Microsoft explains Xbox Live Gold price increase

I don't care about added value here and there, all I want is to play online with my buddies and I am not wiling to extend my Live membership at that price. Sorry Microsoft, no deal.

WERD!!!!

Ah! microsoft and their own sense and logic....... i mean really? that just sucks, the prices werent even that cheap before and if you get more poeple y the hell are u increasing prices???????

Man glad I don't play xbox, or really online with a console at all.

As for the other argument going on here (Console vs PC - $$$) it all depends on what you get into - there are just too many variables to say x is always more expensive than y
Full blown Guitar Hero set is rather spending, but not everyone has one (I don't).
Arguing game prices is hard to do also. Almost all my console games are used. But used PC games are hard to find, and then the CD key is already activated, and all hell brakes loose. But then again you can get PC games off Steam on sale a lot too. So I see a draw there.
If we just argue game console plus input devices against tower plus input devices - I have about $300 into my PS3 plus controllers and $600 into my tower + input devices (keyboard, mouse, ps2 controller to usb adapter). And even if we through out the parts I didn't buy just for gaming (2 1TB WD black hdd's @ $80ea - no OS on them, just storage) It pulls it down to ~$440.
Console seems like it lead the way there, but when I trough in the $1500 I plan to drop on a nice shinny HDTV next spring, kinda tips the scales the other way - even compared to the 2 new flat screens I'm getting for my computer.
Now you can argue the PC is used for more than just gaming, but so is my TV and everyone keeps grouping the TV in with the console price to tip the scales in favor of the PC. And my PS3 does more than just play games. I stream media through it all the time, and its my blu-ray player.
Hell if you through in the $15/mo I pay to play WoW makes the hole $60/yr thing for the Xbox seem pretty silly.

so like I said at first - there are just too many variables to flat out say "x cost more than y". I honestly don't know which I have spent more money on - my computer or console gaming.

Total B.S. Microsoft doesn't need the money and has the money to support all they claim nor did it ever need to be 50 dollars. It's greed. I already told myself I will never buy a Xbox again. I'm going back to Sony when the new models come out.

They should have two different versions, one with all the crap the other just for gaming,then you pay for what you want.

@Tgard
My argument is flawed because for console gaming, you only need 1 console in your opinion? In that respect, if we're going to blatantly disregard available games in each market, then PC's could never buy any games at all, as there's thousands of free flash based games on the web, if you didn't have to buy games on the PC, that would dramatically push the pricing debate in their favor.

And yes, the $850 includes the monitor, the number is taken directly from the buying guide on this website. And I'm aware that you can cut down prices on the consoles themselves, just as you could the PC. The prices I quoted are direct bundle prices from Walmart and come with additional equipment like Move, Kinect, etc. To my reasoning, if you're going to be honest about the pricing, you've got include the equipment needed for the games you'll be playing. Like I said in my original post, of course you can spend more for a PC, but if you're starting from scratch and are going to pick only 1 gaming market, then these are the realistic costs you'll be facing. Also, simply assuming that the cost of a TV shouldn't be included in the overall console pricing is disingenuous at best. Using that logic, you can assume everyone's already got a computer, so the price shouldn't be counted against it, right?

Letme explain it to you in one word..........CONTENT! XBOX LIVE is on it's 11th Generation online services. They offer the BEST online content on XBOX gaming console....period!! I don't take ANY sides which is a better console. I own both the 360 & the PS3. When it comes to online/Multiplayer gaming, Xbox Live is a clear winner in this catagory. On PS3, the reason why you don't pay anything and it's FREE because theres no REAL content. Theres your answer. Happy gaming

Look @ the whole picture. There in this business to make money like other companies do. (Sony, Samsung,MS, Logitech, Apple..etc.

The reason why they increasing it is because..they keep updating, adding fresh NEW content for ther customers. You dont see this on the PS3...HEheeheh. You NOT obligated to buy anything from them. If you don't like there services don't buy them ...period. Stop complaining and move on.

100% agree..... Smart customer

You guys need to stop complaining about the increase. Another $10 will NOT hurt your pockets! If you breakit down $50 divided by 12 months thats less than $5 dollars a month ( $4.16 to be exact) $60 /12 = $5

So in 10yrs MS raised there price of the membership to a measly 0.84 cents. And you guys are complaing!!....You either a MS hater or you just f..... bored.

Your choice. Your preference. It should be the other way around, saying "Man glad I don't play PS3, or really online with a console at all." Stick to your $1000 + PC that only plays 2-3 decent games then it's time for you to upgrade....hehe

Letme explain it to you in one word..........CONTENT! XBOX LIVE is on it's 11th Generation online services. They offer the BEST online content on XBOX gaming console....period!! I don't take ANY sides which is a better console. I own both the 360 & the PS3. When it comes to online/Multiplayer gaming, Xbox Live is a clear winner in this catagory. On PS3, the reason why you don't pay anything and it's FREE because theres no REAL content except for few free PSP / PS3 wallpaper to decorate your system. Theres your answer. Happy gaming

Did someone run out of Ritalin?

hello ...

as usual, this turns out to be another lame fanboy war over who's got the bigger ....aaarrrrgh!

COME ON, i thought we were adults !!!

1st we are talking about MS pushing the XBL subscription, i understand but don't agree with the reasons put forward, why!? ... well because i've tried both, XBL & PSN & all i can say is that i don't see anything a PSN (free) user would have to envy over an XBL 1, anyone saying so is either a fanboy or never tried the other service.

OT:

Playing MP on PC is free, just get a legal software & voila!

I love Steam

Gaming on any platform is expensive; I may buy a lot of games for less 10$ on steamy site & alike, i also pay 15$ for my fav MMO & will add 2 more someday.

When i'll build my PC, it will cost @ least 800$ with all the components i want. I pre-ordered Diablo III & waiting to download @ least 10 games off steam that doesn't run on my actual old machine.

I paid my console (PS3) 545$ 2 years ago & i can still build a decent PC (in MU) for a bit less than that, but then how will i play also God of War, Gran Turismo 5 or Demon's Souls !!? Oh & most of my games (35 to date) costs around 10 - 60$

Would have buy an Xbox (mostly for games like Alan Wake) if it was reliable right at the beginning, now it's too late, i don't have enough time to play all the games i own on PC/PS3, who knows maybe someday.

When i play, whether it be on PC or PS3, i spend hours & my electricity bills reflects it, without counting my fixed Internet bill & maybe some visit to the doctors for lack of sleep ....

No people, PC isn't more expensive than console & vice versa, GAMING is !!! & I can afford it so won't whine about it with cheap arguments.

BOT:

I'm really sorry for Xbox owners, they never had it free & it is now more expensive (even if i don't feel it's too much for the service offered).
But MS, Like SONY or any other PC game developers are 1st businesses that are here to make profit, as long as they can entertain us in the process....

to this, sorry for long post..

cheers!

Seems like you are rather ignorant .

.It all depends on where you live but here for $100 you get one 1TB hard drive ... for $300 a decent graphics card , that you need a $100 PSU to drive... what are you gonna play with a gfx card a harddrive and a PSU? ... analog pong?

Marketing translation:
"We'd appreciate more of your money so we can give it to our executives, they're struggling as it is".

Kanske det .

examples
Asus Radeon EAH5970/2DIS/2GD5 2GB - cheapest price 5 595 SEK about $848
Asus GeForce EN9800GX2 TOP/G/2DI 1GB - cheapest price 4 833 SEK about $732
EVGA GeForce GTX 480 Mini HDMI Dual-DVI 1536MB - cheapest price 3890 SEK about $589
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 285 Dual-DVI 1GB - cheapest price 3799 SEK about $575

In sweden we have taxes *lol*

...yeah but sure I'm a noob.. or maybe I'm not just looking aware of prices local to me.

by the way
Microsoft Xbox 360 Slim 250GB - cheapest price 2280 SEK about $345

I have never said that you wont get alot better graphics and resolution on a PC, but it will cost you

personally belive console gaming is a lot cheaper because you buy one conole, and you can play alomst every game... some guitar, controlelr or accessory, but you leave the hardware race of the PC world.. you buy a console , they you play... and here the games cost the same if you buy it on PC or on console, so that makes no diffrence

...sure there are superprices and discounts on steam sometimes..but Games on demand on Xbox is slowly moving towards the same solution....and possible drop in prices.

How many people care about the extra crap like ESPN? The Xbox is a game console, plain and simple. They are trying to turn the Xbox into a all around entertainment machine and it's not going to work. If it was a choice of watching ESPN or playing Halo, I would spend my time paying Halo.