Maybe they will require you to watch an ad before you play your game lol.

bit like when playstation users came to defense of sony when they start charging for psn plus

There are a few things:

LIVE Music
LIVE Music will be Microsoft's answer to Google Music.  Upload your music library, but in addition, buy new music and stream music to various devices including your Xbox 360.  LIVE Music will replace the Zune music service, providing the same service and library of music, but expanding on those services.

Skype for Xbox LIVE
Kinect Video Chat on steroids.  Skype for Xbox LIVE will bring video conferencing to the living room unlike anything to date.  Skype for Xbox LIVE will expand on the features of and replace Kinect Chat.  Providing users the ability to chat with multiple people at once.  However, with a paid subscription to Skype, you'll be able have people call you on your Xbox.

Xbox LIVE Silver
Microsoft will introduce a new tier, offering LIVE Free, LIVE Silver, and LIVE Gold.  Free will offer the same basic services it currently does, Silver will expand on Free by offering users access to the expanding library of entertainment and communication services available to the Xbox 360.  Gold will include all of the features available in Free and SIlver, but offer the addition of gaming services like beacons, cloud storage of profiles, and online gaming.

You mean when psn+ was giving users like 3 free games every month, plus crazy discounts on games, betas, and special content?

Looks like someones grasping for straws.

What do you mean when?  They still do, I got a shit load of free games just this past week alone.

all that is taken away when the membership runs out

I know, but you get it back whenever you get PSN Plus again.  I only really got it cause all Final Fantasy games were on sale and I'd have saved 20 dollars, the other 40 I spent will go into random discounts and I needed the cloud storage.  I mean I already got a few more discounts off Mortal Kombat stuff that I was going to eventually buy, plus the free games, it's already paid itself off and I might even renew a second time.

Do you get to play more games on xboxlive?

And here we go again herp derp.

Obviously you don't know what PS Plus is. Its not the Xbox Live model, it didn't eliminate anything from non PS Plus members. It's mearly a pay for program for giveaways and extra discounts. PS Plus did not exist before it was a paid service.

To contribute the conversation, perhaps Microsoft is looking to create a higher tier of Xbox Live service, like PS Plus for Xbox. Not sure how it would increase their profits unless its successful at increasing game sales. It would create an opportunity to increase monthly charges as an option, say instead of $60 a year it could be $80? Maybe even Gold would drop in price a little, but not sure how that would help either.