slowmo said:
hinch said:
I don't see much value in it.. basic features like online chat and online multiplayer should be free tbh. If Skype, Steam, PSN, Nintendo, Live etc all offer it, why can't MS do the same thing for Xbox. Just the thought of going back to a paywall service to access important features of my Xbox rubs me off the wrong way.
Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with people paying for it.. I just wish people opened their eyes and looked before parting ways with their cash.
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None of those services had all the features of Live until they copied them. Its not free but that means they've trail blazed on the feature front for the integrated online experience. I know what I'm paying for, my guess is you don't know what I'm paying for. If the online experience had been left for Sony or Nintendo to push we would be lucky to have advanced past the original Xbox Live feature set. Microsoft have heavily invested back into the infrastructure they charge for and that's what those people who've been loyal subscribers for years are happy to pay for it. I just don't see Live ever being free, the beauty of the PS3/4 is choice though.
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That doesn't change the fact that they could offer it for free, but don't. What have they invested in really? The Dash? Metro? More space for ads (jk) But seriously, MS must be making a fortune off Live and what do they do with it.. add more and more services that I don't want or need that has to be accessed through Gold (great). A lot of apps on PC had those features long before Xbox Live - Ventrilo, Teamspeak, Xfire, Steam etc. Hell, even Skype.. which (ironically) is now owned by MS is free.
Its the basic principle, they get you to invest time and money into their service and tie you to it. Your friends will do the same and will have to deal with paying a small sum of money to talk/play with each other. To access your apps - Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Love Film, Netflix you'll have to pay to access them.
And now some of their competitors ofer similar services (for free), I just don't see Live as anything more than a cash grab. But hey, if you're happy with it I'm cool with that.. this is just me just giving my 2 pence. :)
