The vast majority of consumers aren't, though, but if MS is happy, by all means it must go on like this, I won't object, as long as I have a choice.

Live seriously have no reason to be a payed service, we're not in the 90's servers are not that expensive to hold especially in the USA, developers know this as well, even MMOs are getting cheaper (to the point of paying only once, or even be fully free) , Microsoft should get their act together.

I meant consumers who bought a 360. But don't get me wrong, I'd love to see more online services on each console so we can get some competition, but that doesn't really seem all that likely right now. Until then, I don't see the big deal in paying for what XBL has to offer.

Well, this without any doubt. The share of 360 users that subscribe to Gold is really huge. But the fact that it's necessary even for just playing online multiplayer obviously helps it a lot.

Of course, but if it was such a bad thing, people wouldn't be doing it regardless.

I like the Steam infrastructure, but not their prices. Neither the currency conversions, nor the actual prices. Their specials are great, no question about that. But out there in the non-DL world there are constantly low prices that often compare to Steam's specials, and I can choose whenever I want to instead of looking at random sales, never knowing what will come next and when title X's turn will come.

I've never paid for playing online though, and I don't think I ever will.

Not. MS tried more than once to switch from license to yearly subscription also for Windows and Office, most companies refused, as they often preferred to use their internal IT department or third parties for the additional services that MS offered (and more and better taylored ones too) and as they didn't find appealing to be able to always upgrade to the latest MS SW, that was the main selling point of subscription. Transforming its current rich business model in an even richer one based on fees generating a constant stream of money also from existing customers is the old MS dream. The fact that they include in the pay version of Live subscription even the minimum vital service of basic online multiplayer that is free everywhere else, is a clear demonstration that MS wants to force this model on users whenever it can. Unless you show me that 360 gamers just wanting basic online multiplayer and nothing else can get it for free like every other gamer.

If they like to play online XB exclusives, have they any choice? But yes, the whole package, XB360 plus its multiplayer best seller exclusives plus XBL Gold, is obviously liked a lot by a lot of people. I'd say, though, that multiplayer exclusives are the key factor of this success, not additional premium services. Halo did for MS what even Windows couldn't.

QFT. Steam is also a way of locking a game to one user, so if there are 2 people in the same household that would like seperate Modern Warfare 2 profiles(perks) they have to buy a second copy of the game.