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Games For Windows Live Is Now Free, Should Xbox Live Follow Suit?

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Microsoft's decision to make Games For Windows Live free is a step in the right direction, one which should be well received by gamers and developers alike. Paying 5 dollars a month for Xbox Live, however, may seem too much for some, but is it justified?
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treacherous_gamer - contributor
Published: 515 days 21 hours ago | Article | Xbox 360
 
 

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dadice - 515 days 22 hours ago
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1 -
It doesn't need to be free - it's SOOOOOOOOO much better than what Wii and PS3 are doing they can get away with charging.
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treacherous_gamer - 515 days 21 hours ago
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1.1 - Yep
I have to agree. Paying for Xbox Live isn't that much. I mean come on, can't you spend 5 bucks a month? The service is great but I believe PSN has some catching up to do. Still, excited about Home though. As the article points out "Free doesn’t necessarily mean better, however."
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Ghoul - 515 days 19 hours ago
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1.2 -
no its nice to pay for a service i had for free ... once upon a time.

but its ok let them milk you.
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cmd5150 - 515 days 19 hours ago
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1.3 - Wrong...
I still think that when I buy a game that comes with online multiplayer, I should be able to access that feature without having to pay a premium. It's as simple as that. I don't need live chat or any of that nonsense. I just want to play online.
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hfaze - 515 days 17 hours ago
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1.4 - SOOOOOOO much better?
What exactly is it about Live that is so much better than PSN? The ONLY feature that Live has that PSN (currently) does not that I would even care for is the short voice messages cross-game.

Other than that, what else is there? Cross-game invites? That's just a pain in my a$$... When I'm playing CoD4, I don't really want to be bombarded with invites to play Halo 3... Besides, by the time you quit the game you're already in, swap the games, and get into the game you were invited to, the lobby is usually either full or already in-game...

And to anyone trying to say that getting into online games on Live is better than PSN, need I remind you of this last Christmas holiday when doing ANYTHING on Live was painful to say the least, while I was having a blast with CoD4 on PSN. Live is not the end-all, be-all that people like to make it out to be...
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Bob Dole - 515 days 22 hours ago
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2 -
Yes.
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SickNick85 - 515 days 20 hours ago
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3 -
I hope so...many people in europe buy a 360 if the live will be free
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Fishy Fingers - 515 days 20 hours ago
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Games for Windows went free beacuse...
1, PC gamers put down a heavy foot and said NO! to any payment, plus you could still play your games online (silver) and get other programs like TeamSpeak or whatever to offer all the options of Games for Windows, only thing payment really got you was achievements I think. Not a big deal in the PC world.

2, Steam. Steam offers everything and more and has a excellent cataloge of games ready to download and play, all for free (except the games of course).

Live will stick to charging, 360 owners are for the most part happy to pay for it because as of now it's the best. Perhaps when the PSN is up to scratch and if Home is a success MS may have to think about dropping the fee, or at least lower it. Especially now with the extra money they're making from the Video downloads and Arcade titles.
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Kick The Ass - 515 days 20 hours ago
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5 - Fishy Fingers
Exactly, bubbles for you.
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Mikelarry - 515 days 20 hours ago
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6 - it should be free
i aint renewing my membership when it runs out. apart for the ability to send game invites, mute ppl from thier profiles and in game chat which i could live without. im sure those services dont cost 39.99 (uk pounds)i havent touched my xbox in awhile and wen i do the only game i play online is gears. if ms wants to keep thier consumers happy i would say either lower the price maybe to 5 pounds or let it be free(i personally think if they did any of the following they would have a more ppl who would want to buy the 360)
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kevnb - 515 days 20 hours ago
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7 - yes
If psn is free, xbox live has to be free. It might not hurt microsoft too much just yet, but eventually charging for xbox live will cost them more than they make off of it.
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Scar 360WA - 515 days 19 hours ago
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8 -
I don't think it should be free. Unless Sony takes up the responsibility of handling all the servers for first and third party games like MS does there's no reason to. Everyone's so worried about it being free they don't bother to look at the downside of it. Like how all the sudden unpopular games that some people may still play would be shut down because developers wouldn't want to pay for the servers.
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Lumbo - 515 days 19 hours ago
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8.1 -
Don't make me laugh. MS is NOT handling the "servers" cause nearly all games on live are P2P = your OWN xbox is the server people connect to. It cost MS ZERO to handle the requests. Sony on the other hand offers free DEDICATED servers for gaming in a lag free and fair environment.

Seems you failed to see the main issues that a pure p2p environment causes:

1) lag cause the "server" is in effect just another console running both the game and the server tasks
2) host advantage cause the one hosting the game has a zero ping opposed to all the other players who lag behind depending on their connection. This leads to a strong bonus for the host in fps environments.
3) "host closed the connection" meaning that whenever the player being host feels like it (i.e. he is loosing ...) or something with his internet connection is wrong ALL players get dropped.

The only positive on a p2p centered net is the one you mentioned as in : several years from now a game might go down cause the dedicated servers for it are all gone. But this does not outweigh the grave negatives p2p bring into online gaming.

Why is "games for windows" failing as a pay service? caus on the PC you have alternatives to the pay2use "service" Microsoft offers. Steam is free, offers better games, is widely accepted. Same with xFire and countless other tools that offer everything XBL offers and for free. So PC gamers are not forced to eat from the monopolists table and stay free. Therefor Microsoft is forced to drop the ridicules fee from the PC service as gamers where ignoring the games completely because of that.

On the 360 you do not have this freedom. You either eat the pay2use crow or not play online AT ALL. Even though you don't get anything more than the PC gamers had for free all these years, not even dedicated servers as PC gamers had for free all the time. Shows you where absence of competition leads. But be happy, both Nintendo and Sony so far offer online gaming for free, hence it will result in a different situation for XBL in the future= dropping of the fee.
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Scar 360WA - 515 days 14 hours ago
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8.2 -
Ms does handle all the match making accept for ea games. You have no clue what your talking about.

All the things you mention can happen on any third party game for the ps3.

Also your post has nothing to do with I was saying. Come back a year from now and see how many servers for ps3 games are shut down. You guys can disagree all you want it doesn't change the fact that I'm right.
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kewlkat007 - 515 days 19 hours ago
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9 - Paying $5 is nothing to complain about.
The average person can afford that. $5 is not even enough for a cheeseburger meal. Take away 2 cups of coffee a month and voila.

I've been very critical of MS and their prices on many sh^t and as always anything Free would be great but businesses just don't work that way. Depending on the business model. You have to make money somehow.

Seeing that MS is the underdog and has been in the Red up until now, though they have been profitable for like a whole year. I just couldn't see them breaking into the industry and giving us gamers everything free.(Looking at the console business as a business first) Plus Sony was ruling the roost at teh time it would of been a failed business model.

Sony is able to because of their position in the Industry, the last 12 years. They can survive on Brand name every Gen. If it wasn't for live who knows what Sony would of charge, there would of been no competition. Sony takes care of it's 1st-party games and leave 3rd-party to fend for themselves. What your not going to get is CONSISTANCY amongst developers on PSN.

I do not think this Windows Live function really even took off, I mean do we know how many PC gamers were actually signing up? I didn't see it any different than signing up for a MMORPG and being to play monthly. I doubt that part of MS business was thriving. Not many games even support that W-live architect. With XBL on the console, It's a different story, well MS is making lots of money with the content and other things, so I just cannot see MS cutting off them revenue.

It would be like Sony stop making games for the PS2 currently. Gamers will continue to pay because the like the XBL service. MS is not holding a GUN to your head and making you by the Xbox 360 and pay for the service. The fact that, many continue and are willing to pay, as well as, the network continue to grow, tells you the service is flourishing and is worth it. Sony went with Free, and that's their Model, that's what competition is about.

Right now XBL is better than PSN and I don't care even if it's free. I'm not gonna complain about $5 a month because it' affordable looking at what we spend money on in the Everyday life.
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wicked - 515 days 19 hours ago
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9.1 -
If it wasn't for xbox & xbox 360 bringing out live, I don't think Sony would have bothered with the PSN. They were forced into it by the competition. I'm with you on the cost, $5 is nothing, I pay for two gold accounts my sons & mine, I'm not complaining.
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Kratos Spartan - 515 days 18 hours ago
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9.2 - How?
How is Live better than PSN? And vice-versa? Both are just online services from different companies that require an internet connection. Both have similar features, just structured differently. Offering more doesn't make something better. What's that? You say it does? Here is a plate of dog sh!t. Over here is a dumptruck full of dog sh!t. Is the dumptruck, full of sh!t, better cause their is more of it? I will be waiting for someone to explain how either could be better than the other. Throwing the word "opinion" around isn't going to cut it. Not this time. I'm calling all fanboys out. Let's see some proof, let's hear some facts. Entertain me.
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kewlkat007 - 515 days 17 hours ago
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9.3 - Kratos regardless some have plenty of small preferences that might make them like XBL over PSN any day.
I'm not here to convince you, as you have your own preferences, just as I do. We way not think alike and might not like the same things.(for whatever reasons)

There are many little things that make Live better IMO. Again I don't not care how it's done on PSN, I already know. Some have stated:

1. Like download demos and play them straight away without installing them?

2. Currently the XBL interface, everything integrates together, whether your gaming, watching a movie, music, or just on the Dash.

3. Having 3rd-party devs fend for themselves, while on XBL everything is streamlined.(take a look at MGO) Not all devs are created equal or have the funding/man hours to support their own multi-player networks.

4.Currently PSN has been struggling with features XBL has been dong for like 5 years. "Custom Soundtracks, Cross Game Invites, Cross Game Voice Chat, Ability to Add Friends During Ingame, Messaging through MSN, Achievements(Yes PSN got trophys).

* - PRETTY SOON, after the summer/fall update, you'll be able to purchase content through the Internet, streamlining the XBL network with the website. There will be a 4-way private chat support interface that will work well with the social aspects of the new avatars.

What I like about XBL is, Microsoft handle the online functions of a game, smaller company's can create the online and not have to maintain it themselves. For some dev teams it must be a blessing. Yes there are some CONS as to any architect but this is why I do not mind paying. Just as the PSN is more open to user content, MS is more tight about their network. Hey they support it so you have to play by the rules.
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hfaze - 515 days 16 hours ago
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9.4 - Re: 9.3 KewlKat007
"1. Like download demos and play them straight away without installing them?"

Well, that is pretty neat... But one or two minutes out of my life won't kill me.. Worth $50/year to play online... FAIL

"2. Currently the XBL interface, everything integrates together, whether your gaming, watching a movie, music, or just on the Dash."

Are you referring to the "blades" interface, or the popup you get when you hit the XBox button? The pop-up menu with messaging, music player, etc is pretty cool, and won't take much time until the PS3 has the XMB integrated into everything.

The "blades" interface? FAIL...

"3. Having 3rd-party devs fend for themselves, while on XBL everything is streamlined.(take a look at MGO) Not all devs are created equal or have the funding/man hours to support their own multi-player networks."

LOL... Funny how you latch on to the ONE AND ONLY game on the PS3 that is like that. EVERY other game on PSN uses the PSN network setup for online play... Personally I was pretty P1$$3D when I saw that Konami had done that for MGO...

So your argument = EPIC FAIL...

4.Currently PSN has been struggling with features XBL has been dong for like 5 years. "Custom Soundtracks, Cross Game Invites, Cross Game Voice Chat, Ability to Add Friends During Ingame, Messaging through MSN, Achievements(Yes PSN got trophys).

HEY!!! You actually hit on a feature that you have a valid point on!! Cross-game voice chat!! PASS!!

I have to admit that I would love to see more PS3 games support custom soundtracks (available in the 2.4x firmware, but not supported by any games YET).

Honestly, I hope Sony DOESN'T implement cross-game invites... They are a pain in my ass on Live...

I will admit that I REALLY hope that Sony implements cross-game voice chat soon. That is one feature of Live that I really do like a lot.

And the ability to add friends in-game... The 2.4x firmware already added it... FAIL...
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kewlkat007 - 515 days 15 hours ago
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9.5 - hfaze -haha Again features you PASS on or don't care for much is all PREFERENCE...(XBL has a lot of what PSN does not have and have had issues with getting) It's that simple.
you can PASS UP on all features you want. I actually noted that because I knew someone like you would POST a rebuttal(still an opinion) like I stated.

This is why, I think is still ahead of PSN. Everyone will have preferences but XBL does some things PSN currently cannot smoothly and it's been for 5 years.
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MC_KOOL_K - 515 days 19 hours ago
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10 - The simple fact is the price of live should be included in the game
ok so they charge an extra 50 cent to the price of the game

50 cent by 5-million games sold is plenty to set up a few servers
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kewlkat007 - 515 days 19 hours ago
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10.1 - how many games really sell that well
plus do you know hos costly a network is as it continues to grow? do you really know the numbers involved with the maintenance?

How about MMORPG's to play online? Aren't you already paying for the game?

Can't count on games revenue to support a network. This is not like Google and how many Clicks it takes to get rich. What a business model Google has by the way.
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MC_KOOL_K - 515 days 19 hours ago
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10.2 - your missing the point
if you need to charge two dollars, charge two dollars

obviouly games what sell less need less servers
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Skerj - 515 days 19 hours ago
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11 -
GFWL was a horrible idea from the onset and everyone knew it. PC gamers already have Vent/Teamspeak, a plethora of IM apps, and you're not even getting dedicated servers. So what am I paying for? Achievements and to play with 360 folks on mostly P2P servers?

It's an achievement enough to do well in matches, I don't need popups to tell me that. I hated the Live implementation in the one game I played on it, which was Universe at War. It was cumbersome and laggy and a chore to navigate, works on the 360, PC games not so much. The payment could possibly have been justified if they were dedicated servers but they weren't, which you can get on a lot of PC games without paying a fee (MMORPG excluded) unless you rent it yourself.
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Jack Bauer - 515 days 19 hours ago
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12 -
definelty should not follow, it is prolly cause nobody bought windows live, so they felt bad and payed the 5 people back their money
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Saint Sony - 515 days 18 hours ago
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13 - If LIVE becomes FREE... PS3 is doomed.
Yep yep.

ps. forgot that PS3 might already be doomed. Yep yep.
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JUSTICEFORALL - 515 days 16 hours ago
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14 -
i say yes
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Nevers - 515 days 16 hours ago
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15 - I can afford it but
I will never argue against a free service. Especially in this economy. I just don't think it likely to happen cuz this generation I'd have to say is all about the *cha-ching* MONEY. However, if Microsoft was to take away the fee, it would definitely take their competition by surprise. It would definitely null the advantage regarding online costs.
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zeisscollector - 515 days 16 hours ago
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16 -
I don't think there's any question that Live is worth $5 a month from a value perspective.
However I also don't think there's any question that MS could sustain Live's current level of service WITHOUT charging consumers for it.
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Kratos Spartan - 515 days 16 hours ago
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17 - kewlkat
you said there are little things that make Live better IMO. I wasn't asking for opinions. Can anyone show proof that Live is better or vice-versa? No. Why say one is better than the other? How about, "I like this one better than the other"? But that would get in the way of your pride.

Fanboys: Your arguments are weak.
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kewlkat007 - 515 days 15 hours ago
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17.1 - haha is that the best you could do kid
it wasn't even hfaze's argument but put up something better than

"Fanboys: Your arguments are weak."

I'm done with you, waste of my time.
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hfaze - 515 days 12 hours ago
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17.2 -
"it wasn't even hfaze's argument"

Glad to oblige ya ;-)
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Vip3r - 515 days 16 hours ago
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18 -
Does anyone else here find it funny how MS need £40 a year to pay for their servers yet give hotmail accounts 5GB of space for free accounts?
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ceedubya9 - 515 days 16 hours ago
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19 - Would be nice
I don't mind paying for Live. 50 dollars a month isn't bad, but of course, free is always better. It wouldn't bother me one bit to save 50 dollars a year and still have all that Live has to offer.

With all consoles becoming more online focused, Microsoft may have to rethink their strategy at some point. Maybe cut the costs in half?

I'm just glad that I don't have to play to play on Live AND PSN. One would have to suffer.
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Meresin - 515 days 15 hours ago
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"Games For Windows Live Is Now Free, Should Xbox Live Follow Suit?"

Yes, but it won't. You already bought the platform. You don't have a choice in the matter. That's the nice thing about open platforms like the PC. There is always competition, where there isn't on the consoles because they're closed platforms.
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big shadow - 515 days 11 hours ago
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HELL YEAH
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