The REAL Problem With Xbox Live (OPINION)

[J_Allard]

Chark said:

J_Allard said:

Nah I never said Live would degrade. Would it be a bad thing for Live to free up multiplayer while continuing to be just as good? No. Why would anyone say it would be? But why would MS want to do that when they have a service that millions of people are glad to pay for? Would it be bad for Sony to make PS+ free? No. That would be great for PS3 owners. But it's not realistic or logical.

There's no point in entertaining the thought that the two services are equal simply because they aren't. PSN improving "leaps and bounds" is still a far cry from XBL. And it's been said many times in this thread there are people who feel the services are close enough to warrant not paying for XBL. That's fine, more power to them. You might think they need to include more to hold off competition but reality doesn't mesh with that sentiment. By the way, what's your source for PSN creeping up on XBL Gold? And are you talking strictly number of users? Because I have 5 PSN accounts on one PS3. You're talking a business approach so I'd expect something substantial in terms of evidence that PSN is making Sony money that is creeping closer and closer to what MS makes off Live.

The burgers costing money is entirely irrelevant. The part that actually matters is you have two competing companies offering similar products for different prices. You can't expect company A to match company B when company A has a product that is superior, so much so that millions have been shown to have no problem paying a premium price for it.

You ignore the dilemma though. As PSN's free service nears the quality of XBL (whether that has happened or has yet to happen), XBL loses an important feature that maintains its subscribers. Not everyone, but some and when new consumers compare the two products XBL won't be as appealing as it once was. This endangers continued growth and current subscriptions. The time is approaching when Microsoft will make their decision to address their future and we know they have something up their sleeve and they will most likely unveil it with Xbox 3, though there are even rumors of a tv service on 360 next year.

XBL either needs to increase the value of their free basic service or increase the value of their premium one over their competition in order to continue growth or at least prevent decline. Right now PSN is in full swing after launching PS Plus, their own premium service. It's cheaper, provides attractive content, and opting out of it doesn't cut users off from online multiplayer. It's stiff competition.

This isn't as much about which service is better but more about which service will attract more customers. XBL's superior premium service and bare bones basic service or PSN's basic service and premium service. Many are starting to see PS Plus as the better value over XBL and it isn't a question as to which company's basic service is better. PSN use to compete with its basic service offerings alone and it is only recently PSN has something premium to show for itself and it is a pretty good premium service. So yes, XBL needs to address this or it potentially risks lower memberships or at least less than what PSN is gaining with its new model.

You can't ignore a dilemna that doesn't exist. PSN still has a long ways to go before it approaches XBL in many areas. Furthermore given everything MS has done to improve Live this gen it seems rather silly to speculate that they won't continue improving it.

And I still shake my head at anyone comparing PS+ to Xbox Live. As has been said over and over in this thread, they aren't the same thing, they aren't meant to deliver the same thing. I would hope that a discount service provides "attractive content" and value. Otherwise why does a discount service exist? XBL Gold is not a discount service. MS isn't desperate enough to need a discount service.

I'm just going to assume you pulled the comment about PSN closing the gap with XBL out of your butt now.