Xbox Live: Why am I being forced to pay, to play games online?

[QUOTE="Evolution-X0"]Maintaining a online service isn't free, you do realise this?edidili

Will you guys stop repeating this? The tc just wants to play the game he bought online. That's all. He doesn't want all those jingle mingle crap gold offers. He wants to play online and Microsoft is not maintaining any online service for that. It's the players who are the servers.

Then he should have bout a system not named Xbox 360. What is so hard to understand? Its the players who do all the servers? So why is PSN been losing money for four years again? Because Sony pays us to use PSN?

[QUOTE="Fusiondonut"]

[QUOTE="The__Havoc"]

Because it costs money to run the service. Just ask Sony the guys losing money on PSN.

What service costs money to run? P2P costs nothing lol

I'm not going to get into a discussion with someone who doesn't even know what P2P is.

wait.... is ms forcing me to buy xbl or is sony forcing me to by it???

after all if psn matched xbl who would give them any money?

let's put the blame where the blame is due.

[QUOTE="edidili"]

[QUOTE="Evolution-X0"]Maintaining a online service isn't free, you do realise this?The__Havoc

Will you guys stop repeating this? The tc just wants to play the game he bought online. That's all. He doesn't want all those jingle mingle crap gold offers. He wants to play online and Microsoft is not maintaining any online service for that. It's the players who are the servers.

Then he should have bout a system not named Xbox 360. What is so hard to understand? Its the players who do all the servers? So why is PSN been losing money for four years again? Because Sony pays us to use PSN?

"You're not forced to pay!"

You are if you want to play Online!

"You don't have to Play Online!"

Dude the guy wants to play Battlefield Bad Company 2 on his Xbox 360 Online, He HAS to pay Microsoft to play Online!

"HE DOESN'T HAVE TO!!!"

ಠ_ಠ

Because of the same reasons you're "forced" to pay for anything: supply and demand. Its manufacturer choose to charge for it, the consumer answered positively. [QUOTE="LegatoSkyheart"]Go ahead and tell me how freakin' great Halo, Left 4 Dead, Shadow Run and Call of Duty are without Xbox Live.IronBass

good to know that you have friends to help you out with the multiplayer aspect for lan parties and such.

"You're not forced to pay!"

You are if you want to play Online!

"You don't have to Play Online!"

Dude the guy wants to play Battlefield Bad Company 2 on his Xbox 360 Online, He HAS to pay Microsoft to play Online!

"HE DOESN'T HAVE TO!!!"

ಠ_ಠ

LegatoSkyheart

The game is out on PC and PS3. XBL has been out for 8 or 9 years now....

Why should I feel any sympathy for this man's own ignorance of the situation. If you haven't figured out after 8, 9 years that XBL is a paid service then there is more to complaining about Microsoft to this situation :lol:

[QUOTE="heretrix"]

You forgot the point of the thread, MS is forcing him. I think he's one of the chosen few that has a guard from MS stationed at his house to make sure he pays. In fact, he is doing something heroic right now, while the guard is on break, he is on System Wars telling everyone how horrible XBL is.

He should be commended, not questioned.

freakshowfreak

if he wants to play online he doesn't have a choice does he so he has to ( forced ) to buy xbox live gold account..... or do you know a free alternative..

( forced also means no choice and in this case if he wants to play online he doesn't have a other choice then to pay )

but maybe we should make the question simpler

"Why do I have to pay to play games online ??"

because a lot of people in this thread don't understand the way the op intended the word forced in the question

so new updated question

"WHY DO WE HAVE TO PAY TO PLAY GAMES ONLINE WITH AN XBOX??"

Again for the 100th time in this thread no one has to pay to play on LIVE if they don't want to.The free alternative would be PS3, so you don't have to play online with an xbox, go get a PS3.Trade your 360 in, cut your losses and stop complaining. Play PSN for a week and LIVE won't seam so bad, all downloads take forever and then you have to install. Even features like background downloads, the dashboard, and messaging are half assed compared to LIVE. That isn't even including features that are missing that LIVE has. These things cost time and money to develop and improve. If LIVE were free it would have less support and be an entire generation behind like PSN is, which is barely better than LIVE was on the original xbox. The fee is the reason LIVE is so much better than Sony and Nintendo's offerings.

[QUOTE="freakshowfreak"]

[QUOTE="heretrix"]

You forgot the point of the thread, MS is forcing him. I think he's one of the chosen few that has a guard from MS stationed at his house to make sure he pays. In fact, he is doing something heroic right now, while the guard is on break, he is on System Wars telling everyone how horrible XBL is.

He should be commended, not questioned.

CBCstillmatic

if he wants to play online he doesn't have a choice does he so he has to ( forced ) to buy xbox live gold account..... or do you know a free alternative..

( forced also means no choice and in this case if he wants to play online he doesn't have a other choice then to pay )

but maybe we should make the question simpler

"Why do I have to pay to play games online ??"

because a lot of people in this thread don't understand the way the op intended the word forced in the question

so new updated question

"WHY DO WE HAVE TO PAY TO PLAY GAMES ONLINE WITH AN XBOX??"

Again for the 100th time in this thread no one has to pay to play on LIVE if they don't want to.The free alternative would be PS3, so you don't have to play online with an xbox, go get a PS3.Trade your 360 in, cut your losses and stop complaining. Play PSN for a week and LIVE won't seam so bad, all downloads take forever and then you have to install. Even features like background downloads, the dashboard, and messaging are half assed compared to LIVE. That isn't even including features that are missing that LIVE has. These things cost time and money to develop and improve. If LIVE were free it would have less support and be an entire generation behind like PSN is, which is barely better than LIVE was on the original xbox. The fee is the reason LIVE is so much better than Sony and Nintendo's offerings.

[QUOTE="CBCstillmatic"]

[QUOTE="freakshowfreak"]

if he wants to play online he doesn't have a choice does he so he has to ( forced ) to buy xbox live gold account..... or do you know a free alternative..

( forced also means no choice and in this case if he wants to play online he doesn't have a other choice then to pay )

but maybe we should make the question simpler

"Why do I have to pay to play games online ??"

because a lot of people in this thread don't understand the way the op intended the word forced in the question

so new updated question

"WHY DO WE HAVE TO PAY TO PLAY GAMES ONLINE WITH AN XBOX??"

HuusAsking

Again for the 100th time in this thread no one has to pay to play on LIVE if they don't want to.The free alternative would be PS3, so you don't have to play online with an xbox, go get a PS3.Trade your 360 in, cut your losses and stop complaining. Play PSN for a week and LIVE won't seam so bad, all downloads take forever and then you have to install. Even features like background downloads, the dashboard, and messaging are half assed compared to LIVE. That isn't even including features that are missing that LIVE has. These things cost time and money to develop and improve. If LIVE were free it would have less support and be an entire generation behind like PSN is, which is barely better than LIVE was on the original xbox. The fee is the reason LIVE is so much better than Sony and Nintendo's offerings.

Well I guess then anyone who pays for Live is a moron and you are some sort of super genius for seeing through Microsoft's thinly veiled scam. I feel quite stupid now.

[QUOTE="HuusAsking"]What about Steam? It's preferred over anything Microsoft has on offer, and it's free.thecapsaicinkid

Well I guess then anyone who pays for Live is a moron and you are some sort of super genius for seeing through Microsoft's thinly veiled scam. I feel quite stupid now.

If steam tries to forces a fee for online multiplayer players will leave. There are many out there who want to take steams place in PC. In the other hand, all those who bought 360 have no other choice but to follow M$ rules. Basically M$ got you from the balls.

I understand the costs of keeping up XBL, however, I think the recent hike price is too high. ForsakenWicked

I do too... And when I hear they talk about XBL profit and then a price hike... It Ticks me off.

I locked in a 2 year $80ish dollar plan with the free MS points. After the 2 years are up I'm done with XBL.

There is no real reason, xbl isn't better as PSN what some say to justify their cost and even if it was, it wouldn't be better than the Stream which is free as well. MS is just milking their fans and I'll never pay to go gold :S Good thing a few games have a gold test code so I'm able to play some Halo online from time to time xD

[QUOTE="thecapsaicinkid"]

[QUOTE="HuusAsking"]What about Steam? It's preferred over anything Microsoft has on offer, and it's free.edidili

Well I guess then anyone who pays for Live is a moron and you are some sort of super genius for seeing through Microsoft's thinly veiled scam. I feel quite stupid now.

If steam tries to forces a fee for online multiplayer players will leave. There are many out there who want to take steams place in PC. In the other hand, all those who bought 360 have no other choice but to follow M$ rules. Basically M$ got you from the balls.

Only one way that happens - you should have never gave MS Power of Attorney and signed it giving them free will to spend your money as they see fit. :twisted:

Anywho, there are other choices out there like PC for instance.

Finally, a topic that is original and hasn't been beaten into the ground. SW really needed this.

Only one way that happens - you should have never gave MS Power of Attorney and signed it giving them free will to spend your money as they see fit. :twisted:

Anywho, there are other choices out there like PC for instance.

SecretPolice

[QUOTE="SecretPolice"]

Only one way that happens - you should have never gave MS Power of Attorney and signed it giving them free will to spend your money as they see fit. :twisted:

Anywho, there are other choices out there like PC for instance.

HuusAsking

[QUOTE="LegatoSkyheart"]

"You're not forced to pay!"

You are if you want to play Online!

"You don't have to Play Online!"

Dude the guy wants to play Battlefield Bad Company 2 on his Xbox 360 Online, He HAS to pay Microsoft to play Online!

"HE DOESN'T HAVE TO!!!"

ಠ_ಠ

The__Havoc

The game is out on PC and PS3. XBL has been out for 8 or 9 years now....

Why should I feel any sympathy for this man's own ignorance of the situation. If you haven't figured out after 8, 9 years that XBL is a paid service then there is more to complaining about Microsoft to this situation :lol:

You missed the point.

The hypothetical guy wants to play a game ONline on the Xbox 360.

Not on PS3, Not on PC, On the Xbox 360.

Therefore the only way he's ever going to get what he wants is to pay for Online.

[QUOTE="The__Havoc"]

[QUOTE="LegatoSkyheart"]

"You're not forced to pay!"

You are if you want to play Online!

"You don't have to Play Online!"

Dude the guy wants to play Battlefield Bad Company 2 on his Xbox 360 Online, He HAS to pay Microsoft to play Online!

"HE DOESN'T HAVE TO!!!"

ಠ_ಠ

LegatoSkyheart

The game is out on PC and PS3. XBL has been out for 8 or 9 years now....

Why should I feel any sympathy for this man's own ignorance of the situation. If you haven't figured out after 8, 9 years that XBL is a paid service then there is more to complaining about Microsoft to this situation :lol:

You missed the point.

The hypothetical guy wants to play a game ONline on the Xbox 360.

Not on PS3, Not on PC, On the Xbox 360.

Therefore the only way he's ever going to get what he wants is to pay for Online.

And the only options are "Pay" or "Walk Away" (from your friends, from 360 exclusives, etc.). What's it going to be?HuusAsking

It's a freakin' Xbox 360...not Drugs man.

[QUOTE="HuusAsking"][QUOTE="SecretPolice"]

Only one way that happens - you should have never gave MS Power of Attorney and signed it giving them free will to spend your money as they see fit. :twisted:

Anywho, there are other choices out there like PC for instance.

SecretPolice

[QUOTE="HuusAsking"]And the only options are "Pay" or "Walk Away" (from your friends, from 360 exclusives, etc.). What's it going to be?LegatoSkyheart

It's a freakin' Xbox 360...not Drugs man.

[QUOTE="LegatoSkyheart"]

[QUOTE="HuusAsking"]And the only options are "Pay" or "Walk Away" (from your friends, from 360 exclusives, etc.). What's it going to be?HuusAsking

It's a freakin' Xbox 360...not Drugs man.

*face palm*

I didn't say anything about friends anyway on my post before.

The situation was that a guy got Battlefield Bad Company 2 for his Xbox 360, He wants to play the game online and the only way for him to do it was to pay.

that's it.

It's like a toll booth on the high way, in order for you to get to your destination YOU HAVE TO PAY THE MONEY TO GET THROUGH!

[QUOTE="SecretPolice"]

[QUOTE="HuusAsking"]Not for people whose friends only have 360 or who their favorite game is Halo Reach or the like. I mean, looking at how quickly they about-faced in Games For Windows Live, it really looks like Microsoft is scalping the clueless captive market of 360 players, luring their friends in so that walking out becomes a Walking On The Sun moment.HuusAsking

YAY!!!! another 300 posts about a non issue. guess what... if people were trully affected and angry about the fee for xbox live THEY WOULDNT PAY IT AND XBOX LIVE WOULD FAIL!!!!! STOP MAKING THESE RIDICULOUS THREADS!!!!!!

And the only options are "Pay" or "Walk Away" (from your friends, from 360 exclusives, etc.). What's it going to be?HuusAsking

[QUOTE="HuusAsking"][QUOTE="LegatoSkyheart"]

It's a freakin' Xbox 360...not Drugs man.

LegatoSkyheart

*face palm*

I didn't say anything about friends anyway on my post before.

The situation was that a guy got Battlefield Bad Company 2 for his Xbox 360, He wants to play the game online and the only way for him to do it was to pay.

that's it.

It's like a toll booth on the high way, in order for you to get to your destination YOU HAVE TO PAY THE MONEY TO GET THROUGH!

So you either shunpike (get an alternate system/version) or don't take the trip (stay offline).HuusAsking

[QUOTE="HuusAsking"]So you either shunpike (get an alternate system/version) or don't take the trip (stay offline).clone01

I recognize there is a choice. I can still say I don't like it (thus why I'm only Silver). I still get the sinking suspicion Microsoft is simply exploiting a captive market (much as concession stands at theaters and sporting events).HuusAsking

[QUOTE="blackace"][QUOTE="RECON64bit"]

I really do not understand why I am being charged to play video games online. I understand Xbox Live has other features that we have to pay for but, I have no use for ESPN or facebook on Xbox 360. The only thing I want to do is play online, I couldn't care less about these extra feautures or Xbox live parties. Why can't online be free except foreverything else like Parties, ESPN and all the other useless garbage. I see no justification for raising the price either.

I've already invested a lot in the Xbox so I'm not gonna sell it, but I definately won't be getting their next console if they continue with this practice.

What is Microsoft's justification for charging me to play video games online?

Also this is on system wars because i'm pretty sure a post like this on Xbox forums would get me reported, and/or banned.

Shewgenja

I still get a laugh that if you've been paying for Live since 2005 that you could essentially afford a free PS3 now.

[QUOTE="Shewgenja"]

[QUOTE="blackace"] Their justification is to make a profit and keeps the servers that hold all the content up, running and available 24/7 for you to use. Sure PSN is free and that's why Sony continues to lose money from it on a daily basis. Sony actually pays a network vendor to keep PSN up and running. Sony doesn't regulate the various servers you play on. So if you can't play online and the server is owned buy the publisher, Sony can't help you. Also, these dedicated server can be shut down by publishers anytime they feel like it. No one is forcing your to pay. You don't want to pay, then don't. The money also goes to lease the building space where all these servers are stored. godzillavskong

I still get a laugh that if you've been paying for Live since 2005 that you could essentially afford a free PS3 now.

heh, i just got off R2 so let me tell you i just had an object lesson in where the money is going.

we had to wait for a 20 min update then the invite comes through and i check the message to see all it says is he wants to play with no invite into his room so then i enter the co-op mode scroll through the games to find his then enter the room and join a game where the only ones with mics are him and i and even then the chat audio quality is lousy.

ms is more than welcome to my money because seriously, over on psn it's like firkkin amateur night.

it's not a deal breaker or anything but it's still annoying after using xbl.

Just because they charge, it doesn't mean all the money gets sunken into Microsoft's profits, the gamer definitely sees a benefit in the end. As an example, SSFIV is my favourite game. On the 360 MS pays for the bandwidth for the developer to give free content to their customers, Sony do not and charge the developers per download. Capcom released their costume pack free to download for 360 users (to be able to see other players using all the new costumes) this had to be purchased on the PS3. Not to mention all the exclusive DLC MS scores.

Just because they charge, it doesn't mean all the money gets sunken into Microsoft's profits, the gamer definitely sees a benefit in the end. As an example, SSFIV is my favourite game. On the 360 MS pays for the bandwidth for the developer to give free content to their customers, Sony do not and charge the developers per download. Capcom released their costume pack free to download for 360 users (to be able to see other players using all the new costumes) this had to be purchased on the PS3. Not to mention all the exclusive DLC MS scores.

thecapsaicinkid

[QUOTE="godzillavskong"][QUOTE="Shewgenja"] Games are taken offline on Live all the time..

I still get a laugh that if you've been paying for Live since 2005 that you could essentially afford a free PS3 now.

clone01

[QUOTE="MonsieurX"]Because MS said so.soulitane

[QUOTE="soulitane"][QUOTE="MonsieurX"]Because MS said so.danjammer69

Just because they charge, it doesn't mean all the money gets sunken into Microsoft's profits, the gamer definitely sees a benefit in the end. As an example, SSFIV is my favourite game. On the 360 MS pays for the bandwidth for the developer to give free content to their customers, Sony do not and charge the developers per download. Capcom released their costume pack free to download for 360 users (to be able to see other players using all the new costumes) this had to be purchased on the PS3. Not to mention all the exclusive DLC MS scores.

I have no issue with paying for xbox live as its value for money in my opinion, but I do have issues with the direction EA is taking. If a second xbox live account wants to play the game on the same xbox then they have to pay. That takes a potential game purchase to over £50 and that becomes a problem as EA update with a new game annually. Also the damage they claim that used game sales do to them, and now having to pay a second time for that as well.

[QUOTE="danjammer69"][QUOTE="soulitane"] Pretty much this and I doubt it will stop next gen.zxcqweasd1

if your asking this question at THIS point you need to quit gaming and start something cost effective, like scrapbooking.

[QUOTE="dommeus"][QUOTE="RECON64bit"]

I really do not understand why I am being charged to play video games online. I understand Xbox Live has other features that we have to pay for but, I have no use for ESPN or facebook on Xbox 360. The only thing I want to do is play online, I couldn't care less about these extra feautures or Xbox live parties. Why can't online be free except foreverything else like Parties, ESPN and all the other useless garbage. I see no justification for raising the price either.

I've already invested a lot in the Xbox so I'm not gonna sell it, but I definately won't be getting their next console if they continue with this practice.

What is Microsoft's justification for charging me to play video games online?

Also this is on system wars because i'm pretty sure a post like this on Xbox forums would get me reported, and/or banned.

Ultra_Combo

What what do you mean your not renewing , your forced to :roll: /thread