Michael Pachter Predicts Xbox Live Price Hike

[darth los]

Before the bellyaching and I told you so's begin (I was going to start myself until i had this thought.) There are othere things that i pay and arm and a leg for that I don't feel warrants the price, namely my cable bill. I'm paying around 200 bucks a month and i swear there's never anything good on and the cable is constantly going out. I never have this problem with live and even if it were $100 a year it would still work out to less than 10 bucks a month. Considering what it already brings and what is to come that's actually a steal. Now, that being said MS is walking on thin ice already. I see them in danger of exhibiting the same hubris that caused sony to drop to # 3 in this gen's console war. They seem to have this attitude that "hey, we're MS and because we're so fucking cool we can charge outlandish pricess for things, make developers charge for their DLC (even though it may be free in other venues) And come out with defective consoles. Just ask Sony how having that attitude worked out for them. So what do you think? Fair or foul? Bogus or Beautiful? Discuss. http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/70...rice-Hike.html How much is Microsoft’s Xbox Live service worth to you? Actually, let me put that another way: What are you willing to pay to play Xbox 360 games online, stream Netflix, (soon) check out your Facebook page on your TV, and take advantage of all the other services Live provides? Because if gaming prognosticator Michael Pachter ends up being right, you will have to decide how much you value the service sooner rather than later, because a price hike could be on the way. Speaking with GameTrailers, Pachter explained that Microsoft is making a serious push to turn PC gamers into 360 players, by giving PC gamers “an incentive to buy a 360” by “[putting] something that he really wants only on the 360." As a result of this push, these gamers, especially those who are multiplayer-focused, will ultimately have no choice but to, “pay [Microsoft] 50 bucks a year so that in a couple years, it’s 100 bucks a year. And that’s going up. We all know that.” While it will probably irk many gamers to have to fork over an extra $50 (or whatever it ends up being) per year for Xbox Live service, by the time the hike comes (if it does at all), chances are Live will be more robust and feature-packed than ever, thereby justifying the price. If Microsoft jacked the prices after the newest 360 update is released, it would be a much harder case to make. Of course, if it’s not going to be happening for a while, it’s simply too early to tell anyway whether it would be worth the extra money or not, but I have a feeling that won't stop plenty of people from forcefully voicing their opinions on this matter. So, how much is Xbox Live worth to you? If you think a price hike is inevitable, what do you think the next price point will be?

[capncnut]

Can't see it happening personally. I think the dude in the article is talking a load of turd. Microsoft's service is already overpriced and they know it, a push to increase the price will see the demise of their console. End of.

[AcesandEights]

That's a pretty good point, Capn. Do they err on the side of caution and not rock the boat or push to maximize profit during their dominance, which--if the past is any testament to the future--will not last? I mean, it would seem they're making money hand over fist and basing it off a platform that was not technically sound when released.

[capncnut]

To stay at the top of their game they are going to need everyone and more onboard. Hiking up the prices of their consoles and live service will be a slap to the face of their longtime supporters. If this is Microsoft's plan then they can expect major boycotts and sales drops. Actually it wouldn't surprise me if all this is a fat juicy slice of PS3 propaganda, invented by some fraggle to turn Xboxers to Sony. It's laughable.

[darth los]

^^^ Especially when sony isn't charging anything for their service. There comes a point where nickle and diming customers, even though it might make you record profits, is bad business. They are right at the cusp of that, imo.