Just added a link on original post. It's to the comments of the original article on that site. They were interesting to read thru too.

Dude, if you include the average 8% sales tax, Xbox Live Gold is $4.50 a month for a far superior online experience.

Interesting read. The fear piece really struck a note with me. The next time my 360 RRoD's, I'm never buying another MS console again.

Destructiod is a load of crap, you can just never pay much attention to what they say

But anyway, I don't like the fact that for my £40 I don't get all the content on the disc

I'll admit that easy.  I can't stand Microsoft at all.  But it's definitely not any console hating happening.  I would take it then that you agree with Microsoft every bit that the console and manufacturing are perfect, the online is fully worth it, and they have done everything to improve the quality of gaming for everyone?  That's a tall order but if you do believe that then I won't fault that.  It's opinions.  But there is no bashing on my part to one console.  I'm more about the business practices going on behind it all.

This part of the article is true and not so true......

'The Xbox exists to stop the PlayStation brand from succeeding, and MS essentially stuck its big nose into an industry that it didn't really have any business getting involved with'

Microsoft did indeed make the xbox to stop Sony claiming the front room to itself.  Not from games but from digtal downloads like movies, music on demand TV, shopping etc and knew Sony was well place to take advanage of all this.  In turn Sony became a major threat to MS and MS had to do something to counter this.

But the other part 'MS essentially stuck its big nose into an industry' doesn't make sense.  Sony did the same thing back in the 90's since then the industry has needed a new company to come in.  If their was no Xbox...  Sony's PS3 would still cost £500 and have limited online gaming etc...

The xbox has woken sony into new thinking.  Sony must now think of what USA, European gamers needs instead of just japanese.

Everybody needs water to live though, so what are you saying? lol jk jk

though i can see this is mainly about how much the game industry as a whole has taken a wrong turn , and Microsoft is prety much a scape goat to put blame on..beside's their a big evil corperation/sarcasm.

what it mainly get's too is I think the game industry is getting more and more people to keep them from saying NO...the problem is they know the Gamer's all too well and it's showing the truth of the matter..

$60.00+ for a single game there are special ed. of games over $60.00...!

content being sold over their networks+ game's "mappack's" are getting to the point of being sold like ring tone's

than let's not forget downloaded virtual items for avatars.....!

Gamer's have had a hard time saying NO..that's the whole point i think as long as the majority of GAMER'S continue to not say

"NO" thing's are going to keep going toward the same line's

there is just too much money for these companies to make simply because they know the GAMER's have a HARD time saying

"NO"

Gamer's have been reluctant to Say No to $60.00 games
as big example's

HALO
LITTLEBIGPLANET
GRAND THEFT AUTO IV

is proof + these companies know gamer's are paying $60.00+ for games

GAMER'S can only blame themselves

To me it also is. But it doesn't change the fact that it would be nice if it were free, like on ps3. I don't even know what the wii has... I haven't turned mine on since december. And I don't own any online games fer et. :-/

Although me complaining is really hypocritical, since I would just buy gold anyway again because I love playing online every once and again.

I do agree that gamers have allowed this to happen to themselves.  Can you imagine what would have happened when no games sold that were $50 or higher in price?  The thing that really blows me away is that someone would pay to download extra items for an avatar.  That one just makes me LMAO.