Making 360 owners pay $50/yr to host their own games is a nice revenue stream for M$, but there's no way they could have the temerity to charge PC gamers for it, right? Wrong!
While Microsoft was quite quiet about Live for Windows Vista, today during a press event prior to the Game Developers Conference the company revealed to Game Informer Online the exact pricing structure for the service. Live for Windows Vista will actually be the same exact price for Vista as it is for the Xbox 360. Just like with the Xbox 360 there will be a free Silver package as well as a Gold package which retails for $49.99 for a year subscription, $7.99 for one month, and $19.99 for three months.
Good news for gamers who already have an Xbox Live Gold Membership – you’ve already subscribed. Your Live membership works on the Xbox, Xbox 360, and Live for Windows. Your gamer tag and achievements will be used across both Xbox and Vista PCs. Upcoming Vista games like Halo 2 and some exclusive Vista casual games will include achievements and will be able to add to your gamer score.
We'll have more on this as it becomes available
Obligatory:
[slipperyslope]And by 3 years time, ALL PC games will need Live subscriptions for online play![/slipperyslope]
Wait, the article says the Silver package is free.
[slipperyslope]And by 3 years time, ALL PC games will need Live subscriptions for online play![/slipperyslope]
QUICK! TO SLASHDORK! WE MUST ALERT THE INTERBLOG!!!
"There is no "taboo" on using nuclear weapons." -Julhelm
What is Project Zohar? "On a serious note (well not really) I did sometimes jump in and rate nBSG episodes a '5' before the episode even aired or I saw it."- RogueIce explaining that episode ratings on SDN tv show threads are bunk
Uraniun235 wrote:Wait, the article says the Silver package is free.
You know that Live Silver owners can't do online multiplayer, right?
No; I don't own an Xbox.
What the hell does Silver do, then?
"There is no "taboo" on using nuclear weapons." -Julhelm
What is Project Zohar? "On a serious note (well not really) I did sometimes jump in and rate nBSG episodes a '5' before the episode even aired or I saw it."- RogueIce explaining that episode ratings on SDN tv show threads are bunk
Uraniun235 wrote:Wait, the article says the Silver package is free.
You know that Live Silver owners can't do online multiplayer, right?
No; I don't own an Xbox.
What the hell does Silver do, then?
5. What is Xbox Live Silver?
The Xbox Live Silver service means you can connect your Xbox 360 console to a broadband Internet connection and get functionality right out of the box without having to pay any amount of money.
With Xbox Live Silver you can:
* Create an online Gamer Profile
* Access the Xbox Live Marketplace
* Engage in voice and text messaging
* Talk to a single friend at a time using voice chat
* Receive video messages from Gold level members
* Access massively multiplayer online games (additional fees may apply)
6. What is Xbox Live Gold?
The Xbox Live Gold is similar to the current paid Xbox Live service. The Xbox Live Gold service delivers the complete online connection package. With Xbox Live Gold you have all the features of Silver level, and additionally:
* Play multiplayer games online
* Video chat
* Multiplayer online tournaments
* Participate in Xbox Live online programming, such as Game with Fame, Play and Win, and Prime Time activities.
Gamespot has this to saw about Live and Halo 2 Vista:
Clowes said that you will not need to be a gold member to play Halo 2 multiplayer, and that players can set up open dedicated servers that anyone can play on, just like dedicated servers for other PC shooters. However, Halo 2 for the PC will also be the first game to allow players to set up dedicated Live servers.
So it looks like subscribing to Live Gold is optional, at least for some titles.
I will boycott it. My biggest complaint for the XBox has always been that you have to play online, where PC gaming has been free online for over a decade and all the other video game consoles are online.
Now Microsoft wants to 'improve' PC gaming by charging us.
No. Simply no. No way. I'm not paying.
Uraniun235 wrote:
Xisiqomelir wrote:
Uraniun235 wrote:Wait, the article says the Silver package is free.
You know that Live Silver owners can't do online multiplayer, right?
No; I don't own an Xbox.
What the hell does Silver do, then?
It's basically just there to tease you and let you download updates and voice chat.
I will boycott it. My biggest complaint for the XBox has always been that you have to play online, where PC gaming has been free online for over a decade and all the other video game consoles are online.
Now Microsoft wants to 'improve' PC gaming by charging us.
No. Simply no. No way. I'm not paying.
From what I've seen so far (none of which is an official MS statement on Live for Windows), it doesn't look like you'll have to pay to multiplayer or VoIP on the PC. I does look like you'll have to if you want to play cross-platform (no thanks, I don't to deal with screaming ten year olds), or host a server (which my connection can't handle anyway).
I don't think MS is dumb enough to charge for PC to PC games, because PC gamers won't pay and other publishers won't even consider supporting it.
I will boycott it. My biggest complaint for the XBox has always been that you have to play online, where PC gaming has been free online for over a decade and all the other video game consoles are online.
Now Microsoft wants to 'improve' PC gaming by charging us.
No. Simply no. No way. I'm not paying.
From what I've seen so far (none of which is an official MS statement on Live for Windows), it doesn't look like you'll have to pay to multiplayer or VoIP on the PC. I does look like you'll have to if you want to play cross-platform (no thanks, I don't to deal with screaming ten year olds), or host a server (which my connection can't handle anyway).
I don't think MS is dumb enough to charge for PC to PC games, because PC gamers won't pay and other publishers won't even consider supporting it.
Sounds to me like they're going to be running the game servers on XBox Live. That'll mean you have to pay.
Why would they host the servers twice? I highly doubt they'll host a server on XBox Live for both PC gamers and XBox gamers and then create a second server just for PC gamers who aren't paying.
I will boycott it. My biggest complaint for the XBox has always been that you have to play online, where PC gaming has been free online for over a decade and all the other video game consoles are online.
Now Microsoft wants to 'improve' PC gaming by charging us.
No. Simply no. No way. I'm not paying.
From what I've seen so far (none of which is an official MS statement on Live for Windows), it doesn't look like you'll have to pay to multiplayer or VoIP on the PC. I does look like you'll have to if you want to play cross-platform (no thanks, I don't to deal with screaming ten year olds), or host a server (which my connection can't handle anyway).
I don't think MS is dumb enough to charge for PC to PC games, because PC gamers won't pay and other publishers won't even consider supporting it.
Sounds to me like they're going to be running the game servers on XBox Live. That'll mean you have to pay.
Why would they host the servers twice? I highly doubt they'll host a server on XBox Live for both PC gamers and XBox gamers and then create a second server just for PC gamers who aren't paying.
Twice? Right now they aren't even hosting them once. Xbox Live is peer-to-peer, not dedicated.
People have tried this pay to play shit on PC before with services like MPlayer, and they failed horribly. Of course, the fact that they sucked didn't help, but I believe they would still have failed even if the software was solid.
"I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark." - Muhammad Ali
"Dating is not supposed to be easy. It's supposed to be a heart-pounding, stomach-wrenching, gut-churning exercise in pitting your fear of rejection and public humiliation against your desire to find a mate. Enjoy." - Darth Wong
It's not a bandwagon I can see that many game developers jumping on. "Let's be the first to make our multiplayer feature a pay only service that everyone else bar MMOs is doing for free!"
