Xbox Live for Windows 10 will be free for online multiplayer gaming

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Xbox Live for Windows 10 will be free for online multiplayer gaming

Microsoft is finally bringing Xbox Live to Windows PCs and phones in a meaningful way with Windows 10, and with it comes the possibility of online multiplayer gaming using Microsoft's gaming service. While Microsoft currently charges Xbox One owners to use online multiplayer gaming, the software maker has no plans to extend that to Windows 10 PCs or phones. Microsoft

[Prosidius]

Not surprising.  Microsoft tried to charge for it in the past (Games for Windows Live used to require a payment) and that failed miserably.  Online gaming has historically been free on PC with the exception of MMOs.  People would just continue to use Steam if MS tried to charge for it again.  

[+DDG3595 Subscriber²]

Not surprising.  Microsoft tried to charge for it in the past (Games for Windows Live used to require a payment) and that failed miserably.  Online gaming has historically been free on PC with the exception of MMOs.  People would just continue to use Steam if MS tried to charge for it again.  

 

I'm not trying to be funny but when did Microsoft charge a fee to use Games for Windows Live (aside from buying games and DLCs from the store)?

[+DDG3595 Subscriber²]

I'm not surprised by this.  It's what Games for Windows Live was supposed to be but never did (that's on Microsoft not the service).  Perhaps now we'll get the remaining Halo and Gears of Wars games that weren't released on the PC because of bureaucratic indifference (just made that up).

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Would never work as charged on an open platform like the PC.

[Prosidius]

I'm not trying to be funny but when did Microsoft charge a fee to use Games for Windows Live (aside from buying games and DLCs from the store)?

 

From Wikipedia:

 

On July 22, 2008, Microsoft's Chris Satchell, CTO of the company's Entertainment devices division, announced that Games For Windows

[Forjo]

Would never work as charged on an open platform like the PC.

Wouldn't it?  What if there was a Games with Gold for the PC. There are a LOT of great titles that could be offered. And if Microsoft bundled some limited Xbox Music or a free movie a month on Xbox Video it could be quite compelling.

 

There are many ways this could work.  A free "base model" version is absolutely needed, but offer perks for Gold.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Wouldn't it?  What if there was a Games with Gold for the PC. There are a LOT of great titles that could be offered. And if Microsoft bundled some limited Xbox Music or a free movie a month on Xbox Video it could be quite compelling.

 

There are many ways this could work.  A free "base model" version is absolutely needed, but offer perks for Gold.

 

Steam sales trounce anything Games for Gold could offer.

 

They work on consoles because console sales are nowhere near as good as GreenManGaming or Steam sales. 

 

Paying for MP on a PC outside of MMO's will never ever ever work. Subscription rental schemes just aren't needed as PC games can get dirt cheap.

[Forjo]

Steam sales trounce anything Games for Gold could offer.

 

They work on consoles because console sales are nowhere near as good as GreenManGaming or Steam sales. 

 

Paying for MP on a PC outside of MMO's will never ever ever work. Subscription rental schemes just aren't needed as PC games can get dirt cheap.

It's all academic until and unless Microsoft tries it.

 

But I maintain that a PC gaming subscription that offers free AAA titles and other benefits could work.

 

As is yours, this is my opinion.

 

-Forjo

[George P Global Moderator]

Gold for the PC can happen if you toss in extra things, free games is one thing, and Steam doesn't do free. Sales are good but MS can and does do sales on Windows and Windows Phone already. Hell, if you have gold you could automatically get a discount from the start, 10%-15%. Or you get other perks in the deal we don't know about, it's possible to do if you're creative about it.

[BajiRav]

Wouldn't it?  What if there was a Games with Gold for the PC. There are a LOT of great titles that could be offered. And if Microsoft bundled some limited Xbox Music or a free movie a month on Xbox Video it could be quite compelling.

 

There are many ways this could work.  A free "base model" version is absolutely needed, but offer perks for Gold.

I guess they will make money from OneDrive subscriptions. It is free and easy to push videos and screenshots on it until the 15GB runs out!

[trag3dy]

Gold for the PC can happen if you toss in extra things, free games is one thing, and Steam doesn't do free. Sales are good but MS can and does do sales on Windows and Windows Phone already. Hell, if you have gold you could automatically get a discount from the start, 10%-15%. Or you get other perks in the deal we don't know about, it's possible to do if you're creative about it.

 

Steam has free games.

 

http://store.steampowered.com/genre/Free%20to%20Play/?tab=MostPlayed

[George P Global Moderator]

Steam has free games.

 

http://store.steampowered.com/genre/Free%20to%20Play/?tab=MostPlayed

That's not the free games I was talking about, not all the f2p ones but free AAA titles like they give users on PSN and XBL.

[+Eternal Tempest MVC]

That's not the free games I was talking about, not all the f2p ones but free AAA titles like they give users on PSN and XBL.

 

May not be free, but between the humble / indie bundles you cab get a LOT of good AAA cheap at times (most games provide steam keys)

 

https://www.humblebundle.com/ - Last weeks bundle was Square Enix 2nd Bundle 

 

 

https://www.indiegala.com/

and more

 

Three times, the bundles are mediocre, and times there's amazing.

[+DDG3595 Subscriber²]

From Wikipedia:

 

On July 22, 2008, Microsoft's Chris Satchell, CTO of the company's Entertainment devices division, announced that Games For Windows

[LaP]

Wouldn't it?  What if there was a Games with Gold for the PC. There are a LOT of great titles that could be offered.

 

Yes. But those games are not offered now.

 

The question is why would people pay for a service with no games? And why would companies support a service with no users? Why would people give MS free cookies?

 

XBox Live Gold on XBox worked cause :

 

1. MS supported it with its own games and 3rd party exclusivity (like Halo 2 or GOW).

2. And people did not have any choice anyway.

 

As long as MS doesn't care about PC gaming and bring its games 1 year after the XBox or simply never like the last Halo games there absolutely no chance for a paid service by them to be succesful unless they throw money at publishers. Why would people care enough to pay for a service provided by a company who doesn't care?

 

Steam (free) worked at first cause of Half Life 2. I think probably over 90% of the first batch of users downloaded it because of Half Life 2. You can't just expect people to care if you don't.

[Guest]

But I maintain that a PC gaming subscription that offers free AAA titles and other benefits could work.

 

Unless they add newly released games (less than 6 months old) as free as part of this subscription, it will be dead on arrival. People would just wait for one of Steam's 5-6 big sales during the year and just get whatever game they want very cheaply, and not rely on and hope that MS offers that game.

[George P Global Moderator]

They're going to bring their games to Windows 10, they said so repeatedly at GDC. We already know fable legends is coming on the same day. You guys are going on about steam sales, MS can do Windows Store sales as well, and probably to the same degree. If they go all in with first party titles and crossplay etc, then you won't see those on Steam I bet.

[Forjo]

They're going to bring their games to Windows 10, they said so repeatedly at GDC. We already know fable legends is coming on the same day. You guys are going on about steam sales, MS can do Windows Store sales as well, and probably to the same degree. If they go all in with first party titles and crossplay etc, then you won't see those on Steam I bet.

Indeed. It seems that every post I make is countered with "but on Steam".

 

Look, we get it. You like Steam. But a healthy and competitive Windows Store (and Xbox live Gold equivalent) would be a good thing. They've already stated that matchmaking will be free. What do you care if they offered a pay service with free games and other perks?  I already pay for Gold. If I could pay a little more and get more Onedrive, a free game (or two) a month, or maybe a free Xbox Video rental, I'd almost certainly bite.

 

The Xbox Video rental idea alone would sell it for me. If Xbox, say, Platinum, for lack of a term, offered the existing benefits of Gold on Xbox with PC two PC games a month, 500GB of Onedrive, and a free Xbox Video Rental for, say, $14.99/mo (vs XBLG at $9.99/mo), do you REALLY think that no one would subscribe?  And what if they added an unlimited Xbox Music streaming and download license for $19.99/mo (Platinum-M)?

 

I already pay $14.99 for the grandfathered Zune Pass version of Xbox Music that lets you keep 10 songs per month DRM free. I also pay for Gold using the $39/year promotional cards that Amazon offers every few months.  AND, I just picked up a $79 HP tablet that included a year of Office 365 which I'm using to back up our 300GB or so of media (which will be $6.99/mo after a year). Beyond that, we rent at least one movie on Xbox Video every two months.

 

I know I'm not the only one who actually uses these services. A service bundle that includes free PC games would be an AWESOME choice for me. I can't speak for others, but I seriously doubt I'm alone.

 

-Forjo

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

They're going to bring their games to Windows 10, they said so repeatedly at GDC. We already know fable legends is coming on the same day. You guys are going on about steam sales, MS can do Windows Store sales as well, and probably to the same degree. If they go all in with first party titles and crossplay etc, then you won't see those on Steam I bet.

 

They could have done them at any time in the 360's lifespan, and yet never did. Why would it all of a sudden change for XBL on Win10?

 

And asking devs to go with XBL over Steam is not going to happen. Not even for money. The best they can do is offer MGS titles exclusively via their store, and the only ones who will miss out is MS again if PC gamers don't accept the OS / Win Store.

[George P Global Moderator]

They could have done them at any time in the 360's lifespan, and yet never did. Why would it all of a sudden change for XBL on Win10?

 

And asking devs to go with XBL over Steam is not going to happen. Not even for money. The best they can do is offer MGS titles exclusively via their store, and the only ones who will miss out is MS again if PC gamers don't accept the OS / Win Store.

If you're talking about sales, they do them now, on XBL and on Windows/WP.

 

If you're talking about bringing games out at the same time on Xbox and Windows 10, then it's because they now have a single store in place. So again, I don't quite get why you think it won't be different now, specially when they've said they'll be backing this personally with their own games.

 

It's also not a case of picking one store over the other, I don't get where you made that connection. It's about making it super easy to target all Windows 10 devices, which covers the Xbox One to. So a developer makes a game for the Xbox and now can also sell it on PC and tablets through the same, single store. It's hardly any extra work so I don't see why they'll only choose to stick to steam on the PC unless Windows 10 has poor share, something I doubt a lot.

[Emn1ty]

They could have done them at any time in the 360's lifespan, and yet never did. Why would it all of a sudden change for XBL on Win10?

 

And asking devs to go with XBL over Steam is not going to happen. Not even for money. The best they can do is offer MGS titles exclusively via their store, and the only ones who will miss out is MS again if PC gamers don't accept the OS / Win Store.

 

Because Steam isn't cross platform, and neither was the 360. Windows 10 is truly cross platform, means one game for multiple devices.

 

It's not about asking devs to go with XBL over steam, either. Cause I don't think Microsoft will limit games to XBL or Steam. It would make far more sense for them to sell XBL Enabled games through steam.

 

In regards to all the 'but steam' comments. Steam is where it is because it underwent nearly two decades of trail and error (a lot of that being bad) before it became a real winner. And the only real reason it got as successful as it is now was because the last decade of gaming being so stagnant on consoles. It pushed people to PC for bigger and better graphics/games than the consoles were really offering.

 

Now Steam has an established market, which allows for constant sales and great pricing (since it's dealing in licenses and that is far cheaper than the actual games themselves). Once Microsoft's Live Store (or Sony's PS Store) have been around long enough to garner a decent consumer base I wouldn't be surprised if more and more sales started happening.

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

If you're talking about sales, they do them now, on XBL and on Windows/WP.

 

It's also not a case of picking one store over the other, I don't get where you made that connection. It's about making it super easy to target all Windows 10 devices, which covers the Xbox One to. So a developer makes a game for the Xbox and now can also sell it on PC and tablets through the same, single store. It's hardly any extra work so I don't see why they'll only choose to stick to steam on the PC unless Windows 10 has poor share, something I doubt a lot.

 

 

My post was in regards to XBL sales. They have sales, but nowhere near competitive to PC pricing.

 

We agreed that MGS games will be exclusive to Win10/Microsoft's store. Now you've already changing stances?

 

If they go all in with first party titles and crossplay etc, then you won't see those on Steam I bet.

 

Because Steam isn't cross platform, and neither was the 360. Windows 10 is truly cross platform, means one game for multiple devices.

 

It's not about asking devs to go with XBL over steam, either. Cause I don't think Microsoft will limit games to XBL or Steam. It would make far more sense for them to sell XBL Enabled games through steam.

 

 

Of course MS want's it to be a choice. However, it doesn't work that way, as we've seen with both Origin and Uplay. People buy exclusives from them only and everything else from Steam. But if you're 3rd party developer/pub, you're never going to pick MS over Steam.

 

I don't doubt exclusives will become crossplay / crossbuy. That's just the way the market is going, but it's unlikely, IMO, to apply to anything other than MGS titles.

[Aergan]

I'm a bit concerned that they start this whole thing again for them to lose interest (and developer buy-in) within a couple of years.

[George P Global Moderator]

My post was in regards to XBL sales. They have sales, but nowhere near competitive to PC pricing.

 

We agreed that MGS games will be exclusive to Win10/Microsoft's store. Now you've already changing stances?

 

 

 

 

Of course MS want's it to be a choice. However, it doesn't work that way, as we've seen with both Origin and Uplay. People buy exclusives from them only and everything else from Steam. But if you're 3rd party developer/pub, you're never going to pick MS over Steam.

 

I don't doubt exclusives will become crossplay / crossbuy. That's just the way the market is going, but it's unlikely, IMO, to apply to anything other than MGS titles.

 

 

I didn't change my stance, I was talking about third parties which is what I figured you talked about when you said getting developers to use XBL over steam. I don't think they care if a 3rd party dev is on steam to but that they're also in the Windows Store as well.

 

As far as sales go, games are cheaper on the PC because of a few factors, cost of console development kits, something MS is going to cut out by making any retail Xbox One a development unit, that saves you right there. Second, and biggest cost is the console license,,PC doesn't have this.  So in the end, the costs should end up lower for them, and sales for the PC versions can be aggressive because of the nature of the Store. It's all about how hard they want to push it, they can afford to do more sales at any time. Heck, good deals on cross-buy games would be very good.