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Xbox Removes Yearly XBL Gold Subscription | Is Free Multiplayer Coming?

Is Free Multiplayer Coming to Xbox?

  • Yes

    Votes: 101 28.9%
  • No Way

    Votes: 249 71.1%

  • Total voters
    350
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xStoyax

Banned


Microsoft spokesperson said "At this time Xbox has decided to remove the 12 month Xbox Live Gold SKU from the Microsoft online Store," a Microsoft spokesperson tells Inverse. "Customers can still sign up for a 1 month or 3 month Xbox Live Gold subscription online through the Microsoft Store.” Source

Buying Gold through 1 & 3 month plans is a lot more expensive. Do you think it's a way to try to boost people into the Ultimate plan?

OR

Do you think it's possible we could actually see Microsoft do away with Gold? This video made some good points how it's bullshit people are paying for online access when Xbox doesn't charge other platforms their own the same fees. But I just can't see Microsoft doing away with something that generates so much money for them. Granted, they would still have a lot of people who will invest in Game Pass & xCloud

Original video I found talking about Xbox Live possibly being free


Jeff Grubb from Venturabeat just said on a podcast he's confident XBL Gold is going away & Multiplayer will be free on Xbox



**UPDATE**

Latest Video with clips from Jeff Grubb saying that Free Xbox Live IS Coming & Why

 
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Man, can you imagine if this happens?

I honestly don't think they will. But it would be amazing.

I think what will happen if anything is that they will just bundle it in with Gamepass at little to no extra charge while still keeping the option to buy Gold outside of gamepass. But if they announce that they are doing away with Gold they would probably just shoehorn in anyone with Gold and give them gamepass Ultimate for the same amount of time they had gold left. I don't think MP will ever be free on consoles.
 
Gamepass has been pretty successful for the Xbox division. But they can't take it away without removing some of the value away from an Ultimate subscription.

But if they did make online play free, it would be colossal. It would suddenly kick the legs out from under their two biggest competitors. If they wanted to win everyone over immediately, they would take the Gold requirement away for online play.
 
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xStoyax

Banned
Gamepass has been pretty successful for the Xbox division. But they can't take it away without removing some of the value away from an Ultimate subscription.

But if they did make online play free, it would be colossal. It would suddenly kick the legs out from under their two biggest competitors. If they wanted to win everyone over immediately, they would take the Gold requirement away for online play.

But they're adding value to Ultimate by including xCloud. Maybe they come in and say every game you own is playable on xCloud with Ultimate as well as Game Pass. That might be a pretty big incentive for some.
 
Its kinda crazy publishers haven't been pushing for Microsoft/Sony to drop the online fee. We already know only like 1/3 of the playerbase pays for it, with more and more big online games coming out these publishers know the potential market for their game is way smaller.
 

Vawn

Banned
Maybe this is actually just a roundabout way to raise the price, without doing so directly. It costs significantly more to buy four 3 month subscriptions than it is one 1 year subscription.

Or maybe they will only allow online play for Gamepass members. Who knows yet.
 
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-Arcadia-

Banned
Gamepass has been pretty successful for the Xbox division. But they can't take it away without removing some of the value away from an Ultimate subscription.

But if they did make online play free, it would be colossal. It would suddenly kick the legs out from under their two biggest competitors. If they wanted to win everyone over immediately, they would take the Gold requirement away for online play.

No kidding. But I calculated the numbers for Sony's PS+ once, and it was some ungodly figure with a terrifying amount of zeroes.

Is Microsoft willing to give that up for an advantage?
 

JLB

Banned
I have no doubt that the end goal of Microsoft is to transition Gold users to GamePass Ultimate. But Gold is still a holy cow, it makes tons of money. But yeah, eventually that will happen.
 
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But they're adding value to Ultimate by including xCloud. Maybe they come in and say every game you own is playable on xCloud with Ultimate as well as Game Pass. That might be a pretty big incentive for some.
I mean, I'm already ready to start paying for Ultimate once I get a series X. Just for Xcloud. I've kind of fallen out of console gaming now that I have kids. Got into the Android Xcloud beta and fucking loved it. 3D printed a mount for my tablet and xbox controller and played at work. No issues.

I guess they could restructure their subscription service. Eliminate gold. Create Gamepass for access to games and Ultimate for games and xcloud?
 

Vawn

Banned
No kidding. But I calculated the numbers for Sony's PS+ once, and it was some ungodly figure with a terrifying amount of zeroes.

Is Microsoft willing to give that up for an advantage?

And how much of an advantage is it? PS3 didn't have online pay while Xbox 360 did and those consoles were neck and neck. PS4 added paid online and was still much more successful than PS3.
 

Agent X

Member
Maybe this is actually just a roundabout way to raise the price, without doing so directly. It costs significantly more to buy four 3 month subscriptions than it is one 1 year subscription.

Or maybe they will only allow online play for Gamepass members. Who knows yet.

It could be a combination of both of these. They eliminate the yearly option, so that anyone who wants to pay for a year of the service will be reduced to two choices:

1. Pay for several 1-month or 3-month packages, or

2. Buy a year of Game Pass Ultimate "for only a few dollars more".

It'll act as an indirect, disguised way of increasing subscription costs without blatantly announcing it.
 
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But how much does it affect sales? I don't think it is nearly enough to justify losing it.
Idk how much its gonna affect console sales, but software sales would be big. A lot of people buy both consoles, none of those people are gonna buy online games on PS5 over XSEX. Microsoft would get a big bump in software sales.
 

TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
Or they could be introducing a new higher priced service and removing the yearly option to cut down on the number of pre-prescriptions they have to honour
 

Texas Pride

Banned
I've said before If they really wanted to hurt Sony they'd make XBL free for starters. I doubt it happens but considering they introduced paid online they should. It'd be hard to argue they're anti consumer with a move like that.
 

Agent X

Member
I've said before If they really wanted to hurt Sony they'd make XBL free for starters. I doubt it happens but considering they introduced paid online they should. It'd be hard to argue they're anti consumer with a move like that.

If this actually were to happen, Sony and Nintendo could just quickly rescind their online service fees as well. No advantage gained.

It would also shine a spotlight on the fact that Microsoft been pulling this racket for nearly 18 years (far longer than their competitors), so they can't even play the "pro-consumer" card on this stunt.
 

Hendrick's

If only my penis was as big as my GamerScore!
They are killing off gold. The question is if they make mp free or lump it in with GP.
 

FacelessSamurai

..but cry so much I wish I had some
I could see free to play games only with Gold now being only available with Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate.

Unless Game Pass makes them so much money now that they don’t mind giving up Gold revenue. Could be a huge boost though in terms of customer coming over to Xbox though as it makes the cost of entry even lower.
 

Yams

Member
It probably aligns with their vision for Game Pass.

The Xbox Game Studios are basically going to focus on not AAA but AA games with a huge focus on multiplayer and microtransactions.

:(

Yes indeed, piddly little AA games like Halo Infinite, Flight Simulator and Forza!
 
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theclaw135

Banned
Hopefully people have caught onto the absurdity of the double standard. MS charges to play the same games online on Xbox, on the same servers with free PC users if crossplay.
 

Iced Arcade

Member
Don't know if they would but....They could drop the gold requirements for multiplayer. They have enough to push Ultimate with gamepass, xcloud etc for a monthly service (throw in a couple additional perks)


Would be a pretty big bomb on San Mateo.
 
This could be many things that I thought of off the top of my head with varying degrees of likeliness:

- A way to artificially raise the price of Gold without actually changing any prices (unlikely)

- A move to push people towards Game Pass Ultimate as the ultimate deal for Xbox (relatively likely, but I see this backfiring)

- A temporary removal to prevent people from stocking up on 3 years of gold for $180 and then buying a month of GPU for $1 right before the XGS reveal (More likely than the last two, but a third of the money is still money being made)

- The beginning of phasing out Xbox Live Gold that will happen within a year. The reasoning for this has to do with the fact that xCloud is launching in September and will also be included with Game Pass Ultimate at no additional cost. Phasing out gold would require something new be added to GPU to replace it so the value is the same, and xCloud is exactly that. (I take this as equally likely as it being just a temporary removal)


I do honestly think that Microsoft might be planning on cutting Gold as a requirement for online on consoles as right now the only Xbox Live Users that are needing to pay to play online are the ones that buy the console. If you play an Xbox Live game online on PC, mobile device or Switch (minecraft) you don't need to pay for online. While it will absolutely create a decent sized loss, it will likely be off set in the long run by increased game and subscription sales on console/PC.

Be a hell of a marketing move as well, especially when the Xbox will launch with a hotly anticipated FPS game with a big emphasis on multiplayer.
 

Yams

Member
I didn't mean to be rude or belittle the great AAA games from MS. I'm fucking pumped for all the games you mentioned.

I'm with you. I also think your concerns are valid, but I'm hoping Microsoft knows that Gamepass needs to be balanced out with good AAA games as has been the case so far.
 
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Barakov

Member
I'd love to it happen but I'm not seeing it. Then again they're coming out with Halo Infinite with the XSX and that would be a good way to get people back on board with Xbox. Provided 343 delivers with that game.
 
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