Microsoft Offering $10 Off Gold Membership

[DoctorFinger]

Microsoft really, really wants you to become a Gold member of Xbox Live. To that end, they're offering a deal. Silver users who sign up for Gold status online will get the 12 month subscription for $39.99, $10 less than usual. Of course thisis a limited time offer.

But, real gamers know you can already buy a 12+1 month subscription card off of Amazon for only $38.99. (http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Live-Month-Gold-Bonus/dp/B000B9RI00/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1236263156&sr=8-1)

[Sandman]

why can't they offer this for renewals as well?

[Gerbs]

Same reason new cell phone contracts sometimes offer a better deal than resubscribing customers. They already have us why would they give us an incentive to renew? It's assumed we're already on the hook squirming.

[DoctorFinger]

You could just follow the Amazon link and buy the card. It's 13 months rather than 12, and is a dollar less even after MS's sale.

[Sandman]

You could just follow the Amazon link and buy the card. It's 13 months rather than 12, and is a dollar less even after MS's sale.

I need to do that sometime soon, my sub runs out in April.

[Kelegacy]

I bought a card when Amazon, Buy, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and just about every other store was offering it for $29.99 in January. I was hoping it was a sign that Live was going to be getting cheaper. Guess not.

I still haven't used any of the perks of Live, and I've been a memember for nearly 2 months. That's a drag for single player gamers. Hopefully these weekly "deals" start offering worthwhile stuff.

[rein]

How about at least matching the retail deals @ 29.99? Permanently! Or, online play minus the "perks" for free?

[Kelegacy]

How about at least matching the retail deals @ 29.99? Permanently! Or, online play minus the "perks" for free?

Free online play, delayed demos (are demos really perks??), etc would be awesome. I really don't know why I subscribed since all the "incentives" are really not incentives at all. Besides more streamlined online play, they offer everything else the competitors offer...but the competitors do it for free!

Sony and Nintendo certainly must love their customers to give them free online play to games they bought! I think if the game has multiplayer as an option, everyone should be allowed to play it, and not be charged another fee to do so.

[Johan]

I still haven't used any of the perks of Live, and I've been a memember for nearly 2 months. That's a drag for single player gamers. Hopefully these weekly "deals" start offering worthwhile stuff.

I rarely do any random multiplayer gaming on Live, and I'm still happy with it. I get to play a few private online matches every now and then, and get a few small perks as well.

I'm happy with it, personally.

[OldJadedGamer]

I still haven't used any of the perks of Live, and I've been a memember for nearly 2 months. That's a drag for single player gamers. Hopefully these weekly "deals" start offering worthwhile stuff.

I play online constantly with the 360 so it's worth it to me. It's very rare that I will buy a game that is single player only. I never play online with my PS3 or my Wii when I had it so free online or charge for online means nothing in that aspect.

I'm just going to go where my real life friends are and if that means I have to pay $30 a year then I'll do that. But when I had my original Xbox I never played online and never bought into Live.

For a single player only gamer it really doesn't pay to have it but for someone like myself that lives and breathes online and almost all his friends are online all the time, it's a necessity.

[Purple Santa]

I need to do that sometime soon, my sub runs out in April.

Or you could take advantage of Xerxes sale here (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?t=3228). He has two 12 +1 Live cards for $33 each. Tell him I sent you :D

[MagGnome]

My subscription runs out in 5 weeks, and I'm pretty sure I'm not going to renew it. The only games I really play over live are things like UNO and Puzzle Arcade with friends. I really enjoy doing so, but I don't think it's worth $40 or $50 for the "privelage".

[Purple Santa]

My subscription runs out in 5 weeks, and I'm pretty sure I'm not going to renew it. The only games I really play over live are things like UNO and Puzzle Arcade with friends. I really enjoy doing so, but I don't think it's worth $40 or $50 for the "privelage".

But as Mr. Gnome you have friends everywhere ;). So you can hop on your PC and find your fanbase. Some of us aren't that lucky ;)

I keep mine so I can keep getting spammed by Kielaran to enter live parties ;). (I kid...I love the spam...makes me feel wanted :eek:)

[total]

Sony and Nintendo certainly must love their customers to give them free online play to games they bought! I think if the game has multiplayer as an option, everyone should be allowed to play it, and not be charged another fee to do so.

The experiences aren't comparable at all. The Live community is thriving. There are constantly people playing almost every game out there for the system. I have yet to find a game on the 360 without someone playing it.

I recently got Calling All Cars for the PS3 and it is an awesome game, but there is no one playing it online. And I mean just that, there is not a single person playing the game online. This is a game that is basically multiplayer only. Crash Commandos, while being a great game, rarely has more than 10 servers up at any given time. Warhawk is another online game and there aren't a ton of people playing that anymore either. The PS3 online simply pales in comparison to Live not only in features, but also in users. There is no point in having multiplayer without people out there actually playing the damn games...free or not.

And really? The Wii online service? Have you used it? There are very few people playing online. It is hard enough to find a game with some of Nintendo's biggest games. Combine that with constant lag in almost every single game for the system and it is just pathetic. If you can even find a game in Strikers you will be blown away to find one that isn't horribly laggy. I have no issues on the PS3, 360 or my PC so it is definitely not my connection.

I'd love it if they made online play free on the 360, but I'd much rather pay the $30-40 for the great experience. Hell there are still people playing Shadowrun and that came out almost 2 years ago to mixed reviews under the looming shadow of Halo 3.

[Karmakin]

Or you could take advantage of Xerxes sale here (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?t=3228). He has two 12 +1 Live cards for $33 each. Tell him I sent you :D

One actually. I bought one 3 days ago:p

Really good deal for a canuck 'tho :D

[MagGnome]

But as Mr. Gnome you have friends everywhere ;). So you can hop on your PC and find your fanbase. Some of us aren't that lucky ;)

I keep mine so I can keep getting spammed by Kielaran to enter live parties ;). (I kid...I love the spam...makes me feel wanted :eek:)


Yeah, I really don't want to lose my Live friends from this site, and I'm sure several people will drop me if I go to Silver. On the other hand, I feel like a schmuck paying for Live, so it's a tricky situation.

[Kelegacy]

The experiences aren't comparable at all. The Live community is thriving. There are constantly people playing almost every game out there for the system. I have yet to find a game on the 360 without someone playing it.

I recently got Calling All Cars for the PS3 and it is an awesome game, but there is no one playing it online. And I mean just that, there is not a single person playing the game online. This is a game that is basically multiplayer only. Crash Commandos, while being a great game, rarely has more than 10 servers up at any given time. Warhawk is another online game and there aren't a ton of people playing that anymore either. The PS3 online simply pales in comparison to Live not only in features, but also in users. There is no point in having multiplayer without people out there actually playing the damn games...free or not.

And really? The Wii online service? Have you used it? There are very few people playing online. It is hard enough to find a game with some of Nintendo's biggest games. Combine that with constant lag in almost every single game for the system and it is just pathetic. If you can even find a game in Strikers you will be blown away to find one that isn't horribly laggy. I have no issues on the PS3, 360 or my PC so it is definitely not my connection.


My Nintendo and Sony "loves us" comment was a jab at Microsoft. I wasn't talking about the quality of the service.

And I can't believe Sony and Nintendo can't get their ducks in a row and offer a service that competes with Microsoft, at least in ease of use. I don't know why they don't focus on that avenue more. But still, it's a free service. I like that. The only thing you're really paying for with Live is a chance to play your games online for free. Something that PC users have enjoyed for decades. And, I think, every game that has multiplayer included should offer as well.

I wouldn't be upset if Microsoft offered a barebones free service that lets you play online for free. Because right now they have gamers in a corner and are forcing the money from them if they want to play online games. No other platform does that. You bought the game for $60, and the developers put multiplayer a part of the game. But you can't access it unless you pay a fee to Microsoft? That's lame.

[OldJadedGamer]

I wouldn't be upset if Microsoft offered a barebones free service that lets you play online for free. Because right now they have gamers in a corner and are forcing the money from them if they want to play online games. No other platform does that. You bought the game for $60, and the developers put multiplayer a part of the game. But you can't access it unless you pay a fee to Microsoft? That's lame.

But on the flip side, you have things like MGO that even though they are free, the developer makes it such a hassle to even start your first game you almost feel like it's not worth it.

[MagGnome]

MGO is a bit of an extreme example, don't you think?

Of course there are free online services that are bad - Gamespy Arcade comes to mind immediately. There are also several examples of great free services.