Consumers have shown they are fine with paying for Gold. There's no way MS drops it, especially with Sony now having a sub for online play as well.
this gen, double-paying for the ability to play online, is something that will not be completely unaccountable for a span of 5-6 years for those that usually get all systems. so maybe there will be a choice there.
furthermore, if microsoft feels that they have a very content-rich environment that will tempt the user to put money in it, they should drop the fee, and gain a competitive advantage over sony anyways.
I would be surprised if I learned that xbox gold fees >= consumer dollars/euros spend on marketplace. is it like this?
this number is not guaranteed for next gen though. and of course not until the console numbers pile up.Does he realize that Microsoft makes 1.8 BILLION dollars per year on Gold subs from 360?
do you have any numbers about gross revenue from marketplace? (excluding gold sub cost)