Online gaming, music sites and netflix are free on the other gaming consoles, as well as via PC. Not only that but the Xbox 360 doesn’t even have a web browser so I can’t watch youtube. Yet it is the only one that charges to get online.
What is the appeal of xbox live? I don’t get it, you seem to be paying for fewer features that are free via other mediums. Is there something worth the cost?
More and more X-Box Live Gold is getting necessary to access all the features on the game you already paid for.
Which make no sense. Multiplayer, netflix and other online functions are free on the PC and other consoles. I don’t see what Xbox does that deserves $50 a year for the same things. Does xbox live offer anything special worth the money or what? If not, why are they still in business with that business model?
You can’t play against other Xbox users online unless you have the Gold membership. The main draw for lots of games (like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Madden) is online play against other people.
The free memberships only allow you to access the marketplace, demos and patches.
I’m not a Gold user, but I understand that the network is rock-solid, and its matchmaking features are very, very good. The overall experience on XBox Live is apparently heads-and-shoulders above Sony’s network.
Plus, as far as anyone can tell, Xbox Live hasn’t been hacked :eek:
Wow am I on GameFaqs? this question gets asked every other day. Basically you pay for the servers that handle matchmaking, hack prevention etc. for online play. Most online is P2P with some having their own dedicated servers (Gears 3). Those servers also handle your profile, friends list, achievment data, and even some saves on certain games. Like someone else mentioned Xbox live is rock steady no major outages, no hacked data, faster download speeds than PSN, etc. You also get game chat across games with one profile as opposed to PSN requiring different ones for some games. All in all it pretty cheap at around 3-5 bucks a month. There are always deals on xbox live cards check fatwallet, slickdeals, etc. To me it’s worth it to others it’s not.
That’s pretty much it there. That, and all the people I know are there as well. I’d happily pay double for it.
everything you’ve listed is available on Battle.net and elsewhere, for free. you’ll need to explain to this PC user why someone would pay for an old rig, pay a premium for lower detailed games and pay for access to an online matchmaking service. what am i missing out on that is worth all the cost?
Other than the answers of “you can play people online” and “you need it for Netflix, etc.” which were mentioned *BY *the OP:
It’s a hell of a lot better than the services offered on the PS3 and Wii. I’m a PS3 owner, and the service sucks ass. Yeah, yeah - the hacking and down time was awful. But the service itself when up and running is horribly slow and prone to disconnects. And it’s even worse on the Wii, google “friend codes” and the horribleness all that entails.
All in all, you’re better off on a PC. IF you’re a PC gamer. Some people, like me, prefer lounging on the couch, prefer the home theater-like environment, etc. that comes with console gaming.
i can get all that if i were to buy a gamepad. i’m sorry for the hijack, let’s focus on the appeal of xbox live gold. i gather from the replies so far that it is an added cost that comes with buying an xbox?
Hey I used to be a mainly PC player. Hell my PC right now can run circles around my Xbox, yet for some reason when I get home from work I always fire up the Xbox first. A few reasons for that all my friends are on there. This is a big thing. I can see at a glance who is playing what and join the game or just the party and chat or even invite someone to watch a Netflix movie and riff on it. Most of the games I enjoy are on the Xbox: Gears of War series, Child of Eden, Bayonetta, Vanquish, Resident Evil, Dance Central, Resonance of Fate, Mass Effect series, Splosion Man, Dead or Alive Series, Portal 2 local coop.
A lot if not most of those are not available on PC. the ones that are Fallout series I don’t mind playing on the Xbox, never was much into mods etc.
As for resolution meh at this point it looks good enough for my tastes.
And last but not least I love my little avatar, lol.
In response to Shijinn yes it is an added cost albeit voluntary. It is easily worth the money once you have used it though. I am coming close to the 7 year mark of being a member and have never paid more than 35 bucks for a year sometimes less. I am now on the family pack which is 4 people for something like $99 but I picked it up for around $50 when it first came out.
If I were to buy a gamepad, I’d still need to relocate my computer to my family room, which I’m not willing to do. This thread isn’t about “the appeal of gold”, because the appeal of gold is exactly the same as the appeal of PSN or online PC gaming. It’s about the differences and upside between them.
Yep. And down into the rabbit hole we go…
Sorry - didn’t mean to bring a huge PC v. console debate in here. I think I laid out the basic pros of console gaming without denigrating any aspect of PC gaming. OP was looking for “why Gold instead of free PSN/Wii or PC?” Everyone was answering with answers that the OP already knows (“so you can play online”) - I was just trying to answer the actual question.
so the Xbox is good for those unwilling to link their PC to the TV. mine is, as my TV has an HDMI input, so i guess it’s a bad idea for those who are willing.
it’s great to have choices isn’t it?
It really is. So how do you choose between choices? What I do is gather all the information I can and lay out the options. That’s all that I’ve done here - I haven’t placed any personal value judgment an any of that - merely told the OP what the particular upside is for most people of playing a particular console online is. I’m sure he’s well aware that if he wanted to put his PC in his living room, he can.
I think Xbox live gold (vs PS3 free to play) is kind of like T-mobile vs Verizon wireless- they both make phone calls, have android handsets, etc, but you pay more on verizon for wider network coverage and more 3g/4g. Similarly PS3 online provides online play, but Xbox live gold is a more solid, better integrated experience. Edit to add, Live gold is also basically an unbundling of costs, like baggage fees on the airlines - one of the reasons the PS3 has mostly been more expensive initially than the xbox is that the “free” online is bundled into the initial price.
I think they are introducing cloud storage for your save games on xbox. That’ll be nice when at friends houses.
This is also true.
It’s $5 a month. I’ve spent more on less.
Because maybe the method of online gaming isn’t a priority for some people.