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Xbox Live Gold prices are going up in the UK

Next month, Xbox Live Gold is going to cost UK players a bit more.

Xbox Live Gold subscribers in the UK have been receiving messages today from Microsoft alerting them that prices are going up. Multiple reports from players, and those in games media have been popping up all day.

The one-month sub will now cost £7, up from £6. The three-months option is going up to £18 from £15, whereas the 12-month sub is now £50 instead of £40. In the message, Microsoft said the change was made to “address changing market conditions.”

The new prices go in effect beginning May 8. In other words, you should stock up on Gold now if you want to pay the current prices. New subscribers will be charged the increased fee after May 8, but current subscribers will instead pay extra from August 7.

Microsoft clarified the changes when asked for comment. See the company’s statement below in full.

“To ensure gamers have consistent pricing for Xbox Live Gold across Europe we are making changes to UK pricing from May 8th. Prices will rise by £1 a month for our monthly subscriptions, £3 for our quarterly subscriptions and by £10 a year for an annual membership. This new pricing is aligned to the changes we made in the region in 2016 as we strive to offer our members premium gaming and entertainment services at a fair price. We have notified members whose accounts are on recurring billing in the UK so they are aware well in advance.”

This brings Gold prices more in line with PlayStation Plus, though the three-months option is slightly more expensive for the latter.

Source: VG24/7

 

[CyberPanda]

Everything is getting expensive, everywhere.

 

[Kagey K]

It’s a price adjustment due to currency exchange, we saw it happen in Canada a few years ago.

Just sign up for rewards and get points. No need to pay for Live ever again.

 

[CyberPanda]

It’s a price adjustment due to currency exchange, we saw it happen in Canada a few years ago.

Just sign up for rewards and get points. No need to pay for Live ever again.

I live in Canada. too, and everything is getting so expensive now. Even fast food is considered a treat now. Smh.

 

[Kagey K]

I live in Canada. too, and everything is getting so expensive now. Even fast food is considered a treat now. Smh.

Yeah fast food up here is getting way too close to sit down decent restaurant pricing now

They are losing the plot, fast food is supposed to be cheap, fast and convienent. Now it’s none of those things.

 

[CyberPanda]

Yeah fast food up here is getting way too close to sit down decent restaurant pricing now

They are losing the plot, fast food is supposed to be cheap, fast and convienent. Now it’s none of those things.

Agreed 100%.

 

[Bogroll]

Lucky that my subscription was running out next week and i was offered a renewal price last week of £26.50 and i took it. People check your Xbox for any offers if its due soon.

 

[TwiztidElf]

Mine was running out next week also. I chose to cancel it.
I've been a Gold subscriber since day one in Australia (2002?) with the MotoGP/Mech Assault demo disc.

 

[Kagey K]

Mine was running out next week also. I chose to cancel it.
I've been a Gold subscriber since day one in Australia (2002?) with the MotoGP/Mech Assault demo disc.

It stayed the same price for you, so yay. You cancelled for it remaining even.

You showed them. How dare they keep it the same.

I’m sure they will understand your vote of protest.

 

[JimiNutz]

Fucking Brexit

 

[TwiztidElf]

(Responding to pinky and the brains post)
What?
Seemed topical, and followed the previous post, otherwise I wouldn't have posted. And I certainly wouldn't have started a new thread.

But since you asked, I'll provide more context.
Price wasn't the issue for me.
As an all console owner, OG XB and 360 were my primaries the last two gens.
I've been increasingly disillusioned with the Xbox offering, with my XOne being the least preferred of the three right now.
I rarely play on it, and the last time I played FH4 online (great game btw), I got spanked and when I checked the cars of the top half of the field, I couldn't afford any of them with the in game credit I'd earned after about 50 hours of play not having previously bought anything. So the un-level online playing field soured me on the only game I enjoy on the platform.

So I was already considering cancelling. Then the kicker. I couldn't logon to my account on my XOne for at least three days (probably more, as I hadn't turned it on in a while), a week or two ago. No error on my end. It said to fix it on the internet. Couldn't logon there either - said there was something wrong with the account. I left it till the weekend, so I'd have lead time to submit myself to the support process. Prior to calling support, I gave it one more try, and it worked.
I'm a cranky old man. I don't have any tolerance left for this nonsense, so I just cancelled.

Funny thing is, while cancelling, I checked my privilege, and it seems I get to keep the 360 games I've got from GWG.
Then it occurred to me. Gears of War 1 and Halo3 alone are better first party output than the entirety of the XBOne's entire generation of exclusives.
Really makes you think eh?

 

[angelic]

It's what runners up do, hit the whales.

 

[Data Ghost]

Once my current Gold expires I may as well cancel then. I hardly use my Xbox one x for anything online (all my friends are playing multiplayer on psn) and I haven’t touch FH4 in months. I’m just wasting money really, so there’s no point in wasting £10 more.

 

[angelic]

I'd cancel before, else they'll auto renew it.

 

[mejin]

killing the second market I see.

 

[Mista]

I’m using a US store + stacked a couple of subscriptions. Everything is getting expensive now

 

[DoctorEkkoUK]

Brexit is such a great excuse for companies wanting to sneak in a cheeky price hike and not get to much blame because the media has already convinced a lot of people everything is Brexit's fault.

 

[Data Ghost]

I'd cancel before, else they'll auto renew it.

Good point, I’ll do it now.

 

[Data Ghost]

Brexit is such a great excuse for companies wanting to sneak in a cheeky price hike and not get to much blame because the media has already convinced a lot of people everything is Brexit's fault.

I remember Apple raising prices due to Brexit not long after it won the majority vote. I suppose many companies see it as an ideal opportunity for another naughty cash grab.

I would imagine Sony will also jump on this opportunity and match the price soon. I mean, why wouldn’t they?

 

[angelic]

Brexit is such a great excuse for companies wanting to sneak in a cheeky price hike and not get to much blame because the media has already convinced a lot of people everything is Brexit's fault.

And anyone who does a tiny bit of research finds out its bollocks. There was a story about a new NIssan car no longer being build in the north of the UK (where I live), and the media spun it as Brexit's fault. Except everyone at Nissan knows it's because a new EU tax was being introduced, making it not worth doing...but you needed to be in the loop to know that.

To be fair, it's just MS realigning with Sony's cash grab, but they can also get fucked. I still have a code from 2 years ago ive not bothered using, because their platform is so utterly irrelevant these days (that I paid £25 for from cdkeys, not £40 off those idiots).

 

[Nitty_Grimes]

Brexit is such a great excuse for companies wanting to sneak in a cheeky price hike and not get to much blame because the media has already convinced a lot of people everything is Brexit's fault.

Not just price hikes, just put any of your bad news out and blame that. Factory closing down thats going to put 500+ people out of work? Blame brexit and cue mass hysteria yet ask people at factory they'll say its been dying on its arse for several years. But anyway, I digress.

 

[ROMhack]

Not just price hikes, just put any of your bad news out and blame that. Factory closing down thats going to put 500+ people out of work? Blame brexit and cue mass hysteria yet ask people at factory they'll say its been dying on its arse for several years. But anyway, I digress.

This actually happened this week with the owners of the factory my dad works at. I'm led to believe the selling company weren't making much money and that the buying company saw it as an opportunity to acquire extra sales and shift the workload to their original factory. They also bought a company in Spain last year citing Brexit as a desire to get into the European market (they primarily export goods).

And yeah everybody who works at the selling factory will be losing their jobs unless they want to relocate 80 miles (they've been given the option).

 

[Data Ghost]

Auto renewal turned off. My sub doesn’t end until Jan 2020. Reading the announcement from MS I can’t tell whether they will take a further £10 out from me in August to cover the yearly price increase, or am I good until my current sub expires?

 

[Nitty_Grimes]

This actually happened this week with the owners of the factory my dad works at. I'm led to believe the selling company weren't making much money and that the buying company saw it as an opportunity to acquire extra sales and shift the workload to their original factory. They also bought a company in Spain last year citing Brexit as a desire to get into the European market (they primarily export goods).

And yeah everybody who works at the selling factory will be losing their jobs unless they want to relocate 80 miles (they've been given the option).

I'm sorry if your dad is gonna lose his job mate.

 

[The Scrivener]

If you cancel your membership, you will lose your free games: you only get free games if you pay for membership.

 

[ROMhack]

I'm sorry if your dad is gonna lose his job mate.

Woops didn't mean that. He's fine - the company he works for are buying another site and moving the work to his factory. He'll basically have more work to do.

 

[Data Ghost]

If you cancel your membership, you will lose your free games: you only get free games if you pay for membership.

True but the majority of the free games are either old or $hit and I never play them. Companies need to realise that price increases on unnecessary first world services will result in cancelled subs. It’s that simple really.

I am not really missing anything by cancelling Gold, in fact I wouldn’t really be missing anything without an Xbox One.

 

[The Scrivener]

True but the majority of the free games are either old or $hit and I never play them. Companies need to realise that price increases on unnecessary first world services will result in cancelled subs. It’s that simple really.

I am not really missing anything by cancelling Gold, in fact I wouldn’t really be missing anything without an Xbox One.

I was kinda joking with the *free* thing, sorry.

Also, The Witness was once free with Gold and that alone invalidates every claim that GWG are bad games.

(Also, recently Bomberman and Adventure Time were awesome adds.)

 

[DoctorEkkoUK]

If you cancel your membership, you will lose your free games: you only get free games if you pay for membership.

If I remember correctly you keep the xbox 360 free games even after you quit gold.