It's that time of the year again. I first became a subscriber of Xbox Live four years ago sometime in December, and that means each December I prepare to watch Microsoft debit my checking account while I ponder what it is exactly that I am paying the company $50 a year for. Sure, when you look at how much we spend on games these days ?at $60 bucks a pop, the hobby isn't cheap ?just $50 every 12 months isn't that bad. Truthfully, things could be worse. But, then again, there's that rebellious part of me that questions what it is exactly we are getting for the money we pay to use Xbox Live ?even if it's really not all that much money in the wider scheme of things.
Okay, okay, I know. Xbox Live is the best online console gaming service there is. And I'm not just saying that because the Xbots will flood my inbox if I don't. I truly believe it's the best. In the five years since Xbox Live first launched, neither Nintendo or Sony have managed to catch up to the quality that Microsoft's online gaming service delivers. Both have made their assorted efforts, but as a gamer, I can't help but scoff at them. Xbox Live kicks the collective ass of Nintendo and Sony's so-called online services. Microsoft is king in that regard, at least.
"Indeed, sometimes I wonder where my money's going."
However, don't you find it at least slightly ridiculous that you shell out any money for something ?online gaming ?that another group of gamers have been enjoying for well over a decade? Indeed, I'm talking about the much-picked-on PC gamer. We laugh in their faces ?they pay how much to keep up with their hobby (hah)? ?but there's at least one thing they have over us console gamers: they aren't paying to play video games online. Sure, five years ago, when Microsoft introduced the industry to Xbox Live, I was amazed, and you probably were too. As a console gamer it was all new to me, and I was happy to pay to play. But half a decade later we're all paying the same price for an experience that, essentially, should have been free from the beginning. Admittedly, it's expensive for Microsoft to run Xbox Live, and as a company it must look out for its financial interest. Hell, I wouldn't want to give it all away for free, either ?especially if I knew there was a buck to be made by charging people. And that's exactly what Microsoft is doing. But truth is, it could be free. For example, why can't Live be ad-supported with no subscription fee? Some might despise the constant Doritos and Mountain Dew ads that would inevitably pop up on your Xbox 360 dashboard. But who cares? Would it bother you that much to see a Pepsi logo advertising the same damn beverage that's sitting on that old coffee table of yours while you play Halo 3? Maybe you're traumatized by advertisements, but considering I've lived in America my entire life, I've kind of become immune to the whole "This Episode of Heroes is Brought to You by 'Head-on: Apply Directly to the Forehead'" thing. Besides, if Xbox Live were free, the service's userbase would likely grow. Microsoft would be able to charge advertisers even more, which would in turn pay for the money they'd no longer be collecting from you. It's a win-win for everyone. Except for the guy who fears Pepsi ads, of course ?but, really, he needs to get over the ad thing.
Unfortunately, this is unlikely to happen. Microsoft will continue to charge Xbox Live users for as long as it can get away with it ?in other words, as long as you and I keep paying for the service or until a competitor (Nintendo, Sony, cough) steps up and truly challenges Xbox Live with an incredible online gaming service of their own.
In the meantime, let's talk about how Microsoft could make paying $50 a year for Xbox Live a little less painful for its loyal fans.
For starters, there's a little thing called dedicated servers, and ?again ?PC gamers have been enjoying them for a while. Truth is, xXxEliteSniperScarface420xXx doesn't have the resources to host your Halo 3 Matchmaking game of 4 vs. 4 Shotty Shippers on Narrows. His bandwidth is being gang-raped by the free Radiohead album he's legally downloading, not to mention the other five albums, three anime episodes and supposed first-30-minutes-of-Cloverfield he's illegally downloading. Bottom line: he should never be allowed to host your game, especially when your beloved rank is involved. Am I right? You know I am, which is why you're subconsciously nodding as you read this. It's okay to smile now; you know xXxEliteSniperScarface420xXx is. Unfortunately, he's smiling for two reasons: 1) he's hosting your Xbox Live games, and 2) he's having fun while you're lagging into oblivion.
Indeed, sometimes I wonder where my money's going.
We're all "Premium" Members, but I don't feel like a "Premium" Member. If we're paying for Xbox Live, shouldn't we be getting some kind of "Premium" content, too? What if as long as you're subscribed and paying to belong to Xbox Live, Microsoft gave you full, unadulterated access to everything on Xbox Live? Yep, I'm talking about everything from Xbox Live Arcade games to Dashboard themes to those crappy Gamer Profile avatars that piss you off every time you remember you have to pay to get them (even though they usually suck). How fantastic would that be? "But Microsoft can't do that!" you cry. Why not? I'm a paying member of numerous subscription services that do the same thing, more or less. Just two of them, off the top of my head, are GameFly and Netflix. As long as I'm paying those two companies, I get full access to everything they have. Maybe it's not financially feasible for Microsoft ?I don't know, to be perfectly honest with you ?but as a "Premium" Member, as a consumer and as a gamer, I sometimes feel like I shouldn't have to pay additional fees to download wallpapers for my Dashboard when I'm already paying to be a "Premium" Member of Xbox Live.
We've already covered why Microsoft won't give you Live for free, so I'll skip the part of this write-up where I planned to editorialize about how Microsoft should decrease your annual subscription fee for every year you've been a member of Xbox Live. Then again, the company might go for something like that before they would ever consider free Xbox Live.
Instead, I propose something a little easier for Microsoft to swallow: why not at least reward your paying subscribers with something cool for each year they've stuck with Xbox Live? You know those low-res Gamer Profile avatars we just talked about? What if the Big M let you download one of those for free every time you dropped another $50 on renewing your membership? I think that'd be neat-o (I'm going to punch myself for writing that word when I reread over this tomorrow, I know it). Or what if Microsoft gave you one of these on the house ?just because they love their customers: a wallpaper, a theme, an XLBA game, some Microsoft Points or something? You'd still be paying $50 a year for something those "loser" PC gamers are getting for free, but at least you'd feel like Microsoft kinda cares about you. Microsoft started its Xbox Live Rewards program a while ago, but it quickly dwindled. It would be nice to see Microsoft get serious about rewarding its fans through Xbox Live. (Note: I'm aware of the $6.50 Microsoft's giving back to 5-year members after spending over $250 to keep playing Live, as am I about the free Carcassonne download. The first thing's quite sad, the second thing would be great if it happened more often.)
In the end, despite that Microsoft hasn't done any of these things ?and probably won't ?I'll still pay out the $50 when Microsoft summons it from my checking account. And if you're like me, you will too. That's because Xbox Live is, hands down, the best option for online console gaming. Unfortunately, because neither Nintendo nor Sony have truly challenged Xbox Live's domination, the consumer ?that's you, fella ?has few other options to choose from. And as long as Xbox Live remains a king without a real competitor, Microsoft will have little incentive (other than that great, love-giving heart the corporation has) to go the extra mile for you.
In other words, get ready to pony up the dough again. xXxEliteSniperScarface420xXx is waiting.