Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon / Bloomberg
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon / Bloomberg
Microsoft Corp. raises the price for subscriptions to Xbox Live Gold, its paid online gaming platform, doubles the cost for an annual pass and encourages quick user harassment.
The price cap will bring the cost of a six-month subscription to $ 60. Last year, Microsoft removed the option for a full-year subscription at that price from the online store. The cost for monthly membership also increased, jumping 10% to $ 11.
The move pushes the price of Xbox Live Gold closer to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a more expensive subscription that also gives access to games and other items. At $ 15 per month, or $ 180 a year, Game Pass Ultimate is now only $ 60 more expensive than a year of Xbox Live Gold.
Game Pass has become at the heart of Microsoft’s strategy to attract loyalty with the recent release of the Xbox Series X. token. But gamers were upset that Microsoft would raise the cost of membership so much, especially in times of pandemic, when people have been spending more time on screen than usual and unemployment. has gone up. Consumers expressed online frustration, often comparing the cost of membership Sony Corp.’s PlayStation Plus, which is $ 60 a year.
On Twitter, where the topic was one of the main mobile topics on Friday, a gamer named Zay said “Xbox users need to sell their Xbox just to get Xbox live gold. ”
One user commented that Microsoft is not communicating with its community and its economic reality.
In justifying the movement, Microsoft said the price of Xbox Live Gold “has not changed for years and in some markets, it hasn’t changed for more than 10 years.”
There is no price change for six-month or 12-month Xbox Live Gold members.