Microsoft throws in towel; making XBL free

https://www.resetera.com/threads/jeff-grubb-xbox-live-gold-is-going-away-and-playing-online-multiplayer-will-be-free.259233/

They're giving up their only reliable money maker for the Xbox brand in a last ditch effort to compete with Sony in the console race.

I predict it won't make a difference and they will regret it.

Thoughts?

Phony is truly doomed... Doooomed I tellz ya.

Thank you MS, for the gamerz... Jazz. :P

I don't see how it's a bad thing for consumers.

It's not, but how does Xbox turn a profit now?

That's what keeps me up night as well. lol :P

That's great. Too bad MS themselves started all that shittery. Even Nintendo are being complete asshats now.

You forgot the part

(could just be speculation?)

They probably have a different plan to make money. Or they trick more people over to the Xbox, and then add payment later.

The rumors are that they could have a different strategy this coming gen. Where you pay $15 a month and you get a Xbox series S and all first party games. Though we'd still have to buy third party games.

@NathanDrakeSwag: Gamepass and Xcloud I'd assume. GAAS games as well and other Fortnite model type shit.

In before lemmings claim NOW that online should be free on every consoles.😂😂😂

@NathanDrakeSwag said:

@SecretPolice said:

Phony is truly doomed... Doooomed I tellz ya.

Thank you MS, for the gamerz... Jazz. :P

lol :P

@NathanDrakeSwag:

Game pass.

The economics of game pass are great, especially if can keep the momentum of creating the first ever true "Netflix of gaming".

Remember when Netflix started?

People couldn't believe it was so cheap.....so tens of millions signed up.

Now, Netflix is worth almost 220 Billion

Makes the live fee look like pocket change.

Eliminating the fee makes sense in that context, you want to make it as easy as possible for people to justify the cost and sign up.

Fantastic. Hopefully this forces Sony and Nintendo to back f*ck up on that too.

Sony should keep it just to flex.

So you're will to pay more so Sony can "flex"?

It was inevitable. I was honestly expecting them to announce that along with price and the rumoured Series S. But from the corporate side sounds a bit like a "make it or break it" decision. It's a huge chunk of money they're putting on the table.

Makes a lot of sense to me- now it's either subscribe to Gamepass or buy your games. Removing Xbox Live Gold improves that 2nd option.

They ain't gonna drop it when they sell 3x more consoles.

Sony should increase their subscription to $70 a month just to show who's the boss.

I was more asking why you specifically would be cool with Sony charging you just so they could flex. Me personally as a consumer, I wouldn't appreciate that very much.

this is wrong xbox will have gold but gamepass comes with it. they already said this.

IF this turn out to be true, that will be great. I wonder how some will react to paying for online on the other systems?😎

@Pedro:

I have an ansernal of quotes to use,so many that i dont even have to make a single excuse for it.😂

Result of 18 Years of excuses for paying.😎

@phbz:

Business 101

Less risky to save or reallocate money rather than spend or invest cash.

The return on investment is significantly higher than the money they are giving up.

Less people sign up if they have to pay for both live and game pass.

By removing that barrier, you get more people buying in......spending far more than with live subscription. If only HALF of your install base buys game pass the revenue from that would be billions rather than millions

@Litchie: why can’t you just be happy microsoft is doing this for gamers.

Why do you hate?

Nintendo and Sony deserve the hate because you will have to pay to play online

Why should they stop just because Microsoft is? Do you think if Microsoft won this gen 3:1 that they would be giving $60 games away for a buck or dropping XBL fees?

They deserve hate for making successful products?

Seems like some feels targeted.😂 It would be so hilarious IF they remove gold for online gaming and even more hilarious as you shill for paying for online gaming.🤣

That is why they should abandon the gold membership. There is more to gain for them and for gamers.

lol :P

I'm not sure how that answers my question so I'll just take it you're cool with paying a fee for the ability to play your games online.

I should hate Nintendo and Sony for paid online, but not the company who made Sony and Nintendo have paid online? I said MS making it free is great and past MS was lame.

MS as of late has been all around great with their Game Pass and whatnot. Making Xbox Live free makes them even greater. But I still haven't forgot they were the ones who started the shittery, why should I?

Their future model makes me shudder, cannot compete with Sony. So they decide to create a niche GAAS crap, may as well go third party completely.

@navyguy21: They're not relocating money, they are trying to relocate consumers. They are quite literally putting their money on the table and betting they'll move enough people across. But as I've said, its inevitable, even if not right now it will happen.

Microsoft didn't make Sony or Nintendo do anything. Sony and Nintendo decided to charge for online because they saw a money making opportunity. There is no one to blame but themselves.

@NathanDrakeSwag said:

@SecretPolice said:

lol :P

:P

I've paid for it for 6 years. Why would I be angry about it now just because Microsoft dropped their fee?

Their games will suffer from it to make up for lost money. Lower budgets, MTX galore, etc

Or MS paved the way for that to happen. It's not like you or me knows for sure. If one company charges for online, you can bet other companies wants in on the cake. Same with microtransactions and all other bullshit companies pull.

Maybe, maybe not but who cares? Its not like gamers ONLY play Microsoft games online.

Wow, huge news. Why didn't they show that at the xbox event?

But I'm still picking ps5 cause I don't play online anyway.

That's awesome. They really are becoming pro gamer which is great. PC gamers are now going to lose that advantage lol. I think a negative consequence for MS is that GamePass loses some of its value since before it included online..am I rite?

They definitely paved the way for it to happen and for online gaming on consoles to be centralized. I enjoyed the free online the PS3 and they could have continue this but these companies are in the business for profit and rightfully so. The reason for charging for online made more sense prior to the 360 and PS3 era. Now, it makes less sense because there are more opportunities for generating income and better for gamers.

Not necessarily. Whether they make it free or not, there is more to gain for all three companies to have free online.

At the moment having Games with Gold and Gamepass at the same time is just dumb. Dump the gold and if people want games with a sub get Gamepass.

Multiplayer on PC is already free LOL (provided you bought the game unless you got the game for free)

Resetera?

MS can afford to get rid of Live but Sony can't afford to get rid of PS+, they need every penny then can squeeze from customers. Such an anti consumer company.

@Litchie: MS never forced them to charge for online! There greed made them to do it!