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MS Expects Half of All 360 Owners To Use Live
Gamespot is reporting that Xbox chief officer Robbie Bach expects half of all Xbox 360 owners to use the Live service. From the article: "Bach confirmed that currently, only 10 percent of Xbox owners--some 2 million users--subscribe to Xbox Live. With the addition of the free 'Silver' version of Xbox Live, Bach believes that about 50 percent of the console's owners will go online via the 360. However, they will still have to pay to play games online via the new Xbox Live Gold."
When you consider that Xbox Live Silver will be free, will have barely any features, and will likely be forced down people's throats. Though I guess some of that expectation can be attributed to increased utility withing Xbox Live itself and more people with broadband.
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All they have to do is sell no more than 400,000 units and they're set!
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What can you do with Xbox Live Silver? Download more content? I don't really understand what the incentive is for companies to release free downloadable content. I mean, they've already got your money. Seems like the smart thing to do would be to save any new content you create and release an updated or director's cut version later, or adopt the EA model and if the game is successful, just start releasing it every year with very small changes. Paid downloadable content makes sense, at least, but I don't see how big a part of the 360 strategy that is. The important number for Microsoft should be how many more people can they get to pay for Xbox Gold, especially if the price is going up compared to current Xbox Live rates.
...have one and actually play it!
Take me for example. I have a PS2 and I've played a grand total of oh...30 hours on it in the past 2 years i've had it. But then, I went off to school and didn't want it with me so I gave it to my little cousin (on the condiditon he would be responsible with it and I wouldn't get in trouble over giving it to him).
Is it true that more people vote for the winner of American Idol, than vote for the president? -Ali G.
Nintendo is trying to achieve 75% online penetration of the DS and Revolution market, and they're making good strides.
If I can't play games with the silver package...then I might as well go online with something called a PC!
How else are you going to get bugfixes onto your console?
It is good to see Microsoft finally begining to adopt the Sony online model of free online play with the 360.
This tax on online access dream for Microsoft goes way,way back to pre-MSN days. Back then when they finaly figured out what all this fuss was about that 'Internet' thing everyone seemed so excited about, they hoped to create their own Microsoft version that they controlled and acted as a toll collector for. Just like one of their execs bragging about how their OS is a 'tax on computing,' they hoped to create a 'tax on Net access' with the Microsoft Net.
Well, obviously those plans didn't work out. However, Microsoft has still dreamt of somehow implementing something on a smaller scale. The tax on online gaming for the xbox is the latest attempt of their long standing wish for a "tax on Net access'
The miserable adoption rate, less than eight percent at best, seems to have finally put those plans to rest now that they are having to give away a large part of their online service.
You know, how hard is it to add keyboard and mouse support to the 360? Come on, seriously. Sadly, I am a gamer that was raised on the keyboard and mouse for my first person shooters and until I can have that on my console, I won't jump ship. Everything else is finally there, IMHO. Broadband connections, hi-res display via HDTV, most of the things that the PC was able to hold over the head of the console game systems. Just not this last thing.
Sadly, though, I can see why they are doing it. I firmly believe that a user with a keyboard and mouse will have an unfair advantage over the controller user with the auto-aiming. And it isn't like it would be hard for Microsoft to do something about it. How about different lounges in the games based on what you were using to control the game? Seriously, you let me use a mouse/keyboard combo, and I will sign up for your Live service.
Bryan R.
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, or $12.50 as seen on eBay.....
that somehow they'll hit 100% with some slick "you must activate this with microsoft within 30 days or else your xbox will BLOW FRICKIN UP" message.
That's one harsh console.
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But do they want to? I wouldn't pay for live- there's no real console games I want to play multiplayer (the games I like on consoles tend to be sp or the type thats more fun to play together in person). And I don't want voicechat with all the 13 year olds who's vocabulary consists of 6 words, 3 of which are references to homosexuality. Remember, less than 10% of Xbox users bought live. Expecting a 5 fold increase in that is excessive. They will probably get a spike at the begining, as early adaptors are more likely hardcore gamers, but as time goes on their percentages will drop.
I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
So Microsoft expects to have a billion XBox 360 users, and of those they expect half to use their system online. Did Bill Gates, by any chance, find a magic lamp recently?
D'oh! I forgot that Live is not free.
Everything I wrote is wrong.
re:" MS Expects Half of All 360 Owners To Use Live"
I looked at that initially as reading:
" MS Expects Half of All 360 Owners To Live"
I figured there must be a hell of a saftey problem at the Q & A group, and one massive mortality rate for gamplayers expected for this Xmas season. BBZZT BZZT!