Microsoft has described games industry analyst Michael Pachter's claim that the annual Xbox LIVE Gold subscription fee will be raised to "100 bucks" as "flattering".
Last week the outspoken Wedbush Securities analyst said on Gametrailers' Bonus Round that "we all know" that the fee is "going up".
While discussing the current state of PC gaming, Pachter said: "You can't hook a guy into Xbox LIVE Gold if he's playing on a PC. So, I mean, that's the other problem - is you really wanna hook every gamer who has a 360, you want them to buy all their games on 360, play everything multiplayer, pay you 50 bucks a year so that in a couple of years, it's 100 bucks a year. And that's going up. We all know that. It's a profit deal."
When we caught up with Xbox LIVE Europe general manager Jerry Johnson to chat about the launch of Sky Player on Xbox 360 in the UK, we asked him whether there was any truth to Pachter's claim.
"It would be interesting to understand what his basis was for that," Johnson told VideoGamer.com. "It's interesting to have someone come out there and say, 'I think it's worth more than you're charging'. That's not something I'm used to!
"I can tell you it wasn't directed or tied to anything actually going on within our group. So I would say this was an analyst making a comment, as far as I can tell, on what he thought the quality of the value of the offering was. That's why I was asking you if he went into any more detail."
After we quoted Pachter to Johnson, he replied: "Yeah, I don't know if everybody knows that it's going up. I find it flattering that someone feels that the value of what we're delivering is worth more than what we're charging. That couldn't have been popular with other press. Unless he was trying to be sensationalistic to get a quote out there."
$100 equates, at the current exchange rate, to just over £60. If Pachter's prediction proves to be true, it would mean a hike of £20 on the current £40 annual Xbox LIVE Gold membership fee.
See what else Johnson had to say by heading over to the interview in full.
What do you think? Will Microsoft raise the price of an annual Xbox LIVE Gold membership subscription? Let us know in the comments section below.
User Comments
CheekyLee
I honestly can't for the life of me figure out why Sony have not put a subscription cost onto PSN yet. It's not like they would lose anybody, and the internet is full of people who think it is as good as the MS service. I'd love to hear how good droids think PSN is if it cost them even half of what Live does...
nickclt@ pblive
And I agree PSN has come a very long way with their XMB and features that they have added and still offering it for free. Which may cause MS to rethink their price point. I like both systems, but prefer online gaming on 360 because of the better online features it has.
David-Macphail@ nickclt
Those things are all brilliant but let's face it - they're nothing more than add - ons. The main focus of online gaming is online gaming. Nintendo and Sony offer it for free - Microsoft doesn't. That's the only difference.
Are you telling me that if Microsoft offered online gaming for free but without cross game chat you would pay $50 per year simply for the cross game chat??? That doesn't make any sense to me..........
Hazell13
I for one like online gaming but for the right price and at the momment the price is right for all the crap you have to put up with, kids shouting and spoiling games by dropping out.
And all th other things to many to mention but p you off.
pblive
Currently the Xbox does do things better online, especially with game invites and setting up friend matches, it also has the benefit (well, most of the time) of being a unified system where Microsoft have put their foot down and insisted every publisher tows the line and uses the same system where Sony have let publishers freely decide how to implement online and use their own servers, which can lead to issues when Sony want to update new features on the XMB.
The PS3 will be getting cross game chat in one of the next big updates and the XMB/PSN has improved immensely over the last year without being paid for by the customer, so if Microsoft put the price of a Gold subscription up then their going to be causing trouble as the PSN keeps improving for free.
xboxlive
nickclt@ David-Macphail
Everyone talks bad about XBL and paying for it, but just remember what PSN does now is what the original xbox did for their online gaming. And if there was no XBL there would be nothing for Sony to copy, as they know that the XBL service is better than what they have to offer. otherwise why would they bother trying to mimic it.
Bloodstorm
Clean up Xbox Live and i'll consider returning.
David-Macphail
Pachter basically said Microsoft want to get gamers hooked on LIVE so they can jack the price up and screw their loyal fans even more. I feel sorry for anyone who pays good money for an Xbox LIVE Gold account - it can't feel good to know that Wii/PS3 owners are getting the ability to play online for free.
rbevanx
Bloodstorm
j_shifty@ El-Dev
El-Dev
mikejosh1978
IndoorHeroes