Xbox Live Silver Accounts Now Wait a Week For Demos

1up notes a change in the way that Xbox Live Silver-level (free) memberships work. Now folks that don't pay will have to wait an additional week to get game demos. Microsoft's Xbox representative Major Nelson assures us it's not meant to 'annoy' users of the service, but to provide additional value to Gold subscribers. "When people talk about features they'd like to see added to an Xbox Live Gold subscription, dedicated servers, expanded buddy lists or separate bandwidth pipes for popular downloads are first to mind. Instead of adding features to the Gold experience, however, they're "enhancing" Gold subscriptions by continuing a practice started last summer of stripping Silver members of features and making them Gold-only."

Comments

FInally!

[Farakin]

Now my perceived value of $4.99 a month is justified! Take that cheap asses!

JUST LIKE SLASHDOT!!!!

[MBraynard]

Non-payers have to wait extra long to see news stories that were old when the subscribers got to see them.

You guys are right - M$ doesn't innovate, it steals ideas from others, now including Commodore Burito!

Re:Translation

[RandoX]

This reminds me of something... Where was it that allowed paying members to see the content earlier? I can't remember.

Re:Translation

[Chosen Reject]

Bandwidth costs money - Gold subscribers at $50 a year pay for that. If you have a free account, why shouldn't it be considered a gift that you're able to download these things at all?

And that is why I have no problem paying for Steam and Battle.net. Every month when I see the bills for those services, I am reminded how grateful I should be that some companies saw the opportunity that was there to host online games and have a friends list and the ability to download demos, purchase games and the like. I mean, without my money going to those two services every month, how in the world would they be able to survive?