Xbox Live Subscription to Raise in Price

[Danny Boy]

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/new...more_xbox_live

Here's some potentially bad news for Xbox 360 console gamers - according to market analyst Michael Pachter, the price of an Xbox Live Gold subscription will shoot up to $100 per year, perhaps as early as 2011. What the hell?

"You can't hook into Xbox LIve Gold if he's playing on a PC," Pachter said on how Microsoft seemingly abandoned the PC as a gaming platform. "That's the other problem - you really want to hook every gamer who has a 360, you want them to buy all their games on 360, play everything multiplayer, pay you 50 bucks a year so that, in a couple of years, it's a 100 bucks a year."

While the numbers might be up for debate, Pachter seems convinced that Gold subscription prices are definitely on the rise. But is he off his rocker?

Current Gold level subs run $50 per year, or half of where Pacther predicts pricing is headed towards. In return, gamers get access to online multiplayer gaming, the ability to stream Netflix movies to your console (provided you're also a Netflix subscriber), and a few other odds and ends. Minus a few proprietary features, it's all stuff you can do on the PC for free, so it would be a tough sell to up and double the price of a sub in a 24-month time span.

That's wonderful logic. To sell your product even more, you raise the price of the service!

[Torian]

That patcher dude has said shit before, in the end it's all speculation.

[Danny Boy]

But then again, wouldn't be all surprising if microsoft DID in fact do this

[Danny Boy]

Meh, I don't like the PS3 controllers

[iGawd]

If They Raise The Price, Buy Hella Now Then Sellz It

[HTML]

What the hell? First they sell us fucked up Xbox's then they want to raise the price to play on the fucked up systems?

Wow?

[TheDarkAngel]

I agree this is another reason as to why PS3 is the better console over the xbox 360
(I <3 my PS3 and free internetz :p)

[sezna]

first of all i dont know why but i love xbox360 more than ps3. also, i doubt they actually will raise the price. its just a scare to make people go buy cards now. and yeah, they did mess up when they made the "new xbox experience" i liked it better before.

[Torian]

+1 to what Sezna said, this guy has no relation to Microsoft and has made claims that had no basis before, M$ are rolling in dough already and they know that they wont be able to profit as much if they rose the prices, they're up against two consoles that offer free online experiences and they know this.

[Eli]

Bull crap, $100 a year.
I'm paying enough already >.>

[Dragonmikoo]

WoW The PS3 is better then this, but the XBOX games are quite nice.

[Vash]

Lol I highly doubt they are going to raise the price of Live and if raised it'll only be about a 10-20 dollar increase. From a marketing point of view Microsoft I'm sure understands that increasing the price for Live would hurt them pretty hard but even if it were a $100 a year I would still pay thats still cheaper than paying for an mmo for a year. Personally I wouldn't switch to a PS3 mainly because it's not the same due to the community. I've been on Live for about 5-6 years and the people I've met are lot's of fun to play with and its nice just to hang out and have a chat with them. Overall If I do quit Live Im moving on to straight PC and with what I have on my PC it won't be needing any upgrades for a long time.

[sezna]

the xbox's games make up for the price of live

[Danny Boy]

Hey, don't start flaming the Xbox please, that can be considered spam :/
There is no "better" system, people have different preferences is all

[sezna]

Lol I highly doubt they are going to raise the price of Live and if raised it'll only be about a 10-20 dollar increase. From a marketing point of view Microsoft I'm sure understands that increasing the price for Live would hurt them pretty hard but even if it were a $100 a year I would still pay thats still cheaper than paying for an mmo for a year. Personally I wouldn't switch to a PS3 mainly because it's not the same due to the community. I've been on Live for about 5-6 years and the people I've met are lot's of fun to play with and its nice just to hang out and have a chat with them. Overall If I do quit Live Im moving on to straight PC and with what I have on my PC it won't be needing any upgrades for a long time.

in my opinion the most they would do is just reduce payment options. like keep the 7 bucks a month and ditch the three month sub and increase the price of the yearly one.

[Auron4020]

Yes the PS3 is superior to the xbox on certain things but honestly our online runs way smoother than the PS3's. I have tried both and i think the PS3 is more oriented towards single player (apart from Resistance and Killzone 2 which both rock). It's mostly a matter of what your opinion is about that console. But this 100 dollars a year crap is gonna get on my nerves fast.

[C0FFINCASE]

I'd straight up sell my 360 and go PS3. $100 is ridiculous.

[Irishmitch]

Wait whernt they going to make live free like next year

[Vash]

Wait whernt they going to make live free like next year

haha just rumors live has been running for 6+ years no reason to make it free now

[Euphoria]

Screw that if it rises its stupid the wii and ps3 have free online if anything it should go down D:

[Rayne 111]

Yeah. £40 a year is enough for me, i'd probably go for the PS3 if they did that.

[Irishmitch]

haha just rumors live has been running for 6+ years no reason to make it free now

One good reason is people get pissed and buy a PS3 insted Espacaly since there Real cheap now

[Halogod]

I'm pretty sure that Microsoft won't do this.
And for the people saying PS3 is better then the Xbox 360. The PS3 might be better for graphic, but the Xbox 360 is way better for online play and the games.

[Vash]

One good reason is people get pissed and buy a PS3 insted Espacaly since there Real cheap now

Not because of live it's because their 360 receives RRoD or they get scratches on their disk. If people get pissed for paying why do they pay in the first place. Can't fully understand what you're stating that people get pissed about. When it comes down to it xbox live's networking is better, who cares about paying a little more for something that's better? Some people that have been on xbox live for years don't even care if it get's free or not. I think more people would be pissed if it did become free now and not receive a refund for the time that everyone payed for. Imagine paying for something for a long period of time and new people can get it for free. Besides they need the money in order to keep their servers at it's best.

[ShadowsRandom]

I agree this is another reason as to why PS3 is the better console over the xbox 360
(I <3 my PS3 and free internetz :p)

Like It's been said MULTIPLE times the ps3 is a mini-computer while the 360 is a gaming console.
there is a difference with reasons.

[Shane]

I'll still buy it.

[Taylor123123]

They added a new dashboard earlier this year... maybe it is possible to raise the price :\

[Simon Fiction™]

Atm, a PS3 difference in price pays for itself in 2 years assuming you have XBL that entire time.
If they raise the cost so it's payable in like 14/16months i'll deffinately concider getting a PS3.

Still though, £40 a year is only like £3.20 a month (cba to to maths, it's early), i'd say i get more than 15p worth a day (=

But no, no price raise.
I don't want to have to spend more

[Tatsuo]

Microsoft would never do this. Why? People wouldn't buy 360s anymore, they'd be like, "Why buy a 360 and pay $100 for online when I can just get a PS3 and get online for free?"

[Tobi]

Wow the stupid thing is they would still have people buying it

[Torian]

Just bought a 12 month for 40$ online lul, they cant catch meee!

[Tobi]

Just bought a 12 month for 40$ online lul, they cant catch meee!

They will just catch you next year then haha

[Vash]

I hope everyone understands this is also coming from the same man who said that people don't really want to play multiplayer online games. Remember this is a prediction and this man has been wrong in the past.

[Chad]

Quickly my children! run to your nearest xbox dealer in town and buy all the points and live subscriptions you can! I would do it. But i have 2 year live subscription + 2 free months.