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LIVE Subscription Price to Rise?
warder808
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Microsoft is reportedly mulling over the possibility of launching a new TV channel exclusive to Xbox Live subscribers.
The platform holder is discussing the idea with former News Corporation president Peter Chernin, according to Bloomberg.
Chernin, who runs his own production company, is said to have proposed the idea of raising the online service's monthly fee by up to $2 for access to the programming, which would feature original shows and re-runs.
We reckon there'd have to be some pretty impressive shows on the channel to convince XBL users to part with more cash for their annual subscription. Does it sound like a good idea to you, CVG readers?
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=243608
Uhh. I pay for online gaming, not TV. I will unsub if this goes up.
The platform holder is discussing the idea with former News Corporation president Peter Chernin, according to Bloomberg.
Chernin, who runs his own production company, is said to have proposed the idea of raising the online service's monthly fee by up to $2 for access to the programming, which would feature original shows and re-runs.
We reckon there'd have to be some pretty impressive shows on the channel to convince XBL users to part with more cash for their annual subscription. Does it sound like a good idea to you, CVG readers?
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=243608
Uhh. I pay for online gaming, not TV. I will unsub if this goes up.
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I could see them having a separate subscription to the channel, though. With services like NetFlix providing a precedent that wouldn't really much of a stretch.
I would also not be entirely surprised if Microsoft's larger goal here is to provide conventional streaming channels for a fee later on to attempt to compete with the cable companies. I know I'd rather pay ten bucks a month for a handful of channels I actually want over paying the cable company that same ten bucks for a nightmarish mess of redundant channels I don't even want.
If I wanna watch TV, I'll watch TV. Oh wait, TV fucking sucks.
Sony now pays YOU for playing their games
I don't understand, how does adding a television viewing channel, even just for a single channel, inconvenience the service? I mean, aside from a price increase, assuming that part is true.
In Soviet Russia, console plays you!
EDIT: To add something constructive to the topic as well.. I have to agree with the consensus.. If they start charging an extra $25/year, I will cancel. I've already thought that I was being a chump for paying to play online when I have a computer that can play online for free, and a Wii, and could get myself a PS3 if I wanted. So if Microsoft wants to pull something like this I will have no problem bailing out.
"raising the price by $2 for access" sounds like optional to me.
Is it because of the concept of TV integration, or is it the rumored price hike?
Let's pretend the price increase isn't true - would this still make you feel you will unsubscribe? If so, why?
Let's pretend there is an optional package you can pay that only increases the price if you opt for the TV service too - would it make you feel you will unsubscribe? If so, why?
I just want to be very clear of why people are against this. You say you pay for online gaming, not TV, which is well and good. But I want to make sure if it's that sort of creed at play, or if it's just a masked "paying more money sucks." If it's the latter, you'd do everyone better by just admitting to it. Because paying more does suck.
I couldn't care less about whatever they're adding, but I feel the same way about a lot of what Live can do.
EDIT: Also, when they raise the price they'll discontinue the old 13 month cards, and they will be cheaper at eBay/Kmart than they are now. Worst case, I'd stock up on the old cards.
Y'know, even though I've been unemployed for the past year and have been having to scrounge up money, another $24 over the course of a year isn't that bad.
They've been making moves towards becoming a full content provider for at least this generation. Part of that would probably involve streaming "channels" like this. Cable companies argue against a la carte pricing of channels because, frankly, if everybody who didn't give a shit about sports or Disney didn't opt to get ESPN or the Disney Channel, they couldn't afford to provide them (the licensing fees for those channels are exponentially higher than, say, Animal Planet). So everyone shares those costs.
If MS keeps moving in the direction it has been, I wouldn't be surprised to see price hikes like this without any choice to opt out. After all, the service is more valuable, right?
Do you honestly believe the programming would be anything BUT Xbox 360-related stuff? You can forget Starcraft and Counter-strike; promoting those don't make them any money.
MS
That's all right, I guess. Just another thing to ignore. I can't imagine why anyone would care about this sort of thing. Are shows like the Tester even popular? Does anyone actually watch Pulse?
You know, Microsoft can keep telling themselves this, but to me it's just another box that plays games.