Pachter: ‘Xbox Platinum Subscriptions’
"I don’t actually know where prices are going"Published 18/11/2009 at 8:00 by Tuffcub
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You may recall that gamings very own Mystic Meg claimed that Micosoft would be doubling the price of a Gold subscription. He has changed his mind,
“I think legitimately that $50 is really cheap for Xbox Live,” said Pachter, “I doubt that they’ll raise price $50 more across the board; rather, I expect that they’ll raise the price by $10 or so for the “gold” membership, and strip out a few features from gold and add them to “platinum” for $100 or so. Gold members will decide whether to upgrade or drop out.”
“While I think that they will certainly lose some members, their overall revenues will rise, fueling the addition of even more value added services. I think that the fact that prices haven’t risen since 2001 should be an indication to their subscribers that prices are going up in the future.
“I threw out $100 as a stalking horse, and don’t actually know where prices are going, but know that they are going up.”
Source: IndustryGamers
Comments
Please note that all comments are the opinion of the individual author and not TheSixthAxis.
Jumping Monks | 18/11/2009 08:04
Legend
1102 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2009
M$ been in touch with Activision by any chance
I think I’ll stick with the PSN
Matherz | 18/11/2009 12:20
Member
127 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
Wouldn’t suprise me if they had
I swear the only thing that doesn’t seem to go up these days is wages
wedgehog | 18/11/2009 08:15
Friendly
586 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
Agreed, the PSN may be silghtly inferior in some peoples opinion however with prices that high for Xbox Live I see no incentive strong enough to pay.
S1nghSat1onal | 18/11/2009 17:48
Member
73 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
Slighty inferior, but that is steadily changing isnt it. PSN is slowly getting there with the movie, music videos and soon the game over voice chat feature. Oh yeah its all FREE
marshaal5 | 18/11/2009 08:20
Member
13 TSA Points | Member since: Sep 2009
m$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ greed greed greed
Person678 | 18/11/2009 08:48
BOOM! Headshot!
1793 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2009
A buisness trying to make money…
Those bastards!
Person678 | 18/11/2009 09:03
BOOM! Headshot!
1793 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2009
And besides, this is a prediction by Pachter, also known as bullshit, not Microsoft.
Matherz | 18/11/2009 12:21
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127 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
I think Pachter should stop giving M$ ideas
benny boy | 18/11/2009 17:51
Member
812 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
$top u$ing thi$ $tupid $symbol!!!!! It’s ridiculous. They’re just a company trying to make money. They’re not forcing you to pay for it
lewis815 | 18/11/2009 08:35
Member
729 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
Never had a problem with PSN, and with the improvements coming soon to rival MS, there is no way I’d pay silly amounts for a similar service I can get for free with better games anyway.
TRiLoGY | 18/11/2009 08:37
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370 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
woah.. I think i’ll stick with the PSN
Vandix | 18/11/2009 08:39
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1197 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
Please people, this is said by Pachter, not by MS…
hazelam | 18/11/2009 08:50
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3925 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
i don’t pay now, certainly not gonna pay if it goes up.
Tiran Kenja | 18/11/2009 08:56
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250 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2008
Hurray for money grabs! It’s one of those statements that make me a happy PS3 owner
djdustb | 18/11/2009 09:02
Member
1308 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2008
We are lucky as PS3 owners to have a free service, but I do think at some point they will look at the MS business model and realise how much money can be made with a subscription service. Obviously for this to happen they would have to improve the service (store) to make people want to pay. The actual access to playing online and chatting to mates is great though.
Matherz | 18/11/2009 12:24
Member
127 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
The only reason I can think of for Sony not putting prices on playing online are for the amount they make from downloadable content.
I say this as I myself have spent almost £200 on singstar downloadable content (what can I say
)
Plus most of todays games are built with the intent of being played online.
hazelam | 18/11/2009 14:31
Member
3925 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
the store and the psn are totally different services though.
i don’t pay for gold but i still have access to the marketplace.
Soild_Nat | 18/11/2009 09:04
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804 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
If Sony get a really good party system and cross game chat in place then i think a lot of 360 owners will switch. I know a lot of my friends have over the last few months after there 360’s RROD. A main factor in that was the PSN been free to play online. Yes it doesn’t have all the same features but you can get online and play with mates for free. With less and less exclusives been on the 360 and most if not all appearing on the PS3 within a year people are having less reasons to own a 360 over a PS3 or Wii.
Expect the rumors of a new xbox to surface next year…..
Raen | 18/11/2009 09:23
Team TSA: Writer
3719 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
Next Xbox is predicted for 2012, so I’d say rumours coming out very late 2010 (although MS seems to be better at keeping a lid on it than Sony) and 2011 E3 announcement. However given the release of Natal in Q3 2010 I think even that is pushing too soon. I reckon announcement 2012 personally, let Natal be out for a while first.
RadioactiveMouse | 18/11/2009 09:38
Member
548 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
I agree. I think they will use the Natal to extend the life span of the current Xbox. That means at very least 2012, if not later. I haven’t seen the technological advancements that would prompt MS to move on the Xbox brand enough to make it worth bringing it out so early in relation to the other consoles
bajere | 18/11/2009 10:10
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1067 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2008
The problem Sony have created for them selves is that M$ will release its new console 1st…soooo down the snake to square one after climbing all those ladders with the PS3.
Sony will always be 1 step behind from now on, unless of course, all this “power” they claim the PS3 to have gets used and it keeps up pace with the new xbox….?
TheShepanator | 18/11/2009 19:36
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559 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2009
Several sources indicate sony has been working on tech for a new PS for some time, only a few months ago it was announced that MS started work on a new x-box. I think sony don’t want to miss a trick next time around.
Windswept fairy | 18/11/2009 09:23
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76 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
As a PS3 user I can appreciate that the 360 has great online and that the cost is part of it’s ongoing success, this is all speculation but if they were to raise the price for a platinum subscription I could imagine a lot of users getting a little upset, at first, but they would likely be adding extra functionality for the added cost and not just upping the price of the current gold model. On the PSN side, i’m happy it’s free, but I would also be happy to pay as long as that cost added more to the service and for a little more functionality.
Tuffcub | 18/11/2009 12:24
Team TSA: Writer
4070 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2008
You have a very odd name.
Raen | 18/11/2009 09:25
Team TSA: Writer
3719 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
Oh Pachter, when will you stop talking definitively about things and then throw your toys out of the pram when you’re wrong (see his accusations towards Chart-Track about MW2 inaccuracies).
Amphlett | 18/11/2009 09:31
Member
1246 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
Just the sort of news that Sony could capitalize on! Sony should change their advertising (I know they’ve only just caught on and are doing a decent job currently) to something like…
PS3 Slim for £250.
Want a wireless controller? It’s included and you don’t need to buy additional batteries.
Want wireless networking? It’s included.
Want free on-line play? It’s included.
Want to upgrade your hard drive? No problem.
Want a BluRay HD player? It’s included.
Windswept fairy | 18/11/2009 09:35
Member
76 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
Well you just sold me one….. hang on, got one already ! seriously though an ad like that really would make a lot of sense, we thinks you should be working for Sony mate !
Raen | 18/11/2009 09:41
Team TSA: Writer
3719 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
The problem is a lot of consumers just care about the price, particularly with complex purchases they don’t know a lot about. At least with TVs you can talk about picture quality etc…
Windswept fairy | 18/11/2009 09:46
Member
76 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
This is very true, the current Xbox advertising is very glossy and well thought out, I for one have had the music stuck in my head a few times, but the punch line at the end is a great pricing point, especially for the lower end model, that is as you pointed out the bottom line for most consumers, especially if they are buying the console for someone else.
iNsAnE_gAmInG | 18/11/2009 17:56
* Banned *
-1930 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
LOl. So damn true Amphlett. Although I wont begin saying how PS3 is becoming superior as fanboyism is not tolerated on TSA.
(Damn fun sponges). 
Oh… but I will say one thing, all my mates with 360’s are in rage at how poor the servers are on the new COD, apparently the new host migration feature never works for them, lag is always present and apparently in big parties somebody always ends up getting dropped when searching for a game. (It sounds like our Duo-Hedgidecimal 10-man Fifa trophy horrors). PS3 COD online is now working great (for me and my mates at least) thanks to Infinity Ward and Sony adressing issues fairly quickly.
Anyway… I would just like say hehehehehehehe (with a smug look on my face).
P.S. If any 360 hardcores want to provide a comeback please do; fanboy arguements cheer me up and make me lol-asaurus rex for a good long time.
carlosfilippsen | 18/11/2009 10:29
Member
1316 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
I will stick with PSN and if I do get a 360 I wont be paying for this platinum bulls***.
tyrant161 | 18/11/2009 10:35
Member
422 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
PSN all the way…iv’e only got xboxlive silver and i can’t even use the free to anyone (so long as its on any other platform) Facebook….i need gold to use it on 360, What a rip off, stuff em…i will use my pc and PS3.
Matherz | 18/11/2009 12:33
Member
127 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
I will say that the gold membership is worth it for the Cross game Party chat etc.
Compared to the PS3’s measly attempt at chat features the xbox blows them out of the water.
I myself have both consoles so i’ll admit there are good things about the PS3 and good things about the Xbox.
Being a huge PS3 fan for the past 2 years and then buying my xbox 360 a month ago, got to say, the xbox is doing most of the online stuff better. Just a shame it’s a noisy little bugger