While gamers still curse Microsoft for its recent Xbox Live price hike, industry analyst and sourpuss Michael Pachter has used magic to determine that it's going to get a lot more expensive than that. The soothsayer has had visions of a new tier to Xbox Live -- a $100 Platinum service.
“The extra $10 translates to around $100 -- 150 million per year in additional revenue for Microsoft,” says the bottersnike. “I think that they will reinvest at least this much in developing other new applications, and will roll out a premium service with $100-200 million worth of enhancements. If they can get 2 million users to switch from the $60 plan to the $100 plan, they’ll make an extra $80 million a year, and can keep investing to try to grow that business.
“... For all I know, the Platinum plan might include virtual goods credits for various Microsoft games. If members could get specialized Halo armor or weapons worth the extra $40, they might be more willing to sign up, and it doesn’t really cost Microsoft anything to offer things like that ... I think that the possibilities are limitless, although it’s a bit early to speculate on what precisely they will offer."
Microsoft has demonstrated often that no amount of money is too much to ask from gamers, so introducing a new paid tier to the Xbox Live structure really wouldn't shock me. The question is, how many of us are only paying because Microsoft held online gaming hostage, and what would it take to wrangle another $40 a year out of us?
Xbox Live Likely to See $100 'Platinum' Service Next, says Pachter [Industry Gamers]
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Contest:
10:30 PM on 08.31.2010 | 
-a huge ass debt
-a month of xbox living like usual
-free stuff, which isn't good since you have to pay 100 to get that "free stuff"
-????
=
Profit
Whether Platinum subscriptions happen or not (which I can see happening), it's not like it would be a change from form. Microsoft continues to feed a black hole with the money from your wallets, that has been, is, and always will be.
unfortunately i don't really care what he thinks. no company is that stupid.
(lol guis lets raise the subscription then make one that was DOUBLE the original, DURING A RECESSION"
not even going to happen. i think this post should just be ignored but cause what he thinks it that gamers and Microsoft are complete retards.
and @Electro Lemon
I LMBO.
many services are apparently that stupid. Netflix, Blockbuster, Gamefly, Hulu, OnLive, Rhapsody, Emusic, various magazines/newspapers/porns/mmo, a very many of stupid companies charge over nine dollars a month.
Wait. My bad. It's The Stone of Bullshit. My mistake.
It would be a success. The negligible investment would almost guarantee it.
If you have money burning in your pocket, by all means, spend it.
"If members could get specialized Halo armor or weapons worth the extra $40, they might be more willing to sign up, and it doesn’t really cost Microsoft anything to offer things like that."
Then what the fuck is the point of charging an extra $40 if it costs next-to-nothing to make/distribute dirt-cheap crap like that? Just leave it on the Marketplace and keep charging ridiculous amounts of money for digital con...you know what, nevermind, I just answered my own folly. I guess this really shouldn't surprise me. Oh well, on to the next quote:
"If they can get 2 million users to switch from the $60 plan to the $100 plan, they’ll make an extra $80 million a year, and can keep investing to try to grow that business."
Getting gamers to switch from the price-hiked, already rage-inducing Gold tier to a hypothetical, analytically perceived-to-exist, mythological third tier? Yea, that won't be a problem.
If they're going to get $80-mil extra from Platinum, then there better be some worthwhile content and updates coming for the system, and not just some more bullshit social integration; if you want Facebook, get on your computer. Give me more Xbox Originals in the spirit of Sony's "HD Collection" line (new textures, tweaked controls, Achievements, online play), and then I'll consider the thought of maybe processing my digital money (which holds value no matter which way you spin it) for access to digital goods (which, once transferred between hands, can no longer be resold to regain some of that lost money).
I'm not paying for the 60 bucks, and I sure as hell am not going to shell out a hundred god damn bucks a year for Xbox Live. FUCK...People like this just make me angry.
This gen, I tell you...
Anyway, I agree with JnR. I wouldn't put it past them.
Like nesto said: "No company is that stupid.". Well, I would say that many consumers are, and that would be all the confirmation MS needed to cross the logic line into Stupidityville.
Americans don't know how good they have it.
lol, i didnt say it! i quoted Dark Niwa using italics!
what I was saying is that there are many services out there that charge over 9 dollars a month (100 dollars a year). An xboxLive service for 9bucks a month would not be unrealistic, but they would surely have to offer something real nice to go along with it.
Meanwhile, I will not be using it.