Yesterday, at the Gamefest 2008 event, Microsoft announced that paying for Gold accounts would no longer be necessary to access all the multiplayer features in PC games under their Games for Windows brand. Viva la multijugador libre!
These features included such things as voice chat, usage fo the TrueSkill matchmaking system, the ability to play against 360 owners, and access to multiplayer achievements. Maybe not the most exciting list of features -- voice chat, for instance, can be easily accessed through other programs on the PC -- but I’ll happily take them. After being so used to free online multiplayer in PC games (excluding MMOs, of course) I can totally understand why people wouldn’t want to start paying for something that they used to get for nothing, which is probably why Microsoft felt the need to make it free (read: no one was buying).
I would not take this news as a sign that the ‘Soft might be considering free multiplayer on the 360, however. Console owners have shown that they’ll happily (begrudgingly?) pay for a well-maintained online service, as evidenced by Live getting a new paying member every five seconds.
Microsoft also announced that PC gamers will be getting their own version of the Xbox Live Marketplace. Again, this news may not be that exciting since game demos, movies, and full games can easily be found at multiple locations across the Internet, but it could prove to be a convenient all-in-one spot to find stuff.
So what do you think about these new changes? Are you glad to be getting more stuff for free, or are you jealous that other people are getting the same online experience that you do without having to pay a monthly fee?
[Thanks, Joe]
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Contest:
4:48 PM on 07.23.2008
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I'm not against it as I own PC as my main system with Xbox360 as my secondary system and PS3 as.... ermmmm... urrrrr... A bluray movie player (when the local video shop has a new movie on bluray in that I aint seen before... which is rare still).
Anywhoo, the xbox360 and PC monetory divide widens even more.
PC gaming and friends list type things on the PC have always been free, it was stupid of them to attempt to charge for it in the first place really.
I think the tiny amount that Xbox Live owners are asked to pay, is a rather insignificant thing. You're not going to find every single 360 game on the PC and chances are if you do find what you're looking for, unless you're playing a FPS or RTS game, you're going to want a controller for the game anyway.
I dunno, I just prefer to be on my couch I guess, laid out and comfortable. To me that's worth the $4.17 a month.
You cant charge half of your users for the service while the other half get it for free. It won't work.
The extras for GFWL will help PC gamers actually see what 360 gamers enjoy so much about Live. This is also a good move to encourage the PC market a bit too.
My guess would be that nothing will be done. You keep the Gold account until it expires (and you cancel it to prevent an auto-renewal). However, if you paid for it with a credit card within the last 60 days you could cancel it for a full refund.
Yeah.
Try harder, MS.
Also, it's about time. MS should never have tried to charge in the first place. Hopefully they're working towards making XBL free. Maybe. Please?
So I am lucky I do not hunch over a Monitor... TBH who the fuck buys monitors these days when HDTV costs about the same and are double the size?
Also I need to keep my PC up to date for work so no problemo there either as it does not cost me any extra than normal.
So yes, someone like me using a PC sees us PC users as winners again. Although I do not agree with it and think my xbox360 should have the same treatment.
At the end of the day though it makes no difference as I will just use the PC for free PORTAL maps and windows LIVE etc on my HDTV instead of the xbox360 (BTW I am still trying to work out what this PS3 does apart from playing movies).
Someday I'd like to see ps3, 360, pc all together online. Might be a dream but...yeah.