Its Sad That Free Online Is Now A Selling Feature...

[NightDragon83]

S.T.A.G.E. said:

NightDragon83 said:

S.T.A.G.E. said:

NightDragon83 said:
It's sad that people think everything should be free.

I bet the same people who complain about XBL (and now PSN) charging for online have no problem shelling out $8/month ($96/year) to watch old movies and TV shows on Netflix.

Its not that everyone thinks everything should be free. Microsoft disrupted the foundation of gaming with their profiteering schemes. It doesn't matter how much it costs, its the principle, which is why when it comes to business people tend not to trust the American corporation. Why? They'll always dig their hand further where it does not belong. Their peace only stretches so far.

Ummm.. you do realize M$ wasn't the first home console manufacturer to charge people to play online, don't you?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellaview

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SegaNet

Did Nintendo and SEGA disrupt the foundation of gaming with their "greedy profiteering schemes" too?

Oh wait, I take that back... Nintendo's service has long been defunct and SEGA went under entirely.  I guess since M$ is the only console manufacturer to have a successful subscription-based online network, that makes them greedy and evil.

It's also funny how PC gamers have been paying as much as $15 a month to play ONE SINGLE GAME online for years and nobody says boo about it, but meanwhile M$ charges a measly $5 a month for unlimited online gaming and entertainment apps, and everyone acts like they're as bad as the oil companies when it comes to raping consumers.

They went under entirely and Windows Live went free for a reason.

Microsoft played it smart...give them no choice and they cant fight it. Tie everything of value to the online system premium and they have  to pay you. Its how you do it right that shows how much of a bastard you really are. Luckily they didnt continue to force it upon PC gamers when they said no. You cant force something on people on an open format. 

I feel bad for people who buy Windows PC's now. Now people have to buy word instead of it being installed on their computer just as Windows. Its all under subscription or pay once. 

Actually it's the opposite today... now Windows comes with "free" versions of Word and Excel with limited features and ads (yes, ads), whereas going all the way back to the Windows XP days (and possibly earlier), Word was offered only as part of the MS Office suite, either the "Student" or "Business" editions, and depending on where you got your PC some came bundled with Office pre-installed, but most didn't, so this is the first time people actually haven't had to pay for any version of Word in well over a decade.