Over half of the Xbox 360's online userbase pays a Gold subscription to play online, claim statistics from the Seattle PI.
Citing an internal Microsoft document dating between February and June 2008, the report claims that 56 percent of worldwide Xbox Live members paid a Gold subscription at the beginning of last year.
The figure is apparently down from 60% at the same time the year before, which isn't bad if you expect the number of people with Xbox 360s has undoubtedly gone up.
While the figures don't reach into 2009 - or even go past the launch of the New Xbox Experience - the percentage of paying Xbox Live members apparently stayed steady up until its announcement in June 2008.
Expectedly, the highest percentage of Gold subscribers is in the US, where the number stays flat at around 60%.
Speaking in an e-mail statement, Microsoft said: "We've said before that Xbox Live is experiencing incredible growth; in January we had more new Live members join than any other month in the history of Xbox Live.
"With more than 17 million active members, a majority of whom are paying members, Live is a rich social entertainment and gaming experience that is unmatched in the industry."
I dont pay, but then why would I. I'm not gonna pay to get my bottom kicked by some racist 12 year old hill billy from the us of a. I really am terrible at online gaming.
I dont mind paying for Live. That might be hard for some to understand but in the age of the consumer I am happy with my lot.
There is always talk about Live going free and though I would like that to happen its no deal clincher for me personally and I cant see MS giving up on $420million dollars a year (14million subscriptions x $30), though it would be one less thing for the Fanboys to argue over, which would be good.
I await the good humoured and gentle banter as normal in a thread of this kind .
PS3 online gaming is great so dont know what your talking about there mate!!!
I have never had problems except when a new game launches like COD WAW and every platform has problems at times like this so YAWN get over it and polish ya red ring of death.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, the majority of people that have a vocal issue with Live charges are those that don't even own an Xbox...
GET OVER IT! It doesn't affect you in the slightest, and if Live did suddenly become free, that's one less thing the PS3 has over the Xbox. Currently there is 'Great but 'pay to play' online service' vs 'Mediocre but free online service'. Do you really want 'Great free onlne service' vs 'Mediocre free online service'? That's a no brainer...
Marty Sick of the CONSTANT 'Live is such a rip off' comments from people who have never and will never even get an Xbox...
Me personally, I'm happy to pay for playing on Live. Yes, others offer it for free but you don't get the same experience as you do with Live.
what are you bloody talking about. exactly what differences are there apart from ps3 offers free games via home and free everything else. download films, download demos, play online. what differences are there you note? i have both, both are online, and there are no differences apart from the look of the interface. sonys looks professional and now ms looks like a child’s toy which you cant exchange back to the old settings. i personally don’t want a childish avatar each time i turn on my xbox (please ignore my chicken!).
i enjoy the mutterings of the mal adjusted from time to time. Its a rare event i'll ever plug a headset i'm unless i'm playing with friends.
Live isn't a rip off if you cant afford Ł30 a year to have servers that work 99% of the time stable game speeds and proper support for all games on the console than you must be either. not old enough to have a job. or a really tight bastard.
there is a sort of pay to play for silver members its called a months subscription. its only a fiver and if you don't like it you can cancel. also alot of games offer free 48 hour trials of live to give you a taste of online play. If i remember rightly GTA IV has been free to play for the last week as well.
Also when you first sign up you are given a free month of online play. isn't that enough.
I'd take Live over PSN or Wifi any day.
Its not a bad deal considering your average PC MMO will charge you at least Ł8 a month for the priviledge. don't hear people complaining about that.
As usual Sony boys show what a bunch of bloody hypocrites they are.
Live is fairly cheap, and I'm happy to pay for it even though I only really use it for playing with friends. Not into deathmatching with randoms, or hearing their inane bulls**t over my headset.
Live isn't a rip off if you cant afford Ł30 a year to have servers that work 99% of the time stable game speeds and proper support for all games on the console than you must be either. not old enough to have a job. or a really tight bastard.
That's the same reasoning others on this site use for why you don't own a PS3 - tight, tramp or not old enough to work. That's horsesh*t. Some people need to realise that 'I don't want to pay that for X product' is a perfectly valid reason.
However, I do agree with the sentiment. Paying a maintenance fee to ensure hassle free gaming is hardly a bad idea.
isnt it enough that you already paid Ł40 for the game? now half its features are locked out unless you pay again. (and again next year!)
i say again why cant silver members play online with their games using p2p - their own connection - to host games?! since thats "low quality" and FREE, and is no match for the mighty XBL servers, right?
isnt it enough that you already paid Ł40 for the game? now half its features are locked out unless you pay again.
i say again why cant silver members play online with their games using p2p - their own connection - to host games?! since thats low quality and FREE, and is no match for the mighty XBL servers, right?
rip off.
A classic example of someone that doesn't have an Xbox, will never have an Xbox, and yet has a problem with Live charges.
This is like me CONSTANTLY bleating on about how Sony charge extra to include wi-fi in their console when I don't want it.
isnt it enough that you already paid Ł40 for the game? now half its features are locked out unless you pay again.
i say again why cant silver members play online with their games using p2p - their own connection - to host games?! since thats low quality and FREE, and is no match for the mighty XBL servers, right?
rip off.
A classic example of someone that doesn't have an Xbox, will never have an Xbox, and yet has a problem with Live charges.
This is like me CONSTANTLY bleating on about how Sony charge extra to include wi-fi in their console when I don't want it.
didnt i say i had one for ages? with games i could only play OFFLINE!!!!!!
but you choose to ignore it and talk s**te.
even after the months free trial, theres no way i was paying to use some servers. maybe a one-off Ł50 payment id be happy stumping up, if i could then connect with my profile to play my games for the rest of its shelf-life. every year, no f**k off.
over the years the subscription charge will overtake the price of the actual console. all for what. nothing.
i owned a 360 for many months. i only had PGR4 and crackdown but i couldnt play them online.
probably the reason i only ever had these two games is because its a waste of money buying games for offline only.
sold it to my mate for Ł70 cause he wanted to play the gimpy fable 2 for it... which crashed every 10 minutes. good riddance.
I prefer my off-line games. Not a rip-off to me. Different strokes and all that...
you really are an idiot aren't ya. So by that definition. God of War 3's gonna be a waste of money, Uncharted 1 &2 are wastes of money. Final Fantasy XIII will be a waste of money, so's bioshock,lost odyssey, mass effect. icould go on.
I just hope that no PS3 owners on here pay for this 'Qore' or whatever its called, I mean come on, paying for demos and videos?
That's crazy talk and an absolute disgrace and ridiculous and obscene and incredible and quite possibly the worst thing that you can ever do or have happen to you, or something like that, is that the stance I should take or should I not really give a flying fleck?
I just hope that no PS3 owners on here pay for this 'Qore' or whatever its called, I mean come on, paying for demos and videos?
That's crazy talk and an absolute disgrace and ridiculous and obscene and incredible and quite possibly the worst thing that you can ever do or have happen to you, or something like that, is that the stance I should take or should I not really give a flying fleck?
didnt i say i had one for ages? with games i could only play OFFLINE!!!!!!
You said you had one and sold it for 70 quid to a mate cos it was sh*t... Are you gonna buy a new one if Live becomes free?
not unless the exclusives improve, they change the kiddies interface, sort out the red ring, make it quiet and drop the price to under Ł100.
that'll be a no then.
Exactly - so you will never (again) own an Xbox. So, I once again ask, why do you have a problem with Xbox Live charges? Are you championing the cause for Xbox owners everywhere?
didnt i say i had one for ages? with games i could only play OFFLINE!!!!!!
You said you had one and sold it for 70 quid to a mate cos it was sh*t... Are you gonna buy a new one if Live becomes free?
not unless the exclusives improve, they change the kiddies interface, sort out the red ring, make it quiet and drop the price to under Ł100.
that'll be a no then.
Exactly - so you will never (again) own an Xbox. So, I once again ask, why do you have a problem with Xbox Live charges? Are you championing the cause for Xbox owners everywhere?
cause i wasted a LOT of money of xboxes. one at Ł280 and one at Ł160.
couldnt play any of my games online after spending that amount of money on the consoles and Ł40 a pop for each game.
im entitled to my opinion on it.
ive played it online with the amazing scratch cards and the months free trial and it was no different to playing on PSN. which makes it crap if your paying for something that others provide for free.
didnt i say i had one for ages? with games i could only play OFFLINE!!!!!!
You said you had one and sold it for 70 quid to a mate cos it was sh*t... Are you gonna buy a new one if Live becomes free?
not unless the exclusives improve, they change the kiddies interface, sort out the red ring, make it quiet and drop the price to under Ł100.
that'll be a no then.
Exactly - so you will never (again) own an Xbox. So, I once again ask, why do you have a problem with Xbox Live charges? Are you championing the cause for Xbox owners everywhere?
cause i wasted a LOT of money of xboxes. one at Ł280 and one at Ł160.
couldnt play any of my games online after spending that amount of money on the consoles and Ł40 a pop for each game.
im entitled to my opinion on it.
ive played it online with the amazing scratch cards and the months free trial and it was no different to playing on PSN. which makes it crap if your paying for it.
Clearly you're also entitled to sound like a whiny little child...
We get it, you didn't like Live. So what? You're not expecting to actually change peoples minds just because you didn't like it, are you? Please don't say yes...
didnt i say i had one for ages? with games i could only play OFFLINE!!!!!!
You said you had one and sold it for 70 quid to a mate cos it was sh*t... Are you gonna buy a new one if Live becomes free?
not unless the exclusives improve, they change the kiddies interface, sort out the red ring, make it quiet and drop the price to under Ł100.
that'll be a no then.
Exactly - so you will never (again) own an Xbox. So, I once again ask, why do you have a problem with Xbox Live charges? Are you championing the cause for Xbox owners everywhere?
cause i wasted a LOT of money of xboxes. one at Ł280 and one at Ł160.
couldnt play any of my games online after spending that amount of money on the consoles and Ł40 a pop for each game.
im entitled to my opinion on it.
ive played it online with the amazing scratch cards and the months free trial and it was no different to playing on PSN. which makes it crap if your paying for it.
Clearly you're also entitled to sound like a whiny little child...
We get it, you didn't like Live. So what? You're not expecting to actually change peoples minds just because you didn't like it, are you? Please don't say yes...
you dont seem to like any opinions against your beloved XBL. tough s**t. the thread was started for this reason - for debate.
if you cant understand this, then you are most definately the whiny little child here.
cause i wasted a LOT of money of xboxes. one at Ł280 and one at Ł160.
couldnt play any of my games online after spending that amount of money on the consoles and Ł40 a pop for each game.
im entitled to my opinion on it.
So, what you are essentially saying is, you bought a product, decided you didn't like it (when things like Xbox Live, exclusive games etc would have been INCREDIBLY easy to research anyway), sold it on, and have now decided to moan about in in every thread from now on?
The question of why you bought two Xboxes has to be asked too - you knew it was 'deafening', Live subs cost money, had no exclusives worth playing etc after the first Xbox - why buy a second? Pure idiocy? Short term memory issues?
cause i wasted a LOT of money of xboxes. one at Ł280 and one at Ł160.
couldnt play any of my games online after spending that amount of money on the consoles and Ł40 a pop for each game.
im entitled to my opinion on it.
So, what you are essentially saying is, you bought a product, decided you didn't like it (when things like Xbox Live, exclusive games etc would have been INCREDIBLY easy to research anyway), sold it on, and have now decided to moan about in in every thread from now on?
The question of why you bought two Xboxes has to be asked too - you knew it was 'deafening', Live subs cost money, had no exclusives worth playing etc after the first Xbox - why buy a second? Pure idiocy? Short term memory issues?
you already quoted this one.. ignoring my last post? does that mean you dont want your rattle back? stick!
and pure idiocy probably covers it, least i can admit it.
the real reason was i had 3 HDMI slots in my 50" 1080p screen and wanted to see more games on it. since i had PGR3 on my old tv, i thought PGR4 would look great on the new one. it didnt really.. the graphics werent too hot, especially for a racing game.
was fun though. just not Ł160 worth of fun.
in short a bad purchase. now who hasnt made a few of them?!
didnt i say i had one for ages? with games i could only play OFFLINE!!!!!!
You said you had one and sold it for 70 quid to a mate cos it was sh*t... Are you gonna buy a new one if Live becomes free?
not unless the exclusives improve, they change the kiddies interface, sort out the red ring, make it quiet and drop the price to under Ł100.
that'll be a no then.
Exactly - so you will never (again) own an Xbox. So, I once again ask, why do you have a problem with Xbox Live charges? Are you championing the cause for Xbox owners everywhere?
cause i wasted a LOT of money of xboxes. one at Ł280 and one at Ł160.
couldnt play any of my games online after spending that amount of money on the consoles and Ł40 a pop for each game.
im entitled to my opinion on it.
ive played it online with the amazing scratch cards and the months free trial and it was no different to playing on PSN. which makes it crap if your paying for it.
Clearly you're also entitled to sound like a whiny little child...
We get it, you didn't like Live. So what? You're not expecting to actually change peoples minds just because you didn't like it, are you? Please don't say yes...
you dont seem to like any opinions against your beloved XBL. tough s**t. the thread was started for this reason - for debate.
if you cant understand this, then you are most definately the whiny little child here.
do you want your rattle back?
I don't own an XBox you balloon, I'm just sick of your nonsense.
cause i wasted a LOT of money of xboxes. one at Ł280 and one at Ł160.
couldnt play any of my games online after spending that amount of money on the consoles and Ł40 a pop for each game.
im entitled to my opinion on it.
So, what you are essentially saying is, you bought a product, decided you didn't like it (when things like Xbox Live, exclusive games etc would have been INCREDIBLY easy to research anyway), sold it on, and have now decided to moan about in in every thread from now on?
The question of why you bought two Xboxes has to be asked too - you knew it was 'deafening', Live subs cost money, had no exclusives worth playing etc after the first Xbox - why buy a second? Pure idiocy? Short term memory issues?
you already quoted this one.. ignoring my last post? does that mean you dont want your rattle back? stick!
Check again - that wasn't even me...
and pure idiocy probably covers it, least i can admit it.
the real reason was i had 3 HDMI slots in my 50" 1080p screen and wanted to see more games on it. since i had PGR3 on my old tv, i thought PGR4 would look great on the new one. it didnt really.. the graphics werent too hot, especially for a racing game.
was fun though. just not Ł160 worth of fun.
in short a bad purchase. now who hasnt made a few of them?!
Subscriptions are nothing new. We all know MMO'S have a sub. My first experience of online gaming was Quakeworld and Quake 2 on Wireplay. That was Ł10 a month. Yeah, I love the fact I can play my pc games free of charge online, but XBox live is not really a bank breaker. Would I get it if I had an XBox? Probably not. I got my PC. If I didn't have a PC, sure, why not.
couldnt play any of my games online after spending that amount of money on the consoles and Ł40 a pop for each game
Oh, might go for the double here.....yup, going to bet this is a lie
ive played it online with the amazing scratch cards and the months free trial and it was no different to playing on PSN. which makes it crap if your paying for something that others provide for free.
Bugger it, Ł10 treble, pretty sure this is a lie also.
If you don't own a 360, why do you actually care? I just can't get my head around it? Are you upset that people are getting ripped off or something? Does it not bother you that despite your constant whining and moaning about Live, Microsoft are not going to make to free? Does it make you want to hurt people when read people typing that they ACTUALLY DONT MIND playing for Live?
I've never used PSN so I can't comment, but I think Live is fantastic, so if I have to keep paying the modest sum that I do to keep it that way, so be it!
I will say however, that one of mates owns both a 360 and a PS3, he owns COD5 on both and has said that COD is much better online on the 360.....mainly because of the party functionality.
i sold it because it was garbage and i never used it.
nothing to do with the ps3.
and are you getting mixed up? your saying the 360 is getting some cracking titles?! you mean ps3? that isnt sold. the 360 is getting f**k all this year.
why is it that some people constantly moan on and on about charges for xbox live! and yet they dont have it or use it?
i subscribe to live and yes it would be great if they dropped the charges for it, but its not likely to ever happen. ill live with it. i knew what i was letting myself in for when i bought the console.
besides, the xbox is far cheaper than a PS3 so my couple of years on live! still falls well short of what the ps3 costs. i didnt want blueray or wifi either so in fact sony have saved me money. woohoo!
i sold it because it was garbage and i never used it.
nothing to do with the ps3.
and are you getting mixed up? your saying the 360 is getting some cracking titles?! you mean ps3? that isnt sold. the 360 is getting f**k all this year.
i sold it because it was garbage and i never used it.
nothing to do with the ps3.
and are you getting mixed up? your saying the 360 is getting some cracking titles?! you mean ps3? that isnt sold. the 360 is getting f**k all this year.
killzone 2 this friday...
And Halo Wars is this Friday too. It may not appeal to you, but it does to others.
HAHA! HALO WARS!!! i bet thats what the loyal halo fans were waiting for.
it has nothing to do with halo. simply whoring the name out for sales.
its command and conquer re-skinned. wont even be the halo makers doing it. haha. imagine bringing that up. against KZ2 nonetheless. straw clutchers.
HALO WARS... as bad as sonic spinball!!
Why are Halo fans waiting for it if it's nothing to do with Halo?
You can laugh all you want, but it's gonna sell, and it's gonna sell well. Also, it's actually pretty damn good - not that you'd know.
I missed the ninja edit... So, only a Halo Sucker would buy Halo Wars, eh? Well, I don't actually like Halo 3 (the only one I've played), yet I loved Halo Wars and can't wait for it to turn up. The fact that it's part of the Halo franchise bothers me not one jot.
halo wars. f**king garbage. trash. franchise milking at its best.
sell well, it wont. keep telling yourself that.
you could take any franchise and apply it to that game. microsoft certainly sees idiots like you coming.
if you hate halo then you could get C&C for about 2 pence now. remind me why your getting this cack?
lack of good games to buy?!
I found Halo Wars to be really accessible, the control system was great. Unlike C&C, which had a baffling array of different functions tied to each button - hold L, then press A, then press A again... *shakes head*
And yes, you could take any franchise and apply it to that game. So what? I'm not buying Halo Wars because it's Halo - can you not understand that?
As for franchise milking, hardly. 4 Halo games now is it? Go check out the number and type of games that Mario has been in...
I can't be bothered getting into this argument because if folk are happy paying for something that is free on other systems, then it is their choice. Personally, I only pay for the service when I need it, rather than paying for a years subscription as I haven't used my 360 for months.
But surely most folk would rather pay nothing for it? I know I would! Don't MS make enough money out of us as it is?
I can't be bothered getting into this argument because if folk are happy paying for something that is free on other systems, then it is their choice. Personally, I only pay for the service when I need it, rather than paying for a years subscription as I haven't used my 360 for months.
But surely most folk would rather pay nothing for it? I know I would! Don't MS make enough money out of us as it is?
Do you pay road tax?
You do realise you could pick up a classic car and be road tax exempt...
xbox live is a quality service. rock solid and quick. none of this crapping out after downloading half of a demo b0ll0cks you get with the PS service. download something on the PS service and then you have to install it afterwards. sounds to me like a sh!t idea.
at the moment it's a case of getting what you pay for. i'll stick with Live thanks. when the PS service is as good as live then you can have a point, but not until.
well thats what i thought when i was using the xbox, what exactly am I paying for even though im paying hardly f**k all, then i go on the psn for free and im payin nothig for pretty much the same stuff, as sad as it is too say i do feel M$ are grabbing that extra abit of cash from us for no real reason, but when you add the figures from every xbox user whos gold, it totals 100's of millions, kudos to M$ for the strategy, but f**k that
Though I dont own a 360 myself, in my last flat we had all the machines with my friend owning the 360. We all thought that LIVE as a pay to play service was a disgrace. It is awesome - yes, BUT anything you pay for HAS to be better than the free. I personally think its unfair that unless you are paying for GOLD you have to wait for AAA demos and content (Res 5 demo for instace) and that you CANT play online. You have paid for the console, paid for the game, are paying for the ISP connection, why should you pay to use equipment and services you are already paying for!?
Im not a fan boy, but Im also someone big on principles. PS3 and 360 can both play online. Granted the 360 is easier to do many things than ps3 online butthen any half wit with a brain can manage a few extra menu navs to get going online I am sure. Is that REALLy worth the subscription? I dont personally think so. Bottom line, if I can play online great. What if your ISP messes up or your 360 breaks (shocking idea thatlast one i know)? You are still on paid time for down time. just a thought.
Though I dont own a 360 myself, in my last flat we had all the machines with my friend owning the 360. We all thought that LIVE as a pay to play service was a disgrace. It is awesome - yes, BUT anything you pay for HAS to be better than the free. I personally think its unfair that unless you are paying for GOLD you have to wait for AAA demos and content (Res 5 demo for instace) and that you CANT play online. You have paid for the console, paid for the game, are paying for the ISP connection, why should you pay to use equipment and services you are already paying for!?
Im not a fan boy, but Im also someone big on principles. PS3 and 360 can both play online. Granted the 360 is easier to do many things than ps3 online butthen any half wit with a brain can manage a few extra menu navs to get going online I am sure. Is that REALLy worth the subscription? I dont personally think so. Bottom line, if I can play online great. What if your ISP messes up or your 360 breaks (shocking idea thatlast one i know)? You are still on paid time for down time. just a thought.
Though I dont own a 360 myself, in my last flat we had all the machines with my friend owning the 360. We all thought that LIVE as a pay to play service was a disgrace. It is awesome - yes, BUT anything you pay for HAS to be better than the free. I personally think its unfair that unless you are paying for GOLD you have to wait for AAA demos and content (Res 5 demo for instace) and that you CANT play online. You have paid for the console, paid for the game, are paying for the ISP connection, why should you pay to use equipment and services you are already paying for!?
Im not a fan boy, but Im also someone big on principles. PS3 and 360 can both play online. Granted the 360 is easier to do many things than ps3 online butthen any half wit with a brain can manage a few extra menu navs to get going online I am sure. Is that REALLy worth the subscription? I dont personally think so. Bottom line, if I can play online great. What if your ISP messes up or your 360 breaks (shocking idea thatlast one i know)? You are still on paid time for down time. just a thought.
I don't disagree, and don't get people wrong - they aren't happy to pay the 30ish quid a year, they tolerate it.
However, threads like this are ALWAYS dominated by people who don't have 360s (and openly hate the 360) moaning about how much of a rip off the charge is. I basically feel if those that actually pay up for the service tolerate it, why can't they?
if the ISP screws up then i take your point, but am i right im saying that if the xbox breaks and you have to send it back they give you a month free on live! as compensation?
i also remember a few years ago trying to fight tooth and nail for compensation from NTHell when they went down all the time. they still wanted the full whack every month. (well, they tried.)
if the ISP screws up then i take your point, but am i right im saying that if the xbox breaks and you have to send it back they give you a month free on live! as compensation?
Most people I know got 3 months Live free. Mate of mine also got a free controller once when his went wrong pretty quickly after coming back from repair (a few weeks). Reasonable compensation I'd say.
I can't be bothered getting into this argument because if folk are happy paying for something that is free on other systems, then it is their choice. Personally, I only pay for the service when I need it, rather than paying for a years subscription as I haven't used my 360 for months.
But surely most folk would rather pay nothing for it? I know I would! Don't MS make enough money out of us as it is?
Do you pay road tax?
You do realise you could pick up a classic car and be road tax exempt...
Deary me, Marty. I pay a shed load of money out for things that I would rather be free, but that's life. Fortunately for consoles I have the choice of either paying for xbox live, or playing my PS3 for nowt.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out which is the better option at this present time. In fact, the only game that I play online at the minute is SF4 on the PS3. I can invite friends and chat/send messages to them all from within the game. There is no lag or dodgy network problems, so why in gods name should I pay for that luxury?
well thats the whole point of this arguenment, thats how M$ get us, and my point of view is, why pay when you can get the same for free, in the end buying a ps3 is overall....cheaper than an xbox in the long run!
It doesn't take a genius to figure out which is the better option at this present time. In fact, the only game that I play online at the minute is SF4 on the PS3. I can invite friends and chat/send messages to them all from within the game. There is no lag or dodgy network problems, so why in gods name should I pay for that luxury?
Serious question.
Ok, you're me - a condescending 30 something with an okish job and a far too nice girlfriend.
You also have a 360 and no Playstation 3. You have over 30 friends on Xbox Live, and each one you know personally and regularly play with. You know one person with a PS3 - and not very well either.
Do you pay the 250-300 for a PS3 for free online play, considering you'd then be playing with a bunch of strangers? Or do you pay the 31 quid to Jasper1675.com for 13 months subscription, play with all your mates, and pocket the 200+ quid 'saving' that you've just made?
how do you knw he only barely knows 1 person on ps3, stooopid assumption really when you dont know him, I know loads of people on ps3, christ half the office got a ps3 so no you cant assume he knows no1 on his PSN,
Honestly, I take the time to read a few of the comments here and it reminds me everything that's bad about gaming. This topic has nothing to do with PS3, yet owners of that console feel obliged to make shameful comments, attempting to compare a free service, PSN, to a subscription based one, XBL. Then Killzone 2 gets brought into this...
Back on topic and ignoring retards, all credit to MS. They established this service when everyone thought it was too early for online console gaming (yeah, Dreamcast did it, but failed) and it's gotten better and better as they continue to evolve it. I for one feel I'm getting value for my money, and when you can find 12 month subs for Ł30ish online, all the better.
well thats the whole point of this arguenment, thats how M$ get us, and my point of view is, why pay when you can get the same for free, in the end buying a ps3 is overall....cheaper than an xbox in the long run!
does anyone wana buy my xbox off me btw? haha
The games perhaps. I prefer the franchises on the 360 and will pick up a PS3 once God of War 3 drops. Yakuza would be preferable, but I don't have high hopes of that making it out over here.
how do you knw he only barely knows 1 person on ps3, stooopid assumption really when you dont know him, I know loads of people on ps3, christ half the office got a ps3 so no you cant assume he knows no1 on his PSN,
Invalid please try again
Please read the first line again... 'You are ME'!!!
Now if I may venture to say that you get what you pay for....
point is again?
Point is that you get what you pay for.
In this particular example you get a generally robust and reliable service that makes a mockery of Sony's laggy beast - god, the Warhawk servers almost drove me to insanity when I had a PS3!
I'm sure that PSN will slowly get better but don't let it be forgotten that Sony are equally as greedy as MS. Have you all forgotten their initial plan to charge gamers for the downloading of cars in GT5. I think it worked out over Ł100 extra on top of the intial purchase price if you wanted all the cars. Just imagine being in a game lobby and then having to exit to buy a car before you can play with everybody else. Er, great idea Sony....
It doesn't take a genius to figure out which is the better option at this present time. In fact, the only game that I play online at the minute is SF4 on the PS3. I can invite friends and chat/send messages to them all from within the game. There is no lag or dodgy network problems, so why in gods name should I pay for that luxury?
Serious question.
Ok, you're me - a condescending 30 something with an okish job and a far too nice girlfriend.
You also have a 360 and no Playstation 3. You have over 30 friends on Xbox Live, and each one you know personally and regularly play with. You know one person with a PS3 - and not very well either.
Do you pay the 250-300 for a PS3 for free online play, considering you'd then be playing with a bunch of strangers? Or do you pay the 31 quid to Jasper1675.com for 13 months subscription, play with all your mates, and pocket the 200+ quid 'saving' that you've just made?
Serious question.
Hey, I understand what you are saying, and that peoples situations are different. And sure, it isn't worth buying a PS3 for free online play alone.
I have to mention that I only started with 2 or 3 real friends on the PS3, but after meeting folk on this site and having good games against once-a-time strangers, I have built up a decent collection (around 30 odd) of online friends.
Also, bear in mind that 'Ł31 quid' is for one year. You'll probably play your 360 for 5 years plus. So really, it's Ł150+ over the lifetime.
But like you say, your choice is best suited for you. I don't dispute that one bit. I only gave my reasoning because my choice is different. I certainly didn't mean to offend anybody.
Now if I may venture to say that you get what you pay for....
point is again?
Point is that you get what you pay for.
In this particular example you get a generally robust and reliable service that makes a mockery of Sony's laggy beast - god, the Warhawk servers almost drove me to insanity when I had a PS3!
I'm sure that PSN will slowly get better but don't let it be forgotten that Sony are equally as greedy as MS. Have you all forgotten their initial plan to charge gamers for the downloading of cars in GT5. I think it worked out over Ł100 extra on top of the intial purchase price if you wanted all the cars. Just imagine being in a game lobby and then having to exit to buy a car before you can play with everybody else. Er, great idea Sony....
I've never had a problem with the PSN, didnt have any problems with Gold either, jus prefer the cheaper option cause it offers the same and will get better
Hey, I understand what you are saying, and that peoples situations are different. And sure, it isn't worth buying a PS3 for free online play alone.
I have to mention that I only started with 2 or 3 real friends on the PS3, but after meeting folk on this site and having good games against once-a-time strangers, I have built up a decent collection (around 30 odd) of online friends.
Also, bear in mind that 'Ł31 quid' is for one year. You'll probably play your 360 for 5 years plus. So really, it's Ł150+ over the lifetime.
But like you say, your choice is best suited for you. I don't dispute that one bit. I only gave my reasoning because my choice is different. I certainly didn't mean to offend anybody.
You haven't - or at least you haven't offended me. And I'm glad you see my point.
And sure, it might seem like a false economy, buying year after year of Xbox Live subs rather than just buying a PS3 and getting all the costs out the way in one go.
However, the initial outlay is more. A lot more. Paying more but spreading the cost over a large period of time happens. Not to mention the point that if I don't want to have Xbox Live I can always not buy it... Like you say, it's Ł150+ over it's life time, but I *could* decide that after a year, I don't want it anymore because I'm really not using it... That's a saving again - something which, arguably, you have already paid for in your initial outlay for a PS3.
You following me?
Someone that owns both consoles, especially somethat that has more friends on the PS3 than the Xbox, I really would question the need to get a Live sub. However, for someone like myself, who only has an Xbox and has a load of mates with one too, the choice I have to make is 'do I spend 31 quid to play with them for a year, or do I not'.
Hey, I understand what you are saying, and that peoples situations are different. And sure, it isn't worth buying a PS3 for free online play alone.
I have to mention that I only started with 2 or 3 real friends on the PS3, but after meeting folk on this site and having good games against once-a-time strangers, I have built up a decent collection (around 30 odd) of online friends.
Also, bear in mind that 'Ł31 quid' is for one year. You'll probably play your 360 for 5 years plus. So really, it's Ł150+ over the lifetime.
But like you say, your choice is best suited for you. I don't dispute that one bit. I only gave my reasoning because my choice is different. I certainly didn't mean to offend anybody.
You haven't - or at least you haven't offended me. And I'm glad you see my point.
And sure, it might seem like a false economy, buying year after year of Xbox Live subs rather than just buying a PS3 and getting all the costs out the way in one go.
However, the initial outlay is more. A lot more. Paying more but spreading the cost over a large period of time happens. Not to mention the point that if I don't want to have Xbox Live I can always not buy it... Like you say, it's Ł150+ over it's life time, but I *could* decide that after a year, I don't want it anymore because I'm really not using it... That's a saving again - something which, arguably, you have already paid for in your initial outlay for a PS3.
You following me?
Someone that owns both consoles, especially somethat that has more friends on the PS3 than the Xbox, I really would question the need to get a Live sub. However, for someone like myself, who only has an Xbox and has a load of mates with one too, the choice I have to make is 'do I spend 31 quid to play with them for a year, or do I not'.
And that, to me, is a no brainer too.
Well that's that sorted then.
In truth, I probably have about 10 friends on xbox live, which is adequate as I know most of them personally and a couple I met on CVG. Sadly, they are not into the games that I play a lot of on the 360, like Geometry Wars and Ikaruga, so I can't compare achievements/scores with anybody! They are either playing COD4 or COD5! Yes, they are that boring! Not one of them likes Halo 3, so I didn't even spend much time online with that game. Same goes for Gears. Sheesh, the two best games on 360 and my mates didn't like them. What chance did I have?
The most enjoyable online time that I had on the 360 was with PGR3 as most of my friends loved it as well. I remember it being a bitch to get everybody on the same game though.
Don't worry svd_grasshopper, us 360 owners(i own both consoles btw)will be happy playing the excellent new gta lost and damned game while you complain about the 360's lack of games
You sound bitter about the ps3 struggling to make an impact this gen. It's in last place and it'll be there for some time, deal with it. The ps3 is a fine machine with some great games coming(drake's 2 and god of war 3 especially), but it's not the powerhouse a lot of people were duped into believing.
The 360 is the better gaming machine, i'm absolutely convinced by that. Easier to program, doesn't suffer from video bandwidth issues(unlike the ps3), has a superb online service(yes you have to pay for it)and has a lot more games to download than you can get on the psn service(although psn is picking up finally).
Buy both machines i say, enjoy what both have on offer rather than slagging off the 360 all the time. You're not convincing anyone with your rants, in fact you sound desperate
I luckily have both systems and play on-line using both. Have to say hand on heart there isn't much difference between the two in my experience.
I have no problem paying my subsciption to MS every month but can understand why some feel it should be free, that said it will be the first thing to go should I need to tighten the belt.
I luckily have both systems and play on-line using both. Have to say hand on heart there isn't much difference between the two in my experience.
I have no problem paying my subsciption to MS every month but can understand why some feel it should be free, that said it will be the first thing to go should I need to tighten the belt.
why dont you understand that some people think LIVE should be free? given that, hand on heart, you dont think theres much between PSN and LIVE, and that PSN is free!?
by that logic, you think PSN should be a paid-for service?
Me personally, I'm happy to pay for playing on Live. Yes, others offer it for free but you don't get the same experience as you do with Live.
what are you bloody talking about. exactly what differences are there apart from ps3 offers free games via home and free everything else. download films, download demos, play online. what differences are there you note? i have both, both are online, and there are no differences apart from the look of the interface. sonys looks professional and now ms looks like a child’s toy which you cant exchange back to the old settings. i personally don’t want a childish avatar each time i turn on my xbox (please ignore my chicken!).
Did I mention the PS3? I was talking about the PC and the wii as I've not used a PS3 for playing online. To cite specific examples, the PC (pre gaming for windows) apps like xfire helped but it relies a lot on preorganisation between friends, passing about servers IPs, requiring that the same software version is used that exists on the server etc etc. The wii on the other hand offered a very lonely experience. Whilst you're on playing say Mario Kart, It may as well be offline since you can't talk to anyone.
That to me is where Xbox Live excels. I have all my friends listed in one place, I can easily organise a game and all games are kept up to day. More to the point, I can talk to them even if I've playing a different game to them.
The PS3 may offer this but once again that would fall into an argument as to whether you want to pay more for a console and play for free or pay a bit less for a similar console and pay as sub of around Ł30 a year. Swings and roundabouts really.
Hi The real reason was i had 3 HDMI slots in my 50" 1080p screen and wanted to see more games on it. since i had PGR3 on my old tv, i thought PGR4 would look great on the new one. it didnt really.. the graphics werent too hot, especially for a racing game.
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