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Microsoft will provide more TV-like advertisements through XBox Live
- Thread starter crimsonheadGCN
- Start date
A promo IS advertising. You are making a consumer aware of your product with the purpose of selling said content. Even if it's a link to a free You Tube video, they are either trying to sell a Gold account to a silver member, or they are trying to get you to watch the video that will no doubt have third party ads to click away while the video plays.
Speedymanic
Banned
Well this has been fun, but to be brutally honest, you're going off point and I'd rather not derail the thread.
krypt0nian
Banned
Forget it. He used the word promo and then thought it wasn't an ad. There is no hope here.
No you just don't understand. You cannot call something that is an ad by definition, not an ad.
You don't get to make or remake definitions. There is something wrong with you if you think you do.
You can choose how to react to the ads, and think they are fine, but they are still going to be ads.
krypt0nian
Banned
dp
BruiserBear
Banned
It's a long standing schtick when it comes to Xbox dashboard discussions. "Promotion of things" is not advertising in the eyes of some people. As long as you don't call it advertising, it's not advertising.
krypt0nian
Banned
Because there is something wrong with them.
Speedymanic
Banned
This is where we disagree, but you do make a valid point.
AlanzTalon
Member
it is a weird, sad universe when people are this bothered by stuff.
Speedymanic
Banned
Passes the time. I've nothing better to do until later when I have to go to work, so might as well shoot the shit until them.
bigtroyjon
Member
Could have saved yourself a lot of keystrokes by actually reading the op and the article about this news.
Phoenician_Viking
Banned
Amazing thread.
NullPointer
Member
OMG I paid $X for this service and they've raised the price and continue to place more and more ads while minimizing space for my content.
Its not a magazine or a happy meal.
Its also not a car.
Speedymanic
Banned
Magazine and Happy Meal prices have risen, what's your point?
I don't have any issue with people complaining about how things look or how prominant ads are. I do think there are many people who have an entirely inaccurate view of how the actual system and UI works though and that's not fair either.
RedNumberFive
Banned
You'll notice an obvious pattern to most of Speedy's posting habits. At times I thought it was the work of an expert troll or viral marketing. Now I don't know what to think.
Interfectum
Member
I'm imagining some GAF members being treated to a 30 second commercial before every Xbox game they play (and paid $60 for) and defending it when it comes under fire.
Fixed
Speedymanic
Banned
Dude, I'm like, right here.
Its content we all already pay for that is place behind another paid wall. Then they ad more ads to this?
How are people defending this? Really step back this is terrible.
Freelance PR For Microsoft
But what you dont get defending stuff like this make xbox worse.... You are not helping this cause.
CountAntonius
Member
Same reasons some people are bothered by other people not being bothered I'd imagine.
NullPointer
Member
The point you're missing is that a happy meal is not a service. Xbox Live is. You pay for it, and it continually changes after the point of purchase. I personally have a problem with how it is evolving.
In exchange for my (increased) fee I unlock the ability to use my xbox for peer-to-peer multiplayer, access to otherwise free apps, and ever more ads taking ever more space. Oh and we also got to pay for the privilege of delaying COD content for PS3 users. Its a raw deal and in my opinion it shouldn't be encouraged or tolerated.
If you don't mind it, fine. Really, we're good. But forum discussions like these can be helpful to register our disgust at this direction, to justify it and to present alternatives. And there are alternatives. As well as examples where customers made a stink and MS was forced to change their ways. Look to the PC world for examples.
Advertise according to Merriam Webster.
There is no disagreeing here, promotions and advertisements are one and the same.
I wouldn't like that. But seeing as how I've never complained about 5 second AMD/nvidia ads on PC, I don't know if that'd make me a hypocrite or not.
but then there are people who are bothered about the people who are bothered about people who are not bothered. why then bother the bothering bothers who bother because they feel the bother is a matter for bothering rather then bother for the sake of the bother
Speedymanic
Banned
The problem is there aren't any alternatives in the console sphere. Maybe when Sony get their heads out of their arse and put some effort into developing a good, robust online service that offers the same functionality as live, we'll finally see MS sweat and either drop the live fee (very unlikely) or add value through various methods. Hell, maybe they'll even go down the PS+ route and start to offer select games for 'free', but none of this will potentially happen until the pressure from competitors is there.
Those can annoy the shit out of me, but mainly when they try to be cute and make it unique... but longer and unskippable. I think Borderlands did exactly that, stuff like how the Witcher 2 handled it was fine however.
Also another thing: you only ever see any kind of advertising on PSN when you go into the store, usually, or spcial spots that actively show that stuff. That's the difference here, it's like walking into a store and seeing banners all over the place, versus walking around your damn house and seeing similar banners all around the place. Or little displays JUST TO TELL YOU STUFF. But I sometimes wonder if Microsoft's marketing team is just... off when it comes to advertising. I can't imagine anyone else but an ad firm being EAGER to show off all the new ways you can manipulate and show off ads, it's like they operate in an entirely different world from ours.
Speedymanic
Banned
Sell it then, why keep it? Or do you do keep it around so you can pop into threads to let everyone know you have one and it's collecting dust.
Philthy
Member
I keep it because I wait for the day for Microsoft to get with the rest of the world and offer XBL for free, and remove all the ads.
I also disagree with your prior statement, the PSN is just as good as XBL, for zero the cost. I have had zero complaints with it. Nintendo has a long ways to go.
PS3 online is very good. I switch over this year from xbxo 360 and the only thing I dont like is the updates.
Play bf3 online on PS3 and its great. PS3 online is amazing compared to when it launched. It was sooo bad. Now i cant really tell a difference between xbox and ps3 online. What do you see that is different?
Indeed. There aren't any alternatives. That's why it's somewhat understandable that people (like you) are defending these type of practices, because they simply have nowhere else to go.
Microsoft will push advertising on the 360 further and further, and people will keep defending it until the end of time, unless a competitor steps up their game.
quote of the thread.
It would be irrational to argue that more ads is not detrimental to the service. The fact that it's a paid service only compounds that fact.
However, if these advertiser partnerships lead to more content providers on the service as well as more content for current apps (Monday Night Football on ESPN), it can be seen as potentially beneficial to the service (for some people at least).
I guess we'll see this E3, where MS is reportedly going to have a strong focus on new entertainment offerings.
If you are so inclined to defend your 360 purchase, I see this as a much better argument than the "ads aren't ads" nonsense.
But if those E3 announcements are sub par, it can be inferred that these advertising deals are only in place because MS is trying to get as much as they can from their loyal, locked-in customers.
However, if these advertiser partnerships lead to more content providers on the service as well as more content for current apps (Monday Night Football on ESPN), it can be seen as potentially beneficial to the service (for some people at least).
I guess we'll see this E3, where MS is reportedly going to have a strong focus on new entertainment offerings.
If you are so inclined to defend your 360 purchase, I see this as a much better argument than the "ads aren't ads" nonsense.
But if those E3 announcements are sub par, it can be inferred that these advertising deals are only in place because MS is trying to get as much as they can from their loyal, locked-in customers.
RedNumberFive
Banned
My mind boggles at the amount of mental gymnastics performed to reach that conclusion.
I half expect Microsoft would at least stick with advertising to the bitter end, whether or not they lighten up or outright abandon Gold or not. I do think they WILL need to drop the Gold requirement on entertainment eventually, not unless you're getting with Gold an Xbox subscription (sounds like the case for last.fm), too many other devices let you use this stuff for free or at least with no additional costs, and it's not Microsoft's bandwidth being used anyway, at least not to a more serious extent than you would as a silver member anyway.
Speedymanic
Banned
Won't happen, sell it and never look back.
No, it really isn't.
Online gaming, yes. But it fails in all other aspects. The ease of use, no CPC, the constant patching, etc. it's not refined or as evolved as Live. That's why MS feel they can do the crap they do and get away with it. They know their competitors offer a poor service in comparison.
I long for the day when Sony step up and offer the same level of functionality, stability, etc, for free.
I literally can't wait for it, they've made baby steps with the vita, but they need to invest heavily to reach parity or better MS' service.
My fear is they won't due to financial constraints. I'd much rather have a slightly less powerful PS4 and a better online service than the opposite.
BruiserBear
Banned
If they announced that MNF is coming to the ESPN app I would be stunned. Do you have any evidence to suggest that is happening, or are you just speculating? That is probably ESPN's most valuable property.
Considering how little of ESPN's valuable properties are not available on the ESPN 360 app, I highly doubt they're going to suddenly throw their MOST valuable property on that app.
Infamous Chris
Banned
I can't wait for next gen when Sony charges for online. Seems to be the way they're going, adding features to PS+ that already exist on Live, but you pay for them. They got off pretty lucky this gen, only releasing PSN free since it was barebones and had to compete with XBL and now you have a lot of ignorant people assuming Sony does it out of good will.
Especially with the financial gloom and doom with Sony lately, next gen will be interesting to visit old threads.
I find it hilarious that I pay $30-40 a year for XBL, getting features that are unavailable on other consoles for free or at all, like party chat, beacons, cloud storage, and weekly discounts (not to mention a better marketplace browser, demos for everything and better friends list/achievement integration), and at the same time I pay $170 a MONTH for me and my girls combined phone bill. A MONTH. Yeah, I can pay way less, but we enjoy our features.
If Microsoft felt any pressure from Sony, which they obviously don't in the slightest, they'd do something like make Silver users play online for free but nothing else. And at this rate, I can't see that happening.
On the topic of ads, I never realize they're there but today after seeing this thread I saw the Avengers trailer playing at the bottom of the video section of the dash. Looks really good but WTF Edward Norton isn't playing Hulk?
CountAntonius
Member
You know since Microsoft is so hell bent on making Live some entertainment hub it would be fantastic if gold was used specifically for access to all these entertainment features and silver was solely for gaming. It's a pipedream I know.
I don't like the trend of consoles turning into media hubs at all. Makes sense for companies though since so many people use entertainment apps.
I already own a 360 and play games daily, none of which are affected by these ads or moves to entertainments hubs so I doubt I'll be leaving anytime soon.
I don't like the trend of consoles turning into media hubs at all. Makes sense for companies though since so many people use entertainment apps.
I already own a 360 and play games daily, none of which are affected by these ads or moves to entertainments hubs so I doubt I'll be leaving anytime soon.
BruiserBear
Banned
I don't see any chance of Sony ever charging for online play. They may charge for everything else, but not that. It's the one huge differentiator between them and Microsoft.
But I understand why so many people want to see it happen. It would stop people from attacking Microsoft.
Now now, I'm pro-current dash and pro-paying for XBL, but PSN+ has much better discounts than Gold. This month has been especially brutal.
Learned the other day in the VITA thread that the PSN store still doesn't have a web page. Crazy stuff.
Absolutely just speculating. I should have thrown a "please!" at the end.
Uno Venova
Banned
I'm surprised people seem to be wishing for Sony to charge instead of everyone having free online next gen.
Download progress has always been in the Guide menu, far as I can tell. If you've had trouble finding it since the Guide menu change in 2008, I don't know what to tell you.
Infamous Chris
Banned
I can see Sony leaving online play free but all the other features paid like now, but MS? Eh, its a wild card. If they innovate the online infrastructure again they will most likely make you pay.
CountAntonius
Member
Expecting them to and hoping are two very different things.
I wonder how bad it would be if they made gaming and anything gaming related free for silver users and absolutely everything else gold. Would it hurt gold sales that much?