Yea, I don't really see what is so great about Xbox Live. I know it is superior with all the things it offers, but I feel that it's a huge ripoff to force people to have to pay to be able to play games online. Screw using the Silver accounts as a talking point, I'm trying to take my console online to play the games online more than using the other features of Live. What's worse is that it's peer-to-peer (is that correct?) servers instead of dedicated servers for like all the games. I think E3 saw a game, forgot what it was called, that made a deal with Microsoft to host their own dedicated servers? 

Then, you're paying money for this service, yet it's still riddled with ads? 

$4 a month
less than a dollar a week
13.5 cents a day

And everyone seems to agree they have the best online service.
Are many people who pay for Xbox Live really dissatisfied with the price?

oh it's only $4 a month? Eh, then what are you complaining about...none of you better be WoW or LOTRO players, cause those games are like $15 a month hehe.

That's why I don't play WoW or LOTRO.  Though my friend did let me use her 10 day trial when she bought it last year. I'd rather use WoW and connect to a free unofficial server, but those usually get lots of lag.

LOTRO is really fun though...I'm just gonna play for the summer. $80 is worth it for such an immersive game, in my opinion.

Even though it is $4 a month, it's still $50 a year. Just as WoW for a year is $180 if you pay by month, it's a little cheaper if you pay for (I think) 6 or 12 month subscription, but it only translates into like $12-13 a month instead. 

Yea, I agree. I'd like to play these games, but being a college student. . . I don't know. If I can get a job at the apartment where I'm going to be living this year, it'll cover my rent instead of getting paid so maybe I'll think about it then. Of course, then I need to worry about the internet. . . I tell you, if you play a lot of your games online, do not live in a college dorm. . . ugh, most of my PC library was rendered useless. In fact, a couple of games from Valve (Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat, ect) were pretty much the only online games that worked, but it would take Steam 30 minutes to an hour just to load up and log on.

Doesn't Windows Live do everything except allow cross platform play and achievements for free?

The Silver has features, but they're all quite limited compared to the same features you'd get with the Gold version. Except that Silver doesn't get achievements and cross platform play.

I found this with a quick google search. Granted that I've never really tried Xfire (i've heard it's messes with your PC?), the site I found compares Windows Live Gold vs Xfire (Silver and Gold features are included).

http://casualcoregamerpress.blogspot.com/2007/05/xfire-vs-windows-live.html

The only big 'plus' I see to Windows Live is that it works with Xbox Live in that if you currently have Xbox Live Gold, then you also have access to Windows Live Gold. They're trying to unify online PC games, but it's not interesting to me unless it really proves itself to be worth it and no, forcing Vista games to require Windows Live isn't something I'm too excited about. 

Xfire was cool...mainly because Steam's Friend system was down for a LONG time.

I think Steam's going to be the seamless experience to be had...Xfire seems pointless to me now...I just got Xfire because I hated when AIM crashed my game...Xfire had a nice little popup in the bottom right when I got an IM that didn't screw up my game.