Xbox Live Gold

[blurredvision]

I happily pay $40/month for Live service. IMO, it's vastly superior to PSN, so until PSN catches up, I see no reason to complain about the price.

 

[CVSiN]

Do you have any idea how much it costs per month to run bandwidth and server maintenance?
Seriously this argument gets me so damn pissed every time I hear it.
Bandwidth is NOT free and the difference between this and the PSN is that its not just a matchmaking service they actually host the servers and the games on XBL.
this costs... MONEY.
a Corporate 10mbt line for example costs us over 3k per month.. now try to figure out how much bandwidth is needed to host a service like XBL.
its expensive.
Why should they give you ANYTHING for free?
I'm a Network Administrator by trade so yes I know how much work/money goes into even the simplest network.

 

[bearxor]

I've paid for live every year since 2003 and haven't regretted it. I'll continue to pay for it in the foreseeable future.

 

[Trader05]

Obviously you can see why some people are complaining about paying for a service when "company b" is giving it out for free. But, thats just the $$ aspect. My friend has 360 Gold member ship, his downloads are incredibly faster than mine with PSN. We downloaded a the same demo, his flew like it was Cable vs 56k(eh maybe dsl). I wouldnt doubt PSN will start a Premium service, it would definitly give them extra money to ramp up their service, and home would of probably been done by now.

 

[imported_protoz]

Originally posted by: CVSiN
Do you have any idea how much it costs per month to run bandwidth and server maintenance?
Seriously this argument gets me so damn pissed every time I hear it.
Bandwidth is NOT free and the difference between this and the PSN is that its not just a matchmaking service they actually host the servers and the games on XBL.
this costs... MONEY.
a Corporate 10mbt line for example costs us over 3k per month.. now try to figure out how much bandwidth is needed to host a service like XBL.
its expensive.
Why should they give you ANYTHING for free?
I'm a Network Administrator by trade so yes I know how much work/money goes into even the simplest network.

The problem with that is they don't run dedicated servers. They are just a match making service and leave the games to be hosted by gamers that pay to use the service. That's why in Halo 3 the host can put their modem in standby to prevent people from playing and they can rack up free kills. I ran into this the other night where the host would do that, kill our team then press standby again before the host switched to someone else.

PS3 games have dedicated servers. See: Warhawk where I have run a dedicated server for. I believe UT3 and a few other games allow home users to run their PS3's as dedicated servers. I know the Warhawk dev's had a cluster of PS3's running dedicated servers at launch because they were cheaper than server hardware.

The only advantages XBL has over PSN at this time is private voice chat and game invites which are resolved in Playstation Home (not the most elegant solution though).

I'm also a Network Administrator and know the costs, which is why they rely on listen servers rather than dedicated servers. Halo 3 alone would be hard enough to manage dedicated servers for let alone all 360 titles.

Xbox Live Gold is just fleecing gamers that don't know any better for something that should be free. It's all free on PC and PS3 and both offer better gaming experiences from what I have experienced.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: CVSiN
Do you have any idea how much it costs per month to run bandwidth and server maintenance?
Seriously this argument gets me so damn pissed every time I hear it.
Bandwidth is NOT free and the difference between this and the PSN is that its not just a matchmaking service they actually host the servers and the games on XBL.
this costs... MONEY.
a Corporate 10mbt line for example costs us over 3k per month.. now try to figure out how much bandwidth is needed to host a service like XBL.
its expensive.
Why should they give you ANYTHING for free?
I'm a Network Administrator by trade so yes I know how much work/money goes into even the simplest network.

actually that is wrong, games on xbox live are peer to peer (other than UT3 which I believe is the first and only), and games on PS3 are hosted on actual servers ...

 

[oznerol]

I pay it, and I enjoy it, but I don't think it's "worth" it.

Really, they're just charging for it because they can.

Also, some of you are a bit confused as to what it is you're actually paying for. Microsoft's servers are readily available to both paying and non-paying Live members. These servers hold your account information (achievements, points, friends lists, etc), as well as all downloadable content in the marketplace. You aren't paying for Microsoft bandwidth.

Multiplayer games on the 360 are primarily peer-to-peer games - that is, the host is the person creating the game, not a dedicated server run by Microsoft. Granted, there is a central server that all users must communicate with to authenticate their accounts, but aside from that all data is handled by the user. Voice chat is also peer-to-peer. Really, the only thing Microsoft handles is the messaging service - which stores voice/text messages. It also manages the party system, etc.

I think the new dash is actually a result of PSN catching up in terms of features, and Microsoft needed to add more value to their pay service.

But even with the current dash, the service and features is provides is quite a bit ahead of anything the competition offers - and the fact that the 360 is essentially built around the service really sets a solid standard for developers to allow them to easily create the best product they can.

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: protoz
Xbox Live Gold is just fleecing gamers that don't know any better for something that should be free. It's all free on PC and PS3 and both offer better gaming experiences from what I have experienced.

I could not disagree with this more. Having to sign up for 18 different usernames in Metal Gear Online reminds me of why I love Live. Trying to set up matches with users in different games reminds me of why I love Live. Knowing that my username is guaranteed the same in every 360 game I play is why I love Live. The upcoming party system looks great, and reminds me of why I pay for Live. Standard voice chat in every single online 360 game is why I love Live. The fact that every 360 SKU comes with a headset is why I love Live. Having everything integrated between console and the web is why I love Live. The speed of the service is why I love Live. And I'm going to guess that the upcoming Netflix feature is going to be another reason I love Live.

I personally don't mind paying for a service I like.

 

[joutlaw]

The PC and PS3 are no comparison in terms of UI and ease of matching. The only sort of lag I have ever experienced too would be from Battlefield: Bad Company.

I have done the buy.com deal for 2 years and for 3$ a month Xbox Live Gold is well worth it.

 

[imported_protoz]

Originally posted by: blurredvision
I could not disagree with this more. Having to sign up for 18 different usernames in Metal Gear Online reminds me of why I love Live. Trying to set up matches with users in different games reminds me of why I love Live. Knowing that my username is guaranteed the same in every 360 game I play is why I love Live. The upcoming party system looks great, and reminds me of why I pay for Live. Standard voice chat in every single online 360 game is why I love Live. The fact that every 360 SKU comes with a headset is why I love Live. Having everything integrated between console and the web is why I love Live. The speed of the service is why I love Live. And I'm going to guess that the upcoming Netflix feature is going to be another reason I love Live.

I personally don't mind paying for a service I like.

MGS4 is the ONLY game that has required two log in names and it was panned for it pretty badly. I do agree that was pretty dumb on Konami's part.

I use the same user name for all my online Playstation games and I haven't played MGS4 online because of the extra unnecessary log in.

I did state that game invites are a nice feature of Xbox Live and I have used it quite a bit.

I haven't ran into a game on PSN that didn't have voice chat that needed it. Going off your next point about the headsets I agree the voice chat is more integrated but you also have to deal with little kids screaming into the mic or idiots that don't work together and just spew filth from their mouths the whole game. I end up muting more people than I find that are useful. I have a $10 bluetooth headset for my PS3 and I have used it without issue and it sounds just as good as the Xbox headset. In fact my Xbox headset connector broke in my controller. The tip broke and I had to dig it out of the controller. I had to buy a new one because it the shoddy quality.

The party system was announced after Sony's Home announced that was a feature. It works pretty well in the Home beta and it's a welcome feature for both systems. Oh, and Home is free.

Everything integrated onto the web? Like checking your achievements and all that from Xbox.com? I believe you can check that on playstation now and message people in your friends list. It wasn't there at first but it is now.

I will agree with you on download speed being slower. Downloading a large demo then sitting through an install process is very annoying.

I don't use Netflix and don't plan on it any time soon so I can't comment on it.

I sound like a troll but PSN has improved by leaps and bounds this year and has caught up to XBL without charging gamers an extra dime. This time last year PSN was pretty poor but now it's actually quite competent.

PC has always been ahead of both systems and will remain so for the foreseeable future.

 

[CVSiN]

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: CVSiN
Do you have any idea how much it costs per month to run bandwidth and server maintenance?
Seriously this argument gets me so damn pissed every time I hear it.
Bandwidth is NOT free and the difference between this and the PSN is that its not just a matchmaking service they actually host the servers and the games on XBL.
this costs... MONEY.
a Corporate 10mbt line for example costs us over 3k per month.. now try to figure out how much bandwidth is needed to host a service like XBL.
its expensive.
Why should they give you ANYTHING for free?
I'm a Network Administrator by trade so yes I know how much work/money goes into even the simplest network.

actually that is wrong, games on xbox live are peer to peer (other than UT3 which I believe is the first and only), and games on PS3 are hosted on actual servers ...

No they dont run peer to peer. Only on certain games.

otherwise when the host leaves the game the game ends..
this is not so with many many 360 games.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: CVSiN

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: CVSiN
Do you have any idea how much it costs per month to run bandwidth and server maintenance?
Seriously this argument gets me so damn pissed every time I hear it.
Bandwidth is NOT free and the difference between this and the PSN is that its not just a matchmaking service they actually host the servers and the games on XBL.
this costs... MONEY.
a Corporate 10mbt line for example costs us over 3k per month.. now try to figure out how much bandwidth is needed to host a service like XBL.
its expensive.
Why should they give you ANYTHING for free?
I'm a Network Administrator by trade so yes I know how much work/money goes into even the simplest network.

actually that is wrong, games on xbox live are peer to peer (other than UT3 which I believe is the first and only), and games on PS3 are hosted on actual servers ...

No they dont run peer to peer. Only on certain games.

otherwise when the host leaves the game the game ends..
this is not so with many many 360 games.

no, you are wrong.

and there are plenty of games where the host leaves the game just ends. COD4 was like that for a long time and I think they fixed it w/a patch.

on xbox360 there are 2 options when the host leaves.

1. the game just disconnects and everyone quits out. (COD4 did this initially)
2. the game wil pause temporarily and reassign a new host (Halo 3 and 2 did this)

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: protoz
I haven't ran into a game on PSN that didn't have voice chat that needed it.

I sound like a troll but PSN has improved by leaps and bounds this year and has caught up to XBL without charging gamers an extra dime. This time last year PSN was pretty poor but now it's actually quite competent.

PC has always been ahead of both systems and will remain so for the foreseeable future.

hot shots golf needs voice chat and doesn't have it, only text chat. i would have killed for voice chat on there.

i have ps3 and xbox360, and psn is not caught up to xbox live, not yet. it's trying to get there but it's not really close to being the same quite yet.

and i don't game on PC at all but comparing PC gaming back when i did to xbox live, xbox live is a lot easier to find quick games in. (last game i played big time on pc was cs1.6 back in college).

 

[R Nilla]

Originally posted by: purbeast0
no, you are wrong.

and there are plenty of games where the host leaves the game just ends. COD4 was like that for a long time and I think they fixed it w/a patch.

on xbox360 there are 2 options when the host leaves.

1. the game just disconnects and everyone quits out. (COD4 did this initially)
2. the game wil pause temporarily and reassign a new host (Halo 3 and 2 did this)

Regardless, even if they don't necessarily host the games, there are still servers that make XBL possible.

 

[imported_protoz]

I guess I compare the PS3 experience to PC gaming more than 360 so it does all I want it to right now. I really don't like matchmaking in my games because I might want to play regular deathmatch but keep getting put into shotty snipers in Halo 3 (worst gameplay mode ever). I want to be able to choose the game I want to join on the map I want instead of just taking whatever the matchmaking finds for me.

I reference Halo 3 a lot but that has been the main game I have played online for the 360 and Warhawk/Wipeout HD for PS3. I played some Crackdown, Castle Crashers and Overlord on XBL and they were all matchmaking as well.

It's a bummer Hot Shots Golf didn't have voice chat because that screams for voice chat. I think that was because it is not a requirement for Playstation Network games like it is for XBL.

 

[erwos]

Here's the thing: with XBL, you're never going to run out of servers for a game (excepting EA games where EA demands to run the servers). With the PC and PS3, that's more than a distinct possibility. That kind of long-term support isn't free.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: erwos
Here's the thing: with XBL, you're never going to run out of servers for a game (excepting EA games where EA demands to run the servers). With the PC and PS3, that's more than a distinct possibility. That kind of long-term support isn't free.

Yet so cheap at the same time. The consumer is winning big time with XBL. It is a wonderful thing.

 

[CrazyLazy]

It's stupid that they charge for it at all, but the price is low enough that no one cares that they do.

 

[oznerol]

Originally posted by: erwos
Here's the thing: with XBL, you're never going to run out of servers for a game (excepting EA games where EA demands to run the servers). With the PC and PS3, that's more than a distinct possibility. That kind of long-term support isn't free.

XBL is actually doing exactly what EA is doing - only it's not invalidating games over time.

For an EA multiplayer game - the connection is still between two users - the only difference is there is a game/user validation check with EAs servers. They do this so they can track user stats - like games played, ranking, etc (and also so they can disable outdated games, basically forcing you to get the latest if you wish to play online).

XBL does just that - authenticates the game/user, while still putting the hosting responsibility on those playing.

 

[Oyeve]

The only problem I have with live is I pay via the 360 with my bank account and they charge tax. Same with MS points. They charge tax. I can understand if they shipped me something but its all online and instant, why the tax? Other than that Live is worth it.

 

[R Nilla]

Originally posted by: Oyeve
The only problem I have with live is I pay via the 360 with my bank account and they charge tax. Same with MS points. They charge tax. I can understand if they shipped me something but its all online and instant, why the tax? Other than that Live is worth it.

Blame the state of New York. They charge taxes for online purchases.

 

[Stuxnet]

Originally posted by: xaeniac
Does anyone else own an xb360 and refuse to pay the online gold fee? This should be free and it's lame that its not.

If you're going to post something like this, you need to make some attempt to state an actual case.

Why should it be free?
Why is it lame that it is not?

I *gladly* pay for Live. In fact, I renewed just this past Monday .

 

[tw1164]

Now that it looks like netflix is going to offer "HD" streaming, I may upgrade to Gold. The online gaming will just be a bonus.

 

[baddogg19901990]

If Xbox live were free it would suck just like the PS3 online service

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

I refuse to pay based on principle.