It appears that most of those who believe XBL is better than PSN do so for reasons entirely isolated from XBL. It is not that the fact it is a paid service that makes it better, just that they prefer the aesthetics and features associated with the platform that happens to have the service and they misguidedly associate those factors to XBL and the fact they pay for it while others do not. In reality, their preferred service happens to charge them for access regardless of its connection to what the service actually delivers because of it.
Smoke and mirrors, and exclusive features they can gatekeep. If you pay for the service because you want those features or are constrained to seek an alternative, then fine by me, but I'm sick of delusional visions of grandeur because Microsoft found a way at your pocket change.
PS+ is a great service Sony is providing that Microsoft doesn't have, and it is doing it for less than what they like to charge for their controversial service.
Before the PS3 everyone was nice to me :(
