Microsoft should make XBLG free for MP (360/X1/XS/PC)

[Chazore]

binary solo said:
It's XBL almost the sole source of any actual profit MS has made from Xbox over the last 2 1/2 generations? If not the only source then a large majority of it.

But it is true that an increasingly unified environment between PC and console for MS does make paid online for XBL stick out like a dog's balls. Though I think MS is more likely to try to slap paid online onto PC somehow than relinquish it for console. Of course the problem for MS in PC is that while PC is virtually a single platform, there are many game providers and online services. and if MS slaps a fee for gaming through a MS service people will merely get their gaming from Steam or G2A, or GoG or Origin, or wherever. So MS would need to be pushing all those other players out of PC before they could introduce paid online for PC. And that wouldn't be easy if they were to try.

I don't for a second think that MS will ever be able to push all the other players completely out of PC to then slap a sub fee onto the platform, the competition is just too rich and varied, not to mention still stronger than MS is with the platform itself.

I can see MS trying it regardless like they did with GFWL and since the whole Win 10/MS store is their own private bubble, it would be easy for them to attempt it the way they have gone about Windows 10 adoption, do it forcefully but make it look like it's doing no harm, that it's safe and good for you, that more or less got them a netted win for win 10 adoption rates despite the tactic in the past being a bad one (I honestly think it's one of the worst towards a consumer but to a business it makes perfect sense).