Honestly having spent the last generation in the online subscription space in massive titles. I perhaps more then most do appreciate the necessity for a subscription base that is strongly motivated towards retention. Rather then models that are almost entirely based upon micro-transaction models. The free nature of which is both incredibly unfair, and is very rarely actually a good deal. In other words the players that opt to pay monthly fees usually spend far less, and they are actually getting a fair playing field. Meanwhile the players you opt for these supposedly free services usually end up paying more money, and they are compelled to do so just to be competitive with other players.
Basically Microsoft has a vested interest in keeping Live as neutral a service as possible, and preventing the more extreme abuses that go on elsewhere. That subscription service is like a shield that honest gamers can use to their own benefit. That prevents greed from harming a good online experience. Microsoft may let developers sell some real meaningless crap over Live, but thats just the point. The stuff being sold is by far meaningless. Your being sold things that don't disrupt existing games, and throw the balance to whoever has the most cash wins.
Imagine a free or exceedingly cheap space where almost everything is for sale including I win buttons that come in over a hundred different flavors. Imagine jumping into a game of Halo 3, and running into a guy who gets to carry twenty plasma grenades. Imagine your frustration as this guy runs out tossing a flurry out in the field. Hell he doesn't even have to aim. Then you ask him after the game. You know after he handed your ass to you. How he got so many grenades, and he says well he bought a ammo booster from Bungie for only five bucks. You might get pissed, but in truth you probably go and get yourself even. You go buy the booster, and thus before long everyone has bought the booster. Then a week later you run into the same guy, and now he starts out each match with a rocket launcher, and guess what you find yourself going to buy the rocket booster pack, but its only six dollars right.
That is what has happened to many a gamer in games with little or no subscription fees. Without the threat of losing those fees developers are free to wallow in their own crap. They just sell you every thing they can, and don't feel any sense of compunction about unbalancing their own games just to force you to buy equality. Don't laugh I have seen a lot of very smart people get sucked into this black pit. One week they would tell me about this great free game, and a month later they are telling me that they have blown over sixty dollars on extra content that is basically required to keep them on top of the game, and even then they are oblivious to the fact that they will spend the same amount of money the next month.
Usually it takes them a few months to realize they are chasing a dragon, and cut these games off cold turkey. The truth is for a competitive gamer micro-transactions are like a highly addictive drug. Just like most drugs the first taste is free, and before you know whats going on your bleeding your wallet dry to feed the beast. I have seen decent gamers destroy their lives playing games they can't win. I have even had the misfortune to know a couple that quite literally went all the the way to destitution. You can't help, but feel bad what someone is telling you they have to sell their rig to pay for car repairs. They could have afforded a few months earlier, but had blown all their money on virtual items you know just to be a winner.
No I would rather give Microsoft fifty bucks a year. I would rather pay for Microsoft to safeguard my experience rather then let them just play the door greeter. You know welcome to Live our responsibility ends here. Oh and before anyone says anything about Sony. This is a company that provides retail space to gold farmers, and does a lot of the stuff I mentioned earlier on the PC. Now if you aren't seeing much of it on PSN. To that I say wait a while. Words of wisdom subscription service means quality, and if your not getting it then you at least can get your point across by refusing to pay.
