Achievement? Some of the responses in this thread are baffling! All throughout the last generation people would constantly praise Sony for offering free online gaming and criticize Microsoft for charging for Gold. Now, Sony charges for online play and they are praised? Really? I fully applause MS and Sony for offering a paid-for service which offers value in the terms of extra content and games but this?
Also, the amount of people stating this is somehow Microsoft's fault is incredible. Who charges for online play on Playstation? Sony. Who pays for it? The consumer. The only two parties to blame is Sony for implementing it and the consumer for voting with their wallet and accepting it. If you view the practice as bad, then you should vote with your wallet, not buy XBL and when Sony do the same, also refuse to buy PS+. You can't blame another company for implementing a service first. It's like... Costa change their recipe and you complain. Then you go to Starbucks and praise them for doing the same!? No. You refuse to buy Starbucks too until one of them changes it back to how you used to like it.
People really need to stop blindly praising practices these businesses make. The ONLY reason Sony charge for PS+, and the same for XBL is because they can and it makes them lots of money. Despite what you think, neither company gives a dime about your 'online satisfaction' unless it generates them profit.
Does PS+ and XBL gold offer value which is good for the consumer? Arguably, yes, but as an optional product. Forcing you to pay to access half of the console's features and play your games online should not be viewed as an 'Achievement' but rather anti-consumerism.
XBL: NathObeaN | PSN: NathObeaN | Steam: NathObeaN
