Microsoft potentially withdrawing Xbox Gold 12 months subscription

[NARMAK]

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...n-by-microsoft

I think this alongside the xCloud melding into Ultimate Game Pass is a potential taste of what's to come with Microsoft rolling it all into a single subscription. You don't want it? Pay more with 3 or 6 month top ups etc. OR come try for one single price all this great package(!)

So yeah, i do kinda like the idea of keeping flexibility from a consumer standpoint and value by packaging things all together at a much lower entry point but ultimately i can see MS jacking prices up for the entire package and forcing you along.

Sony imo are alresdy cretins for this with jacked up PS+ pricing for 12 months.

[Mavrick]

My guess is they will do away with XBLG all together and only off Game Pass Ultimate subs?

Maybe they will make it a monthly subscription service with no option to buy 12 months subs which would cost a hell of a lot more money for us but at the same time bring it in line with subscription services like Netflix.

Outside chance MS actually make MP FREE which would totally pull the rug from under Sony. Gamepass Ultimate offers so much more content that it's worth the subscription cost on its own, so whilst making MP free sounds like it would kill the subscriber count I think it would stay pretty much as it is given the value of game pass, especially since xCloud will be included from September.

[NARMAK]

Originally Posted by Mavrick

My guess is they will do away with XBLG all together and only off Game Pass Ultimate subs?

Maybe they will make it a monthly subscription service with no option to buy 12 months subs which would cost a hell of a lot more money for us but at the same time bring it in line with subscription services like Netflix.

Outside chance MS actually make MP FREE which would totally pull the rug from under Sony. Gamepass Ultimate offers so much more content that it's worth the subscription cost on its own, so whilst making MP free sounds like it would kill the subscriber count I think it would stay pretty much as it is given the value of game pass, especially since xCloud will be included from September.

Well it would take us right back to where we were and PC is. Free MP again. Sony pioneered it when MS would charge and slowly Sony changed to charging for playing online except on F2P titles but ironically still has Destiny 2 require it.

IF they do on the MS side abolish MP being via Gold, then it seems odd they'd still have 1 or 3 months options being sold. So i firmly believe they're making a top tier all inclusive Xbox subscription with Ultimate Game Pass, Gold & xCloud.

[Steelmaker]

Originally Posted by NARMAK

Well it would take us right back to where we were and PC is. Free MP again. Sony pioneered it when MS would charge and slowly Sony changed to charging for playing online except on F2P titles but ironically still has Destiny 2 require it.

IF they do on the MS side abolish MP being via Gold, then it seems odd they'd still have 1 or 3 months options being sold. So i firmly believe they're making a top tier all inclusive Xbox subscription with Ultimate Game Pass, Gold & xCloud.

Instead of taking the 12 month Gold away, why not just do an Xbox Live Platinum at 20.00 more and include Game Pass with it?

[Mavrick]

Jeff Grubbs take

It's more than Game Pass. Fortnite proved that having huge engagement can lead to even bigger returns. And getting rid of multiplayer pay wall can increase engagement.

https://twitter.com/zeydou/status/1289100211655192578

[JayTL]

But me not paying Microsoft for Xbox live isn't going to make me spend more in CoD or Halo.

Me not paying for CoD or Halo might make me spend more (in Micro Transactions) in CoD or Halo.

[tcripe]

So is Xbox Live just going to be free now or something? I don't really understand what their plan is here.....

[Mavrick]

Originally Posted by tcripe

So is Xbox Live just going to be free now or something? I don't really understand what their plan is here.....

I guess it would bring it back in line with PC. Sony are royally screwed if MS do this because at least MS has Gamepass Ultimate to keep the subs coming in. The only reason anyone subs to PS + is because they have no choice.

I will laugh if this actually happens though considering MS were the ones to put MP behind a paywall to begin with.

MS are also making Halo Infinite MP free to play. So even if the don't do it across the board at least some of their games won't require Gold to play anyway.

[JayTL]

Originally Posted by Mavrick

I guess it would bring it back in line with PC. Sony are royally screwed if MS do this because at least MS has Gamepass Ultimate to keep the subs coming in. The only reason anyone subs to PS + is because they have no choice.

I will laugh if this actually happens though considering MS were the ones to put MP behind a paywall to begin with.

MS are also making Halo Infinite MP free to play. So even if the don't do it across the board at least some of their games won't require Gold to play anyway.

I feel like it'd be very easy for Sony to go back to the Free online if needed.

Sure this all looks good on paper, but I don't think it's going to do what Micorsoft thinks it will do to benefit them.

[NARMAK]

Do it Microsoft!

Force Sony to dump PlayStation Plus for playing online AND drop the monthly price for PlayStation Plus and combine it with PS Now to compete. Yes, make them come to the dark side.

Truth is, good on MS if they do that. We never should have been forced to play online considering Sony etc. don't even have their own dedicated infrastructure and dump it on Publishers etc. to usually keep up and sort with P2P etc.

MS at least lets you download faster than PlayStation lol

[heyadol]

If they ditch Xbox Live Gold, what happens to our Games with Gold titles? Permanently added to our accounts (like 360 games)? Or maybe add every GwG tittle as a base catalog in addition to the “over 100 games” that rotate through the service?

[Mavrick]

Originally Posted by heyadol

If they ditch Xbox Live Gold, what happens to our Games with Gold titles? Permanently added to our accounts (like 360 games)? Or maybe add every GwG tittle as a base catalog in addition to the “over 100 games” that rotate through the service?

I would guess if they were to do it then those games would be locked behind game pass ultimate.

Currently you can convert XBLG to GamePass, 12 months of gold is worth something like 7 months of GPU or something like that.

My guess would be anyone who has Gold left on their account will just have it converted to Gamepass time. I know some people have like 2 years worth of Gold stacked so they would end up with the retail value equivalent time in Gamepass instead.

[Derb]

Originally Posted by Mavrick

Jeff Grubbs take





https://twitter.com/zeydou/status/1289100211655192578

Ha

Just when I decided to not pay them next year.

They played me.

[bhampton]

Hope Sony does like before and just follows their lead eliminating ps plus.

People seem to want to stop paying for everything these days.

Today my only windows computer is acting up, could be a hardware problem.

Edit I think it is a hardware problem but being my only window$ machine I still use I’m tempted to recycle it instead of repair.

[NARMAK]

Originally Posted by Mavrick

I would guess if they were to do it then those games would be locked behind game pass ultimate.

Currently you can convert XBLG to GamePass, 12 months of gold is worth something like 7 months of GPU or something like that.

My guess would be anyone who has Gold left on their account will just have it converted to Gamepass time. I know some people have like 2 years worth of Gold stacked so they would end up with the retail value equivalent time in Gamepass instead.

Personally i feel that they should as a gesture of goodwill, do a 1:1 conversion for people that had paid towards a service going free as a reward for having been with them. After that, anybody that perhaps purchases a XBL Gold membership would have it converted at a retail value once the transitions already made.

[Tony208]

I can't pay for multiplayer on 2 platforms so both of them getting rid of pay to multiplay would be great. Might even lead to more crossplay titles too.

[Mavrick]

Microsoft’s Updating Xbox Game Pass Branding

For the past few weeks, we have seen a few changes to Xbox Live and now we can add Xbox Game Pass to the equation. Microsoft announced today a subtle, but important change.

The company is rebranding Xbox Game Pass to simply Game Pass. This move distances the companies Game Pass subscription from being explicitly tied to its gaming console. The company is also changing Xbox Game Pass for PC to simply Game Pass for PC.

While this is a minor update, this may be the start of a bigger transition for Microsoft. The company recently removed Xbox Live pre-paid cards for 12 months from its website and many, myself included, believe that this is the start of phasing out Xbox Live Gold.

https://twitter.com/XboxGamePass/sta...06896664473600

What will be replacing Xbox Live Gold? The logical conclusion is that GamePass will be the new way that you pay for online services from Microsoft. Does this mean that you will need to subscribe to GamePass instead of Live Gold?

Possibly, but keep in mind, Xbox Live Gold is $9.99 a month before discounts and GamePass is also $9.99 a month as well. Ultimate, which will include xCloud when it is publicly available, is $14.99 a month and also includes Games Pass on PC too. The point here is that this likely won’t cut out a significant amount of revenue from users migrating to the updated service.

Microsoft also recently announced that Halo Infinite’s multiplayer will be free too. This is likely more evidence pointing to the fact that you may no longer need Xbox Live Gold to play online in the near future.

[Derb]

I might get it on PS5. Maybe.

[Bolo Seagull]

I will probably upgrade my Gold account to GamePass. I was taking a look at the selection of games included in its catalogue and there was easily already over $100 dollars worth of games I wanted to buy. So for me, it would basically pay for itself in what I would save on buying those games.

[Blu Lemmy]

Yeah, game pass is great value for money. I regularly pick up subs cheap just so I have it.

If MS move MP from behind the paywall that will be a big thing.....something I don't think Sony will follow