| wiifan75 said: http://www.destructoid.com/how-microsoft-ruined-fun-for-everybody-141220.phtml http://www.destructoid.com/how-microsoft-ruined-fun-for-everybody-141220.phtml#comment
This has got to be one of the best articles I've read lately regarding the direction that gaming is heading. And the comments were pretty good too. I remember when MS & Sony tested some game with extra content to see if people would be willing to pay $60+. And laughed when it sold like wildfire. Here we are years later in a new console era and every game release is now $60 for those consoles. One reason for me to not be an Xbox 360 owner has been the idea of paying for online play and all the other extras that are sold. I buy a game and that's what I want. Online play is a selling point to sell the game. If COD:WAW was online and The Conduit was LAN only, then I would have passed on Conduit and bought COD:WAW. It's a selling point. This Pay to Play is silly when you've already PAID for the game. I could go on thought but don't want to waste time with it. The article says plenty and I think it's a good read. I agree with it and will add only one note to it... As much as it faults Microsoft it neglects the fact that Sony is doing their gamers the same almost because they are trying to keep up Microsoft. I'm glad to see their online gaming is free (for now anyway). The Wii has lousy online features compared with Live, but as simple as it is... it works damn well with what it's for. Please don't bash each other in here. Just some honest opinions is all I'm interested in. |
Fun was Hi-jacked by Sony long ago, when they entered the gaming arena. That guy who wrote the article doesn't know a thing about what he's talking about and just wants to blame Microsoft for what Sony started. Sony nearly monopolized the gaming industry by gathering 2/3's of third party games for themselves. If it wasn't for Sony, Sega wouldn't have rushed to make the Dreamcast so soon and would've thougt more about piracy. I am glad Microsoft joined up (for now) because someone had to slow Sony down. Microsoft eventually will no longer be the knight in Shining armor when they gain enough marketshare and finally win a gen. I already know to be ready for that. Microsoft makes people pay for Xbox Live. Wow! Guess what!? Sony couldn't force people to pay for PSN if they tried. It's funny that no one pays for internet on PSN, because people barely buy PSN products as opposed to live which actually has puts a fair annual price tag on Xbox live. Xbox Live has been so successful that Microsoft showers their consumers with annual updates for Xbox Live. Sony cannot afford to do that and if they tried, they would be in more trouble. Xbox Live is quality...and there is always a critic who never has the mere $50 dollars a year to pay for quality, yet could pay $399 to $599 to buy their PS3, $250 to buy a Wii or even $199 to $399 to obtain an Xbox 360. No one talks about how Sony is lagging in the entertainment department and uses the gaming industry with the Playstation brand to win DVD wars with rivaling brands. No one complained when Sony used DVD on the PS2 to streamline and drop the price of DVD players in 2001 and people almost got the picture, but let it pass when they used the PS3 to save Blu Ray (risking loyal customers). When Sony tells you at an E3 conference that they want to create a multi-media system, is because they are obviously trying to use this market to win a losing battle in another market.
Microsoft is a known Monopoly, but they aren't a monopoly in the gaming arena. Everyone is already weary of Microsoft, so they know not to overstep their bounds just yet.
