Alright last generation Microsoft got away with charging gamers for every year they spent on Microsoft's X-Box Live service. What about their pricing and can they continue to charge.
On the origional X-Box , Microsoft charged over 50$ a year for users to connect and play online. Their service was the best the only true online network in the console gaming world. Sony's online service blew and Nintendo's was virtually non-existant. Microsoft could charge because they monopolized online gaming!
This generation Microsoft realized Sony would be pursueing online just as hard as they had. So seeing this in the future Microsoft offered a free online network named X-Box Live silver (maybe wrong name) this would be free but was extremely limited. X-Box Live Gold still cost over 50$ a year!
But can Microsoft continue charging for X-Box Live or do they need alternate sources of income. Nintendo relies on Virtual Console profit to run their online network, their many features all cost consumer's money including in the near future things like the Internet channel (opera browser), Sony's service is also free with many new features being announced every month.
So with Sony's online network having today announced big success 1.3-million users online and Nintendo having also confirmed millions of downloads. Is Microsoft service still superior enough to cost 50$ a year, while the competition's is free? Will Microsoft suffer from charging while its competitor's rise through the ranks and see more profit from their online divisions then Microsoft does?
Will Microsoft go free X-Box Live anytime soon?
-JC7
"In God We Trust - In Games We Play " - Joel Reimer
