Dodece said:
I actually committed blasphemy, and voted a resounding yes. I will further compound my blasphemy by saying that gold is overpriced crap. This isn't a question of whether there is a place for subscription services. The question is why Microsoft doesn't actually provide content to justify the fee they are charging. Not only does the fee discourage any number of potential customers. They are charging for something that is actually free on any personal computer, or portable internet enabled device. The service is both superfluous, and nothing less then highway robbery. Bottom line it has a negative impact on the image.
I am calling the argument that Live is good to be nothing less then complete bullshit. Microsoft is not providing any content at all. Every service offered through Live is already an existing service that was already free to access elsewhere. Playing online was always free prior to this generation, and it isn't as if Microsoft has dedicated game servers up and running. No it is left up to the players hardware to serve as a host.
Live is just a shiny advertisement for games, and a overpriced portal to services that are free, or you have to pay for already. Don't give me this crap it is worth all they charge. I was intent on not resubscribing early this year. No I was not keen on paying for jack shit. The only way Microsoft got my jaded ass back was to bribe me with a free retail game. Only then did the price become less reprehensible.
That should tell you guys something. Microsoft had to bribe me with a forty dollar game before I would pony up for another year. They wouldn't be doing that if it weren't necessary. More and more people are becoming very jaded about what Microsoft is charging, and are walking away from the service. Which is only a short step form switching brands.
Microsoft better get its head out of its ass, and start to contrive real content. This overpriced portal, and shitty online gaming experience is nowhere near worth what they are charging. When the owners of your console are turning their backs. You can bet your ass they are not going to be advocating your product. Promotional freebies of such high cost cannot be all that practical either. Right now I have my expectations raised. I will expect to get something of equal value early next year, and unless I get that they and I will be right back where we started out this year. Me holding out on them until they bribe me with something I cannot ignore.
Anyway if Microsoft doesn't intend to expand the service with original content then they are probably better off dropping the fee altogether. The fee drives consumers away, and with nothing actually up for sale it isn't bringing consumers onto the platform. Right now it is doing no good, and a lot of harm. All I am saying is be one or the other. Either be worth the price being charged, or abandon the fee altogether. There is nothing worse the being totally overpriced.
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You say they are walking away?
Explain how their Live revenue is up 40% on last year?
And how they have even a bigger active user count now over PS3 than 2 years ago?
And as for original content. MS has and releases more original content than any other console service. Is faster, smoother and doesnt take 2 hours t update.
