimedia still costs money.
It would be nice if it were free, & personally I think it will be one day; when PSN approaches it's usability.
But there are a couple reasons why XBL will remain my favorite (& the best) online console platform in the near future.
1.) Cross-game invites
2.) Cross-game voice/video messaging/chat
3.) A system independent of developers; so that all games can include online smoothly. big or small.
4. A system independent of developers; so that games remain online years after sales die down.
#1 & #4 mainly. without #1 a friends list used for games is essentially dormant. & without #4 there's no guarantee a big chunk of your games library will just lose their online component after sales die down & it's not cost-effective to keep the servers up anymore.
Personally I don't see why cross game invites are such a selling point for an online service. I guess it's just because all the people on my friends list are my actual friends and I can call them if I want to play something.
Hopefully Sony will improve their services and keep them free, and this will prompt MS to reconsider. Eventually.
HarassmentPanda blew my mind. I hadn't thought about Turtle in like 20 years.
"Microsoft realized that the majority of PC gamers will never, ever pay to play games online."
Precisely. Well, except for MMOs.
Would it be better free? Yes. Can I deal with $4 a month? Certainly.
XBL is BS. Firstly, you're being charged solely to play games for free online. MS doesn't even host the servers, it's all P2P (unless they're EA games, but they run their servers, no MS) so they're not paying for server maintenance. They are hosting multimedia content though, but shouldn't the cost of that shit be carried in the content you by, not in the subscription to maybe buy that shit in the future?
Steam is free. It is a digital distribution service, a friends list, it even has achievements for supported games now, and the service will continue to grow in the future. it's free, it has a cross games friend list, and games are completely moddable. You won't see something like Garry's Mod on the X-Box, ever, because not only is the possibility for nasty user content a legal swamp, but because users don't get access to information to play around with.
If all we had were consoles, there would be no Team Fortress, no Counter Strike, no Capture the Flag even. This stuff was user created, by people with access to the code. MS will never give up that sort of control to the community, and will make you pay just to host your own game on your own internet connection. It's BS.
Well i for one dont mind live, this free PC Steam stuff is crap, ive spent hours trying to get into games on TF2 with no luck, its not just me there are thousands of posts on the net.
Where as i turn my xbox on and invite my mate, bang in the game..oh and i can talk to him with the same service..
Im lazy, il pay for people to take away the hard work, if i wasnt lazy id be outside playing sports!
You pay for live because its good, if not it wouldnt exist, if you moan about it dont use it!
@Necros: I think you summarized my thoughts much better than I did.
turkcell parça kontör kontör vodafone parça kontör avea parça kontör vodafone parça kontör
parça kontör parca kontür kontör yükle ucuz parça kontör kontör parça kontör bayiliği
turkcell parça kontör kontör vodafone parça kontör avea parça kontör parça kontör bayi
parça kontör kontör yükle ucuz parça kontör kontör parça kontör parça kontör bayi
turkcell parça kontör kontör vodafone parça kontör avea parça kontör vodafone parça kontör
parça kontör parca kontür kontör yükle ucuz parça kontör kontör parça kontör bayi
turkcell parça kontör kontör vodafone parça kontör avea parça kontör vodafone parça kontör
parça kontör kontör yükle ucuz parça kontör kontör parça kontör
parça kontör kontör yükle ucuz parça kontör kontör parça kontör
sohbet muhabbet muhabbet sohpet sesli sohbet chat
parça kontör parça kontör parça kontör parça kontör parça kontör
parça kontör parça kontör parça kontör parça kontör parça kontör
turkcell parça kontör kontör vodafone parça kontör avea parça kontör vodafone parça kontör
parça kontör parca kontür kontör yükle ucuz parça kontör kontör
turkcell parça kontör kontör vodafone parça kontör avea parça kontör vodafone parça kontör
parça kontör parca kontür kontör yükle ucuz parça kontör kontör parça kontör bayiliği
turkcell parça kontör kontör vodafone parça kontör avea parça kontör vodafone parça kontör
parça kontör parca kontür kontör yükle ucuz parça kontör kontör
turkcell parça kontör kontör vodafone parça kontör avea parça kontör vodafone parça kontör
parça kontör parca kontür kontör yükle ucuz parça kontör kontör parça kontör bayiliği
There are certain things in life related to smoking that simply cannot :)
parça kontör parca kontor parça kontor
parça kontür parca kontur parça kontur
parca kontür parça kontur yükle
parca kontör yükleparça kontör bayiliği
parça kontör bayilikucuz kontör
kontörkontor
konturkontür
kontör yüklekontör yukle
kontorbayim
Returning Dtoiders: login now to post a comment
Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just Create an avatar now - it's fast and free: PLUS you also get your own gaming blog and begin posting stories and uploading videos in our open community area that may also appear on our home page. Sign up and we'll guide you through it, it's easy and 100% anonymous.