Comments on: Some Xbox 360 Games Now Playable on Xbox Live for Free

By: Zaruka

Zaruka — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:36:09 +0000

so they mess up and are saying enjoy it xbox 360 players while you can.

By: Phil Migrowen

Phil Migrowen — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:47:39 +0000

“Its only until Fall anyway, so enjoy it while you can people”

Actually it’s only until the next Dashboard software update which is supposed to be released this fall. That strongly points to my possibility #2 above which is that this is actually an unintended side-effect of Games for Windows Live games being free for Silver accounts and Live currently not being able to distinguish between XBOX and PC users’ accounts. That is why a software update to the XBOX is needed to make that distinction apparent to Live.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:59:34 +0000

“…its policy of stagnating DLC releases between Gold and Silver members.”

I think you mean “staggering”.

By: Stephany

Stephany — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:18:31 +0000

Its only until Fall anyway, so enjoy it while you can people

By: are you stupid

are you stupid — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:16:39 +0000

PS3 FTW.

By: Phil Migrowen

Phil Migrowen — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:06:46 +0000

“This is the first time any game has allowed you to play online on Xbox 360 without an Xbox Live Gold account, which we can likely trace back to Microsoft’s recent decision to make Games for Windows Live free.”

It is not just “likely.” It is the direct result of Games for Windows Live now being free. The three games in question are all Games for Windows Live games, and all three support cross-platform play between PC and XBOX. So, this is the result of either one of two possibilities: Either Microsoft has intentionally allowed XBOX users to play these titles for free to increase the numbers of XBOX users playing these games online against PC users. Or, the Live authentication servers simply can’t tell the difference between a PC user’s account and an XBOX user’s account so any user who tries to play one of these cross-platform games online is allowed to do so by Live.

“But in the meantime, selling Xbox Live Gold subscriptions might become a bit tricky.”

No, it doesn’t. Microsoft completely controls the online multiplayer market for the XBOX360. XBOX360 owners who want to play online must use Live and therefore must pay Microsoft for the privilege. Since there is no direct competition to XBOX Live, XBOX customers must either pay up or do without. And, that fact hasn’t changed since XBOX Live was first introduced.

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:04:25 +0000

It’s good to see it’s on the table now. I’m sure it’s being debated fiercly by the MS execs right now.

Would you fork over a significant amount of no-strings attached income to try and keep your customers from defecting? It would seem to be a decent marketing scheme, if a bit too late.

From discussions I’ve had with 360 owners over the past year, most aren’t bothered by the Gold requisite. Those handful who actually were disasatisfied defected already. Apathy seems to be the rule of thumb there.

However, if MS were to ever poll its active customers, they would find a unanimous result.