how the F did we just accept paying for online on consoles?

[KanameYuuki]

I have no idea how they brainwashed all of us, but for me enough is enough, fuck PS+, at least on the PS3 era it had the value of "free games" for Vita and PS3 it was a really good deal back then, it got even better with the release of PS4 so add those games too, then it got the price increase while getting less games. I hope my eventual change the start of this gen to PC gaming is easy enough for me, I'm super dumb with technology but it is what it is.

 

[ShinUltramanJ]

People are trying to find a singular scapegoat to defend their favourite company and will try to say it's Microsoft's fault, but it's just an extension of the service monetization movement that is spreading all over the tech industry. It was going to happen at one point or the other.

Click to shrink...

It's funny that you're trying to defend what I guess is your favorite company from blame, when it's a known fact that Microsoft introduced paid online back on the original Xbox. They had paid online with Xbox 360, while both Sony and Nintendo offered free online gaming.

 

[boontobias]

Not entirely on topic. but I just found out you dont need PS Plus to play PS Now games online. Does Xbox do the same thing for games pass?

 

[TuMekeNZ]

Looking at you Xbox >:-(

 

[Biteren]

I dont got a problem with it, paying for plus diesnt make me seem poorer or duped and indont care if it is free online on pc, i barley game on mine anyways.

 

[StallionDan]

People defended it on Xbox because shitty immature console wars.

Sony got away with it because Xbox already doing it so no good free alternative (lol Nintendo online and PCs costly and less user friendly). But also PS+ was amazing at the time.

Nintendo... Nah I don't know why people pay for that, basic online features are missing and it doesn't compare to GwG or PS+ games.

 

[CHC]

Eh I haven't paid for PS Plus in years. Once the good games stopped flowing, I bailed. If I want to replay Bloodborne or something I'll do a one-month resub, but there are no online games I play on a regular basis.

How did we accept it though? I mean, the alternative is not play online at all, and obviously most consumers just see that as a less attractive option than either being offline of getting PC and playing there.

 

[Outrun]

If Microsoft didn't start it who do you think would've?

Click to shrink...

Sony.

 

[Alastor3]

People are trying to find a singular scapegoat to defend their favourite company and will try to say it's Microsoft's fault, but it's just an extension of the service monetization movement that is spreading all over the tech industry. It was going to happen at one point or the other.

Click to shrink...

The passing assassin is right

 

[deftones r cool]

Transitioning from PC to Xbone... it's weird.

Thank goodness GamePass kinda/sorta justifies the subscription.

 

[Deleted member 4067]

Never really cared about paying. Probably because XBL (Rainbow Six, PGR2) was the first time I ever played online. PSN and Nintendo online were a joke in the 7th gen.

 

[Deleted member 2791]

It's funny that you're trying to defend what I guess is your favorite company from blame, when it's a known fact that Microsoft introduced paid online back on the original Xbox. They had paid online with Xbox 360, while both Sony and Nintendo offered free online gaming.

Click to shrink...

Someone calling me an Xbox fan must be a first. It's funny. You should also try to read and understand my post rather than just quote widely known facts.

 

[Prine]

It's funny that you're trying to defend what I guess is your favorite company from blame, when it's a known fact that Microsoft introduced paid online back on the original Xbox. They had paid online with Xbox 360, while both Sony and Nintendo offered free online gaming.

Click to shrink...

Those services weren't adequate they probably would've harmed their service by charging for it, whilst XBL continued to grow. The price isn't an obstacle or a inconvenience, clearly. Games and features was important, XBL thrived for those reasons.

 

[Deleted member 35204]

Because muh halo3
I blame 100% the american market and their thirst for mediocre ass shooters last gen.
As of me i never paid for online and i'm pretty happy with it, you can continue paying for p2p connections and "free games" that you spend money on monthly for eternity even if you don't play them and that are forever gone once you stop paying.

 

[Ascenion]

Sony.

Click to shrink...

You mean Sega right? Sega was trying to with the Dreamcast. Honestly we should all be thankful Microsoft did it. I shudder to think where unified platform services would be if we had to wait on Sony or Nintendo to take the lead.

 

[Luminish]

I think it's pretty much all on the 360 being more successful than the PS3 despite still requiring a paid subscription in an age where internet connectivity was becoming expected and not just a novelty. If sony's not going to be rewarded for not requiring a subscription, then why wouldn't they just join Microsoft in making free money.

I have no idea why gamers were so ok with such an anti-consumer practice on the 360, but I guess I was in a minority. Now it's just PC, which is a cheaters paradise with how easy it is download and install hacks.

 

[texhnolyze]

I feel like there's this kind of thread every month or so here in Era.

It's like resetting the clock all over again.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

I think it's worth bringing this up

There are multiple years with BILLIONS of dollars in losses, Consoles are an incredibly costly investment, before PS+ and XBLG you could make a very strong argument that it wasn't worth the risk.

 

[XaviConcept]

Back then it was defended by:

"this is so they can have private servers, unlike PS3 games"

Yes, I know, kind souls looking out for Microsofts bottom line.

 

[grand]

360 was popular and set the standard

 

[Raspyberry]

O jesus, every couple always the same thread. We do because running servers ain't free.

Click to shrink...

I'd expect no peer to peer but hey it's 2019 and still here.

 

[Deleted member 135]

The PlayStation 2 had a robust, if decentralized, online that was free. Big games like the SOCOM series, Battlefield, Star Wars Battlefront, and Call of Duty among others had a large playerbase. I remember as late as 2008 SOCOM 3/Combined Assault had 10k players during peak hours.

 

[CRIMSON-XIII]

I have gotten PS plus for 38 bucks since i got a ps4. Every year either on ebay or amazon, or near black friday/


That is not an issue for me. What I dont know if I will be able to get over....Losing the 20 percent discount to every video game. I was conditioned to get 20% off since 2011 or 2012. And now that my GCU ended from bestbuy, and amazon stopped theirs a year or two ago... I feel weird lol.

 

[capnjazz]

It's incredible to see people defending pay to play online, but then again this is Resetera where many people have questionable views.

 

[RingRang]

PS+ means I'm really not just paying for online. This isn't a serious discussion if we don't acknowledge the games included with it, and Sony have been quite generous on that front.

 

[JeTmAn]

Left with the choice of paying or going PC-only, the decision was simple.

 

[RF Switch]

I feel like the price I pay for Xbox live has been well worth the price over the years and now with Xbox game pass ultimate it's even better for me

 

[TheCongressman]

I have never understood defending this.

Stuff like gamepass, or whatever, sure that's a service. But they always lump online play in there so you have no choice if you just want to play online. If the service is worth it, it should be worth it alone.

 

[pewpewtora]

Microsoft kicked it off with xbox live and was successful, so the rest of the game industry followed the money.

 

[Cipherr]

I have never understood defending this.

Click to shrink...

Consumer base has had its back broken. Will defend anything these companies throw at them these days. Got reamed in another thread here a couple months ago for taking shots at companies putting gambling and casinos in their games. People have gone full stupid with defending this crap.

We get the industry we deserve.

 

[jroc74]

Not entirely on topic. but I just found out you dont need PS Plus to play PS Now games online. Does Xbox do the same thing for games pass?

Click to shrink...

No. And F2P games don't need Plus....

But hey, let's also blame Sony because reasons.

I think it's worth bringing this up

There are multiple years with BILLIONS of dollars in losses, Consoles are an incredibly costly investment, before PS+ and XBLG you could make a very strong argument that it wasn't worth the risk.

Click to shrink...

Exactly, completely agree.

It's not just about blaming MS, but also understanding why paying for online on consoles is a thing in the first place.

Still doesn't change the fact that one company started this trend. While one still has policies that include free online MP.

 

[Dyle]

Who are we to stop the inevitable?

 

[SolidChamp]

O jesus, every couple always the same thread. We do because running servers ain't free.

Click to shrink...

This is my take as well.

They should just run a charity? It's like any other service; pay legal tender for services rendered.

 

[Deleted member 10747]

Microsoft started it and got away with it and that's when the domino pieces started falling. Sony saw how much money Microsoft was making so they followed but because Microsoft tried to do more shady stuff, everybody glanced over it. So nobody talked about it. Nintendo followed suit because why not and free money.

And now we are in this POS situation with no way out.......and people wonder why we shouldn't wait to see what happens when we let companies do stuff......COL

 

[Htown]

It's because what the hell else were people supposed to do?

Click to shrink...

play games on a different platform?

 

[saenima]

Well it's not they like they were forced to start charging for it is it? The horrible dastardly MS didn't force them to start doing it. If you want to blame MS for introducing it then fine, but let's not act as if Sony are some innocent party in all of this.

Click to shrink...

What are you even talking about? Only people pretending in here are the ones implying or right out saying that the reason there is an online fee is somehow not on MS. Despite them being the only ones charging it for a long ass time. You can blame Sony and Nintendo for charging that fee now, but blaming them for introducing it in the first place is just fucking stupid and revisionist history. Microsoft made it possible and accepted throughout the years. That's all there is to it.

 

[shadow2810]

This is my take as well.

They should just run a charity? It's like any other service; pay legal tender for services rendered.

Click to shrink...

I guess it is charity on PC then since I haven't paid a dime to play online for multi plat games

 

[Poimandres]

Yeah, I truly hope this is done away with but I can't see it happening. I'm very grateful that PC gamers took a stand and made it clear these shenanigans wouldn't fly on that platform.

 

[Deleted member 10747]

I think it's worth bringing this up

There are multiple years with BILLIONS of dollars in losses, Consoles are an incredibly costly investment, before PS+ and XBLG you could make a very strong argument that it wasn't worth the risk.

Click to shrink...

This is a bit dishonest because without telling the reason for those losses it's up in the air where those losses came from. Was it because of mismanagement or not reading the market correctly or faulty hardware or was it because what you were saying, costly investment??

 

[Deleted member 51539]

If I had to pinpoint a moment for when everything was lost I'd say it was

 

[Deleted member 4212]

It was also very controversial when it began. But people demonstrated that it's something they'd pay for.

 

[Vilix]

Don't blame the companies. Blame the players. Of which I am one.

I remember back in 2000 when Microsoft announced Xbox and XBL. People said online gaming was already free on PC. Who in their mind would pay for online play on consoles. And here we are now.

 

[S I C K O]

Balmer

 

[skeezx]

back when i was big on Destiny 1 for ps4 i never really questioned it. didn't "like" it of course but i was like yeah okay whatever, took me awhile to realize how BS it was

i guess best/most realistic thing to hope for is everybody to be more informed and if paid online has to be a thing it'll be rolled in with better incentives like gamepass/psnow access or something

 

[Cranster]

Microsoft set the standard and were ahead of the industry by uniting many PC gaming principles under one service with the OG Xbox Live. People here can criticize all they want, but it was and still is worth the subscription. PS2 online was a joke in comparison and couldn't compete with Xbox Live.

In addition while PSN was free last generation it also was a much shoddier service compared to Xbox Live due to the lack of real long term investment on Sony's part. With Xbox Live you got what you paid for and when PSN was down for a month it was pretty clear at that point that Sony needed to focus more on that front which is why it is not a free service anymore.

 

[bionic77]

Take the console wars out of it and at the end of the day we buy these proprietary boxes to play certain games on them.

It makes sense that they could add other conditions to play the games you want to play.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

This is a bit dishonest because without telling the reason for those losses it's up in the air where those losses came from. Was it because of mismanagement or not reading the market correctly or faulty hardware or was it because what you were saying, costly investment??

Click to shrink...

MS had to try and establish their new platform while going against the most popular console of all time, that resulted in billions of dollars in losses

Then the 360 har the RROD, that resulted in billions in losses

Sony sold the ps3 at a $200 loss, that resulted in losses that completely wiped out the profits that they made with the ps1 and ps2. (The two most successful consoles ever at the time)

Rebuilding the security for psn after the hack was 150 million alone.

Consoles are an incredibly risky investment.

 

[jotun?]

Microsoft managed to trick a bunch of console gamers into thinking that online play was a new and amazing thing that definitely hadn't already been a free part of PC gaming for many years

 

[Heromanz]

The same reason why we played gay the caps and shit like that because people are gullible baby

 

[TheGhost]

Halo 2 was worth it