Microsoft explains Xbox Live Gold price increase

besides ESPN and Netflix is services only availible for America (and possibly Canada) would live ot have Netflix ... ESPN they can keep.

Just had to comment on the comparison people seem to do as well ... they build a decent gaming Pc , but they use an old case they had, or an old PSU and other bits and bobs...

but really .. can you build a console fron an old case you had availible? .. no you cant .. so you need to count all the parts it takes to build the gaming PC from scratch..otherwise the compaision is flawed.

...the increase in price is really nothing though .. i spend about $10 on cigaretts a day .. so i dont really care about the small increase in price ...

a night out I can easy spend $100 - 200 or more on just beer..at a cheap bar so co'mon .. who cares.

The only service that I'm aware of that Xbox Live is superior in over the PS3 is the multiplayer gaming, and it depends on what you want to play. I personally prefer to play RPGs, so the multiplayer aspect of Live is null and void, making it a joke compared to the PS3s free service, which has all of the other features that Live does, if not more. Making something that was pointless to pay for in the first place more expensive is ridiculous, but at the same time that's $250million more a year for Microsoft. Follow the money...

Jeez my blood boils every time I see this. It's obvious they're doing this just because they can and Xbox Live is even more frustrating than the free PS3 network. Not a thing will change about it, no fixes will be made, and I'll probably end up paying for it anyway ...... goddamn capitalism

Lets make things simple lets compare the price of a Xbox 360, 1 year live subscription, Black Ops, 42" HDTV, Sound System versus The Enthusiast's PC, WOW, 1 year WOW subscription

Xbox 360 250GB - $299 (http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-250GB-Console/dp/B003O6JJKY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1288863639&sr=8-3)
1 year Live Subscription - $60
Black Ops - $60 (let's say you bought it ASAP)
VIZIO 42-Inch 1080p HDTV- $567 (http://www.amazon.com/VIZIO-E420VO-42-Inch-1080p-Black/dp/B003VQQVDK/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1288863777&sr=8-13)
Sound System - $250 (i got lazy so this is just a figure. correct me if I estimated too far)

Total: $1176

Versus
The Enthusiast's PC - $1,828 (this is from TechSpot check their guide section)
WOW full set - $140 (WOW battle chest, Frozen Throne, Cataclysm)
1 year WOW subscription - $180

Total: $2,148

This is just a very rough breakdown of the cost. If you want to say that if PC gamers buy Black Ops they don't have to pay any subscription cost, just the cost of buying a PC that can play games at max settings is already more expensive that the total package of a console.
BTW a console is supposed to play the games at max settings.

Personally I wouldn't pay $1828 for a computer. The last $300 to $700 doesn't usually add enough increase the performance to be worth the cost. And of course any self respecting techspot reader knows the joy of recycling older computers.

-$$$ = +

First the current topic Microsoft explains price rise but does this make a difference how many care that microsoft explained a raise all they care is that they have to shelve out more.

Now since i can see people fighting PC vs console which is expensive i say it depends it only depends.Some people settle for a console & others build a gaming PC but the expenses are really come down to individual how many services does he pay for or how many games he buys.The thing with consoles the average will only buy it for pure gaming purposes.My friends will laugh at me if i say i am gonna buy a console their immediate reply is like why buy new console just buy a nvidia card.The kind of myth they have is consoles in only for pure gaming.the current versions of consoles here justifies it.When you have a gaming PC you gonna use it for a lot more than games & not just games.PC gaming is cheap if people settle for the minimum requirements the games have.I have seen people beg for games from friends just because they just won't pay for it.They want everything free & cheap & when its free they don't care if the game has a less fps.Besides here very few own a console they only for the rich guys.Imagine asking your dad i want a 'gaming console' or the other way I want a PC for educational purpose but in a bit more of cash for a graphics card just to improve video performance.hence the answer is PC.But there are drawbacks a lot of them, many tittles never reach the PC or a lot later than their console counterparts.Some Games are played better on console while a few are better on PC.So the expenses really come down to the user but i still feel the console is expensive to a guy like me because I am not a hardcore gamer I can settle for lower graphics.

yes but we are comparing a new set of console vs a new set of pc. It's very hard to compare console vs pc if you are going to use 2nd hand parts since price is irregular and you still have to cost in service problems from old units.

I will never concede PC gaming as more expensive than Console gaming. At the same price point, eventually PC's will deliver the same performance and experience as console gaming and eventually exceed it due to the PC offering more capabilities than just gaming.

But since console gaming is more expensive and is in very high demand, Microsoft is taking it by storm in order to milk it. Good job. Lol

I would not call it greed. I'm sure it takes a lot of resources to keep a network like theirs up and running. Also, the exclusives they are paying for don't pay themselves.

I just wish we had more choice. Some of us don't care about the exclusives and don't want to pay for them. If I could pay a smaller fee to play multiplayer (which the idea of sucks) I would be happy. The settop box aspect, just charge 99 cents for the app. And charge for add ons like the watch with your friends etc. Why do I need a monthly fee for something I payfor already. Oh excuse me, you are giving me the ability to stream it to my systems which I paid in full, pay my Internet bill, pay my Netflix, and MS still wants a cut and continued one at that... ESPN bah! I doubt I'll ever use it, or the other services I don't know even exists that adds 10 bucks more.

I'm not complain because I cannot aford it, I'm complaining because it is not necessary for me, and there is no flexability for people that do not play as much or use all the services that are tacked on. I want teired services.