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Should Microsoft’s Xbox 360 charge for Live per games console and not by user?

By: Daniel Chubb | October 2, 2007 | 20 Comments

Xbox 360 Live

First up I must admit that the Xbox 360 Live online service is much better than the Sony PS3 online service, owning both consoles I can give a first hand account of this and the much better parts of Xbox Live are the chat and the dashboard.

Although the biggest problem I have with Xbox Live is the fact that they wish to charge you for gold service per user and not games console.

This is a joke and it really got to me the other day when I wanted to play a game of Halo 3 in split screen co-op mode, the other player could not go online as I would need two gold accounts.

This is very bad especially because my Sony PS3 gets online for free, I am happy to pay for Xbox Live but only once on my games console.

Do you agree with me, that Xbox Live gold should be charged by games console and not user?

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  • matt

    I’ve got no problem with the pricing as it is, I think it’s fair. If it was per console, if you went to your mate’s house and they hadn’t signed up, you wouldn’t be able to play online. Swings and roundabouts really.

    Gold membership only works out at about 10p per day. If you want to play online co-op, get the other person to stump up the cash. If they’re a really infrequent user, just get a few of those 48 hour passes from ebay a quid.

  • Jokerz

    But why should you pay to play games online when you’ve already forked out for the console and for your broadband service? Fair enough if the games companies themselves are charging you but in the case of Xbox 360 its Microsoft who are taking more money from you

  • Paul

    Also on Halo 3 and most other xbox games the other person can sign in as a guest to the person with the gold account.

    Granted you cant play ranked Halo 3 games with a guest but all the social playlists are open to you which still gives a very good Halo 3 online experience

  • will

    Live should be free.
    Heck they charge you for jpegs and free to air tv.
    I know it’s all about the money,wish it could be about the consumer too.
    Charging for a guest to play co-op is stupid…..

  • eric

    i think they are pushing it as it is…i pay for it but if they pull anything else, i wont. but i think they know their games well & know just how far to push it. i thik as Sony picks up with more games, and online co-op, Microsoft might drop the price a bit on their live services, or counter it somehow. just my 2 cents. so yes i agree but again, i’d pay to play online also if i must. :)

  • Chris

    I would just like to add a few words, I agree it is not nice to have to pay to play online but I have been gaming online with the PC for years and I have has some very bad experiances with slow game play with the PC. Also some times there are no servers avalable. But with XBL this is not the problem so I think the saying is you get what you pay for. But i would like it to be free :)

  • One

    It should be per console. One 360 with three siblings shouldn’t have to pay for three online accounts. Each person wants there own name and should be able to split screen it online without having to pay for an additional gold. I don’t think you should have to pay for online at all but having to pay for separate users on one console is just robbery.

  • music_At_Wrk

    If you don’t want to have to pay to play a game online then don’t. Personally i have no issue NOT paying for games that require payment to play… in my opinion that is just bad business… why should i pay 5-30 a month after i have already paid 50-70 for a game that is now mine to play…? So i just don’t buy the games that i would have to pay to play.

  • Charles

    Are you sure. Don’t you just bring them in as a guest on Live. You can in the multiplayer so why not the campain. Well I’ll find out today when I get Home because my friend is coming over And I was planing to get into the compain with him and some buddis online. I’ll see if what your saying is true. I’ll be back.

  • Charles

    My bud also had this problem with gears and he even created another account to get a second person. Then I showed him how to bring people in as a guest and it was all good after that and a waste of money for him.

  • Charles

    Just as I Thought. Dude learn to use your Xbox. First when your in the campaign lobby, turn on the other controller and on the screen under your name you should see the symbol for the “A” Button so press “A”. Your list of profiles will come up and go to the last profile and it should say “Guest Xbox Live” click onto that and player 2 becomes your name #1. No need to buy another Live Account. Hope that helps. Oh, and the only thing is your guest can’t use a Mic.

  • http://free-iphone-apple.blogspot.com mark

    I think it shouldn’t cost any money at all, just like the ps3.

    I know the ps3 service sucks right now, but when the bottom line comes down, for me at least, is that I wanna play online, and nothing else, I feel the ps3 is much better.

    Also, not to forget PS3 HOME is coming out next year (which is free too), so that will definitely kick arse over 360′s online environment. Check out the demo on like youtube if you haven’t seen it’s demo yet.

  • prophetOFtruth

    ENTERTAINMENT IS A PRIVILEGE… if u cant afford this luxury activity pls dont whinge about, im sure there are countless other alternatives to fit ur budget !

  • Jeff

    I have a live account here in Canada and when my son wants to play with me he can log on to live as my “Guest”. Are you able to do same in the UK?

  • TruBlu117

    its called signing your second player as a guest…honestly

    you gotta pay for the extra buck for the extra service

  • erock

    not sure about you guys, but i hate split screen, i dont mind playing a bit with friends, but most of time its “get your own setup” ya know? but yeah if i had a younger brother or something i would share too. nice that some games like gears give you the option of having a guest. Xbox Live does have an advantage over PS3, in sheer numbers of games that go back a ways, right now PS3 doesnt have shit. they are stilla good year from producing games which is natual took 360 a bit of time too. so im watching the PS3, when they get the goods i might buy one, but right now 360 is on fire! (ha, not literaly like the first versions!)

  • brad123

    I’ve got no problem with pricing or nothing i just wanna say that microsoft is probably getting all this money so that way they will be able to make more games products etc. its just my thought but thats what i think is happening because they wouldn’t make you pay all this money for the worker’s benefiet they wanna do it for the company’s, the customer(gamers etc.)

  • Jake

    i personally love the xbox 360 i use to be a playstation fan but all my friends had a xbox and i felt like i was missing out i am going to keep paying the money for the xbox live becouse it fun and gives me something to do besides tv on a rainy day also its only like 8 dollars a month to play so if you can’t afford it i would thing about another job enless you have got problems at home or something like a dad and a kid with no mother or vise versa or something

  • http://none alejandro

    SORRY FOR THE CAPS BUT IS THE ONLY WAY FOR YOU TO PAY ATTENTION , there is no need to pay another xbox live account, you just sign your friend with no other profile, in the profiles list you look for the last one, the profile that is in the bottom, it says something like XBOX LIVE GUEST, you choose it and you are done

  • Anonie-moose

    Per console would be fine, unless you count the incentive to not be a dickwad online. If you act like an asshole, you risk getting your subscription canned and you are out the cost of the subscription. Other than that, per console would make sense for a select few, but it would make sense nonetheless.