Green for Gold…Justified?
Recently, GamesRadar posted an interesting look into what exactly you get whilst paying for Xbox Live Gold in comparison to a free service such as PlayStation Network. Is the extra cost justified?
Firstly, I’ll list the commonalities between the two services, these being features provided at no cost with the most basic subscription level:
PSN Account <—> Xbox Live Silver Account
- A friends list
- Text Messaging
- Voice Chat
- Online store content download (One week delay for Xbox Live Silver accounts)
- Recent player list
Next, here’s a list of common features between Xbox Live Gold (paid membership) and a free PlayStation Network account:
PSN Account <—> Xbox Live Gold Account
- A friends list
- Mass Messaging
- Text Messaging
- Voice Chat
- Video Chat
- Online store content download
- Recent player list
- Online Multiplayer
- Matchmaking
Now that we’ve shown the similarities, let’s see what paying 50 dollars a year will get you, that a free service like the PlayStation Network won’t get you already:
- The ability to invite / message people and access your friends list in-game
Wait….that’s it? Oh, but there’s more! Apparently, some info-digging turned up this juicy fact:
Developers of 360 games don’t pay for multiplayer hosting…you do. Gamers foot the bill for this, making it more profitable for even the smallest of developers. However, please note that PC game devs have been paying for their own multiplayer hosting for years, and have been more than successful (profit-wise) despite doing so.
As a bit of a side-note here, with the Official announcement of Firmware 2.40 and In-Game XMB, this single differentiating feature that to some, rules as a “victory point” over PlayStation Network, will no longer be a relevant argument in defense of Xbox Live Gold’s cost.
So tell me, what do you think about this? Are you going to abandon ship once Firmware 2.40 is released for the PS3? Is that going to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, forcing you to switch from a paid service to a free service that offers the same benefits? Or are you loyal and a die-hard fan, believing that the money you give Microsoft is well-spent and going for a good cause? State your case! We welcome your opinions!
For the Doubters
Xbox Live GamerTag – Coeus87
PSN ID – CoeusTitan
40 Responses to “Green for Gold…Justified?”
There’s another feature that you guys forgot to list…The Gold members pay Microsoft to get advertised to. Yep. They see ads despite forking over $50 a year, and don’t even get dedicated servers out of the deal.
[...] linuxgurulifestyle wrote an interesting post today on Green for Gold…Justified?. Here’s a quick excerpt: [...]
what ? the MS console user have to pay to play online ?
It this correct ? i didnt know it . wow
I bet LinuxGuru never even played an Xbox 360, else he’d know why Xbox Live users pay 50 dollars a year without question. Xbox Live beats out PSN by far. You’re looking at a list from GamesRadar that lists the most “obvious” extras, but try playing a game on Xbox 360 online then the same game online for PSN and tell me it isn’t justified?
Also, 360 owners are paying for marketplace bandwidth: I don’t have to have a demo download overnight on my Xbox 360. I downloaded Ninja Gaiden Black for my 360 in only an hour and a half, as opposed to having to sit my Ratchet and Clank demo overnight because of how slow it was, and it’s not my speed.
Xbox Live is also a much more unified system than PSN. I know you know the deal with Konami IDs and all the bullflop you have to go through to play Metal Gear Online. With Xbox 360, do you think all of that would’ve been necessary? Even with In-Game XMB and Messaging cvoming, I don’t think it’ll be “equivalent” to Xbox 360′s in-game dashboard. You most likely still won’t be able to send invites, join a game in progress, or invite your friend from an entirely different game.
I could go on and on, but I won’t, because it’s obvious you won’t care and you’ll blindly hate on the Xbox 360 anyway you can. So why not actually PLAY an Xbox 360 before depending on some article to help you justify a crappy, albeit FREE, online service, if I do say so myself.
To reiterate on my last point, I just read the article and they’re extremely biased in that regard as well. They’re not looking at the big picture. They’re trying to do simple math to come up with their conclusion. It’s just like going to college and then graduating into the real world: Most of what you learn in college is going to seem like child’s play compared to when you actually go out into your career and get the experience. Moral of it all: Go play Xbox Live for a while (and I don’t just mean online. Marketplace downloads, try out the in-game friend’s list features, etc) and tell me it doesn’t warrant 50 dollars (35 if you count any deals I’ve been able to scoop). Thus far the PS3 has been a disappointment in these small areas.
One more thing, what about Qore? Why do PS3 users have to pay to get content that everyone should be getting for free? I get developer diaries, trailers, and gameplay vids on the internet for free. The only thing PS3 users are paying Qore for is essentially the Socom beta and any other beta that might be coming later on, and you know it’s true. You Sony Ponies disgust me.
PS3 doesn’t have Voice or Video messaging to my knowledge.
Also, Xbox Live has Achievements – a service unmatched until the recent announcement of PS3 Trophies.
XBL also has multiple sign-ins I think – so you can play co-op with a friend and they can use their XBL account. This is something the PS3 desperately needs.
SS, PS3 has video chat with the PS Eye.
Or were you talking about in game?
@Quentyn,
Qore is PRESENTED by the PSN, not created by Sony. It’s the same as a gaming magazine with demos. All demo content is still coming to PLAYSTATION Store. I was with you and wanted to agree with your points (even though I much prefer PS3), but then you went a little far and made it seem like you don’t know your stuff.
I meant MESSAGING. Like sending someone a video “email” of sorts. Saying, “Sev what’s up man!” and you send it if they are on or offline. They get on and can see it.
Doesn’t 360 have this? Same with voice?
Oh I was always under the impression that Sony was behind it. I think you could see how anyone could make that impression (seeing as how noone heard of it until Sony launched it on their console with their own content.)
Even so, you can’t deny my claims about the Xbox 360′s online service being justified.
No 360 doesn’t have video messaging, only voice. There’s video chat, but no messaging.
Thanks for clearing that up Quentyn…
I have to admit the 360 does have some enticing features.
Especially the multiple user login to play co-op online.
yeah ill be switching to xbox because it’s sooo easy to make games that will fit on a network that is limited to 512mb downloads. I don’t even know why people who want to be creative with their games would develop there. (For smaller xbla games) granted I get it, you can make money with Microsoft, however that is not what life is all about……….. If you want to make something new without limitations from the publisher you make an sce game if you want to get rich making crap then go msoft camp. Granted it would be nice to be rich but that’s not in our company’s mission statement EXCLUSIVE if anyone cares we have decided to release (or try to) release our game for free with a pay to upgrade system much like some of the ijji games, therefore its a huge risk on our part but we are not encumbered by deadlines enforced by someone else. If we decide to make it take 6 months or 6 years its only “hurting” us OH AND IF THERE ARE ANY LA EMPLOYEES WHO READ THIS IF YOU WANT TO MAKE AN RTS AND WOULD LIKE TO LIVE IN FLORIDA WE ARE HIRING, you should know how to find us we are the only studio on Florida’s space coast and we are currently accepting résumé’s. (sorry im a whore who will post that anywhere). I love the desktop adventure series and we would love to get some of those thinkers. Anyway now that my post was completely rambled off topic ill close by saying I will never own an xbox and it’s not a fan boy thing I just like reliable products. Im a consumer sorry
(BTW, I never really have played XBOX 360, my buddy had a launch system and he didn’t want to pay for gold so I don’t really know some of these things I’m asking)
Quentyn,
Regarding server bandwidth for PSN – if you had tried this before, you should re-try it. After the launch of the new PlayStation Store, you can download things much faster. Actual speeds depend on proximity to Sony servers. I think MS has more servers located in the US – so people generally get faster downloads. But I upgraded to FiOS and download things SO FRIGGIN QUICK now.
Seriously, you should re-try it. An hour and a half seems really long to me for downloads (on your 360), and my PS3 downloads are always much quicker than this. You need to realize though that background downloading on PS3 DOESN’T OCCUR when you watch Blu-ray movies or play most PS3 games. You can fold@home, play PSone games, surf the internet, play select PS3 games, etc. But your downloads will often stop when watching movies or playing PS3 online. That may be why yours took overnight? I encourage you to give it another shot.
PS3 supports at least 5-person chats (haven’t tested more than 5 people), including video… Last I was told, 360 only supports 2-person video chat. I don’t know if that’s still true.
stalkingsilence
when i want to put some stuff to download in the background i play PixelJunk Monsters Encore (with the online off) .
GTA IV for example uses the PSN Network even on the single player.
Oh and i dont get the people who loves his ‘other console’ and come here to tell us , we love Playstation not ‘other console’ !
In terms of online, there’s no difference between PS3 and 360, since both use the same network – the internet – and the same problems will affect both services equally.
Granted your Live fees may pay for servers, but as is mentioned in the article, PC devs have been providing great servers for free for years.
Those things aside, PSN is much more flexible. No limit on game sizes, ability to share user content and so on. Plus we’ve had silky-smooth 40-player games since day one, while Live only recently broke the 16-player barrier.
I’ve played a friend’s 360 online, and it’s no less susceptible to lag and other problems than the PSN. It can’t be, because these issues depend on much more than just the servers you’re connecting to. If you’re gaming during heavy traffic periods, you will suffer – regardless of whether you’re paying nothing, £40 or £400. It’s beyond the control of the respective networks, since it still goes through your ISP, and they use the same internet as everyone else.
I purchased a Xbox 360 at launch and took it online when the XBL was still new. I purchased a PS3 at launch and took that online too. And that’s why I find these comparison threads to be so amusing. Both XBL and PSN were bleak, empty spaces when launched, they’ve both built up content, re-vamped their intefaces over time. While XBL may be the leader in many regards, this serves to benefit Sony, as they’ve seen what does and doesn’t work, all from glancing at XBL. Don’t forget that in regards to media content: Sony have access to a far larger library of media thanks to the music companies, film production companies etcetera that they own.
The only thing that XBL has that PSN is unlikely to is the dedicated servers, that the devs pay for. But I honestly don’t see that being much of a bonus as I’ve never experienced anything more than the odd slither of lag. The vast majority of matchmaking systems will connect you to the nearest and best host, which 95% of the time leaves you lag-free.
Oh and I recently cashed in my Xbox 360. I got a massive (sarcasm) £60 for the console. This generation of “console” was pitched as media-hubs, and part of that was high definition DVD formats. Microsoft backed the wrong dog and now it seems that the people who sat on the fence waiting for a winner between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD, are now flocking for the cheapest Blu-Ray player on the market: The PS3. So the Xbox 360′s are rapidly losing their value.
Good story.
I always was against the idea of having to pay for all that junk, which is mostly why I bought a PS3. I’m not so sure if I’ll ever buy an x360. I just Sony keeps their network free to access.
@Quentyn about the PS Store
Two things. First, if I remember correctly, the R&C demo was 1600 mb or something. That was huge for back when it came out. Its going to take awhile no matter what.
Second, like StalkingSilence said, the new store has made things much faster. The number of users downloading at the same time doesnt seem to have much of an affect on downloads anymore. I have normal slow DSL and I can download a 1000mb demo in 30 minutes or less.
As for the MGO/Konami ID situation, “With Xbox 360, do I think all of that would have been necessary?” Uh, yeah. That has NOTHING to do with Sony or the PSN. It would have had it regardless of the system. Oh wait, I take that back. The answer to that question is actually no, because MGS would never be on 360 in the first place because of size. Unless I wanted a 5 disc set. lol
My point is: What the PS3/PSN may “lack” compared to the 360/Live, it makes up for it in other ways. Take it all with a grain of salt.
Actually claass21, you’ve just unknowningly high-lighted another feature that the PS3 has over the Xbox 360: A web browser. If you were to register a Konami ID for an Xbox 360 game, you’d have to boot up a PC to do so. But as Metal Gear Online showed, you can just use the PS3′s browser to register a Konami ID, without having to exit MGO. So not only is the ability to browse the internet a feature that the PS3 has and the Xbox 360 doesn’t, that browser opens up further possibilities that the Xbox 360 isn’t capable of.
Ok my honest thoughts on this:
Once Firmware 2.40 comes out,Microsoft will SERIOUSLY need to make a change to their Silver Membership service,specifically,in making it possible to play Online against others(Matchmaking).Because let’s be realistic here;Firmware 2.40 contains features that,in my opinion,remove all the present advantages of Xbox Live.
So with that said,I feel Microsoft should do the following;
1)Make it possible for Silver Members to play Online
2)Reduce the costs of XBL Gold(trim it in half)
3)Remove the Ads in the XBL Gold Membership.
I think if Microsoft can do #1 on this list ^ ,then they’ll be heading in the right direction!
@Quentyn
so XBL is better because downloads are faster (which isn’t proven, this is only your experience), you THINK the PS3 won’t get cross-game invites (emphasis on you THINK!!! i mean, if Sony are copying XBL features why wouldn’t they copy EVERYTHING seeing as it doesn’t appear to be patented or anything)
yeah ok, that’s much better /endsarcasm
you do know that there are features PSN has that XBL doesn’t? yeah, the free service has stuff the pricey service doesn’t
-Youtube in-game upload support (FW 2.4)
-conference chat
-Web browser
and if you don’t want to pay for previews and sh!t in Qore, the answer is simple- DONT BUY IT
if your a SOCOM fan then why not?
us “Sony Ponies” may seem weird to you, but you Microsoft Sheep sure are hilarious
why are you trolling on a Playstations site anyway?
face it Quentyn
your paying for a service that post-FW 2.4, won’t actually be significantly superior to the free service
it just comes down to where your friends are really
but my heart goes out to people who don’t want to pay for XBL yet all their friends are on it
funny stuff really, Microsoft Sheep have been convinced that the PSN is worthless in comparison to XBL, yet when it comes down to it- it’s not
Did lifestyle just got it’s first troll?????
Yeeay congrats guys…
On topic.. 2.4 will put the psn at the almost at the same level than Live… but live will still a couple of features that the psn won’t have until later on.
Example: Well this is not for sure if it will be in 2.4 but i doubt it.. Cross game invites.. even thou there has been a change in the way that the ps3 works lately..
Before when you ejected a disk the game would end, now when you eject a disk the ps3 tells you to insert the disk _________ whatever you were playing..
So if in the future we get cross game invites and we accept the ps3 will asks us to insert the disk once we’ve accept it.. just my theory..
Second is to leave a “Voice message” for a friend.. even thou this feature is already in Home.. (beta tester) it actually don’t think it works as of yet.. but we will have the option to call and leave messages.. but for the most part yeah… psn will be the same thing as live and best of all
will be FREE!!!!
If they ensure we get higher quality voice with 2.40 or soon after I will be happy. The voice quality is piss-poor at the moment.
I get very high voice quality….I’ve got the PSEye, which I use for chat, and I have a 10meg cable internet connection….chat sounds and works beautifully for me.
How am I a troll? Sure I favor the 360 a little more, but my opinion is just as valid as anyone else’s. I also own a Playstation 3 and love it simply for its Blu-Ray player and Metal Gear Solid 4. However, calling me a troll and running away from the truth isn’t going to solve anything.
@Stalking Silence
The download that took 1.5 hours was nearly 6 gigs, which is actually pretty fast, while i can get the average 8-900 megabyte demo on Xbox Live in 10-15 minutes.
@Lol@Quentyn
Very mature. Yea I called the raging fanboys Sony Ponies, so what? You know damn well you’ll eat everything Sony feeds you. Kaz Hirai is laughing with you in the palm of his hand.
@Claass
What you say is true, it probably wouldn’t have been any different as far as having to make a Konami ID, and the web browser did help, but why would Konami need an ID system in the first place? Forcing you to pay if you ever decide you want to play w/ another character? Not Sony’s fault, but I never said it was in the first place.
Also, Qore is presented by PSN, and it is indeed provided/owned by SCE. I read that on Sony’s very own site.
@ Quentyn
You don’t “pay for bandwidth”.
Who are you kidding?
Additionally, Qore is an OPTIONAL subscription online magazine with EARLY content bonuses. That’s it! Don’t misconstrue and spew about something you understand NOT.
We don’t eat everything Sony “feeds” us. We take everything with a grain of salt until it’s either confirmed or well-known fact. We here at PlayStation Lifestyle do not bow down to such low levels as fanboys or whoever.
Your definition of the “truth” is quite slanted because of your self-stated preconceived bias towards the Xbox 360.
You must approach things with an open mind before anyone will ever listen to you.
Early content bonuses….sound familiar?
Xbox Live Silver….gets demos and such….1 week later than Gold members.
But, because Qore is just a digital magazine, that differentiates it from being an essential subscription that’s required to even play online in the first place (Xbox Live Gold).
Users without Qore will still get the same content….just a little later.
Understand?
“The download that took 1.5 hours was nearly 6 gigs, which is actually pretty fast, while i can get the average 8-900 megabyte demo on Xbox Live in 10-15 minutes.”
That’s about the same download rate.
Actually, 6 GB in 1.5 hours is 1GB/15mins (1.1MB/sec)….which is more reliably faster than the 8-900 megabyte Live demo in 10-15 minutes, which works out to be somewhere between 883KB/sec and 1.5MB/sec.
So….as you can see, it all depends on the proximity to Sony’s servers, your internet connection, and the like.
I am sorry but I will never pay for the basic ability to play a game online when it should be free in the first place (aka PC or PS3)
To me, it doesn’t really matter what features are on Xbox Live compared to PSN. What it boils down to for a lot of people is simple: money.
Why are you paying money for an internet connection and then turning around and paying more money to essentially use your internet connection to play a video game online? You’re basically paying another company for the right to use your internet connection. It’s stupid when you really think about it. Especially when the competition offers the same product for free. It’s just Microsoft trying to squeeze as much money out of people as they can.
Not to mention, after paying all of that money to actually get online, you’ll probably have to send your Xbox back to Microsoft because the damn thing overheated and died.
Xbox may have a bigger library of games, and we all know that its the games that makes us want to own these consoles in the first place. But by paying for a PS3, you’re getting more bang for your buck. You’re getting a more reliable system, a Blu-Ray player, a library of games that gets better in quality all the time, and free online play.
I don’t care if Microsoft has video chat or texting or what the fuck ever. Are you kidding me? Anyone that would pay $50 a year for voice chat or video chat is an idiot. It’s bad business on Microsoft’s part. And with the PS3 beginning to outsell the Xbox, they better do something to change. 2008 is shaping up to be the year of the PS3.
Guys, keep the name-calling to a minimum, or your comments will go bye-bye.
=)
Ok everyone who’s logos cooler ?? PSN or XboxLive????
PSN’s is cooler because it actually bothers to have a logo, instead of just words, like Live is.
PSN – http://blogs.theage.com.au/screenplay/PSN%20logo.jpg
Live – http://www.engamer.com/wp-content/upload/2008/01/xbox-live-logo.jpg
I am cancelling my Gold account at the end of this month. I barely play my 360 online and I mainly play on the PSN. Once 2.40 hits the PS3, that should make life easier and all Sony need to do is combat XBL with content.
[...] this second round, continuing my previous article, I’ll start with listing the commonalities between the two services, these being features [...]