Xbox Live: Why the 360’s online should be free
Filed under: Gaming, Xbox 360 | By: Alan Ng
Posted on: November 13, 2008 | 9 Comments

Are you currently satisfied with the service that the PSN and Xbox Live offers you at the moment? While in most eyes, the Xbox Live is the best option in terms of being able to communicate with your friends the easiest, but having said that, the PSN remains free and also does the job well. Microsoft is currently charging $50 a year for its Live service, and many gamers out there think this is far too much.
While the Xbox 360 console is considerably cheaper than Sony’s Playstation 3, it makes back the money easily with its $50 annual ‘gold’ membership fee. Whether Sony decides to keep the PSN free for all users, we will have to wait and see.
At the moment it has put the question in many Xbox owners out there who feel that they are getting ripped off by Microsoft. How do you feel about the current state of Xbox Live, are there any of you who own both consoles and feel that something needs to happen? I think this is an issue clearly that Microsoft know needs to be addressed, but its whether or not the gamers can get their opinions out there for them to do something about it.
Source: Read
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You get what you pay for.
Xbox Live Gold allows you to play online everysingle game you own. While in the PS3 is up to the developer to allow you to play for free and provide support for the online plataform. Microsfot has done a very nice job with the Xbox Live Gold. The service run almost flawless.
I or any of my (100s) friends do not mind paying for it, I would sure take it for free. But once again you get what you pay for, and PSN is no XBOX Live…. by far!!!!!
I called M$ support as to having problems playing nascar 09. they told me that was an issue with ea servers to call ea??? Ok, but where the hell does my $50.00 a year come into play??? Just so i can chat? If i pay M$ then M$ will tell me what the problem is or take care of the problem, I pay M$ not ea to game!!!!!!! Yep, you get what you pay for allright! nothing. $50.00 just so you can go gold. silver can do all that gold can except play other people. get it, play other people. this was truly a copout on M$`s part.
I don’t mind paying for Xbox live and been online since the inception. I always find something new and exciting online each week and I expect that because I am paying. Regarding your EA issue. EA orginally wanted nothing to do with Xbox live as EA wanted to make that money themselves. They did reach an agreement with Xbox to bring EA games to live but… EA has total control of thier games and they are on thier servers, that’s why you have to make an EA account when you play online. Other then that I am happy with the service and will keep paying as long as the service keeps getting improved and new features are added. I believe Sony will soon charge for their service, maybe not as much. It just makes business sense. Nothing in life is free.
Well until the PSN manages to offer the kind of incredible original games we’ve seen on XBLA; Braid, Castle Crashers, Geometry Wars then I’ll be happy to pay the premium.
It’s just so much more reliable, sturdy, and user friendly.
I don’t know what to make of all this….but I’m starting to feel M$ stuck it to us real good. High failure rate ,pay to play live. .. Add on dvd lost the format war etc etc
Wow yall really are brainwashed. I have a 360 and a ps3 and the difference in service isn’t that much at all. First of all the 360 uses p2p connections for games while a lot of ps3 games have dedicated servers. Both services have issues but, at least in my case, i have far fewer with psn. I had a 360 first and love it. I didnt have that big of a problem paying for live until i got my ps3. For all of you brainwashed to believe live is far superior, like i used to be, it’s not. Granted live does have a few better features, but for playing games online and even contacting friends and getting the job done the differences are very minor and not something i would pay for if i didnt have to. In fact i buy most multiplatform online games for ps3 now so that i dont have to keep up a subscription to play them. Micrososoft definately needs to at least have a basic free account that you can play online with. Just maybe not all the features of a paid account.
What i dont understand is that you pay for you internet and then MS is asking for somemore money on top of that for internet that you already own and thats what put me off of buy an xbox really
Xbox Live Should Be Free of Cost Once You purchase A Game!
could a techie please explain to me what i am payng for with a gold account?
is it that when i join a mp game that this game is hosted on dedicated hardware out of the loop of the people playing? if so then thats something that costs to run so worth paying but if not then what am i paying for?