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The delusion that paying for PS+ and XBL pays for multiplayer servers. Why do people still believe this shit?
- Thread starter jett
- Start date
I don't really play online so just associate it with getting games each month. £2.90ish a month for a couple of random games? Yeah okay.
See the whole premise of this question is kind of the mistake the OP is getting at.There is not exactly such thing as companies spending particular revenue streams on particular other things.
They have total projected (and actual revenue), and also a budget for spending on whatever. These are related, but it's not like they say we are making product x to fund y. They make product x to get more revenue. With the additional revenue they may decide to fund y. If they think putting more money back into x will increase revenue further, they will. Or they may fund something else or increase dividends
We always got consoles under cost, i mean aside from last gen, the gen Sony introduced pay2play.
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It's a common myth that misunderstands the economics of these services, although objectively speaking, they do cost time, resource, and capital to run. Infrastructure, security, content distribution, enforcement...the list goes on. There's a lot of moving parts so really, while in an ideal world they would be free everywhere, companies are within their right to charge a cost of entry.
Sure, they're making hand over fist but the market has decided that a luxury service is worth the asking price so there's not much more to discuss. Consumerism is a helluva drug.
Sure, they're making hand over fist but the market has decided that a luxury service is worth the asking price so there's not much more to discuss. Consumerism is a helluva drug.
lets assume they are "free"
they are mostly old games anyway. it says alot when two mediocre games together is regarded as one of the best months for plus.
It's also how console developers can sell hardware that would cost significantly more for a comparably specced PC. And as someone who isn't interested in the mechanics or upkeep of building one, I don't mind since I can get PS+ cheaper via deals if I'm patient.
What's your download speed on your PS5? My DLs are quick AF, but I'm not sure they are taking close to full advantage of 1GB download I pay for.
Sometimes I see I get 200mb+ on the PS5. I have Cat8 cables (overkill I know), Gigabit ports on router.
The games they gave on PS+ back then were on a whole another level compared to what they later gave on PS4 and beyond.
I downloaded the Maiden demo in under 40 seconds. So it was pretty close.
I have 1.5Gig internet, but capped at 1Gbps due to Ethernet.
No, its just a platform service. You basically pay if you want to be part of that platform, if you find any value, then your going to pay for it. Some just want to simply play online, I do believe that part of the service should be free. It has been in the past on Nintendo and PS platforms.
This is where I am too. It kind of irks me thinking that I'm paying for something I don't use (the online part), but if it means I gotta pay for cloud syncing on some platforms, etc., plus the 'free' games and discounts, I'm OK with it. That being said, I would never pay the full asking price that they want per month/year and wait for deep sales on the subscriptions.
In some situations it actually does, though. Services like Playfab have relay servers which you ordinarily have to pay the usage costs for, however are free for any usage from Xbox Live accounts.
I never believed it paid for servers, but it has to pay for something right? Keeping everything running and running well for years and years isn't free. In the 360 days it was years ahead of anything else as far as ease of use for multiplayer parties and chat and things. The real issue I see is that it hasn't evolved enough...like, not much at all. Which makes me wonder why it's still around when it could be justified better as Gamepass only.
xbox live as a service is just antiquated these days, but that money is probably very important to MS as far as maintenance, updating hardware and most importantly, salaries for people working on Xbox Live related things.
xbox live as a service is just antiquated these days, but that money is probably very important to MS as far as maintenance, updating hardware and most importantly, salaries for people working on Xbox Live related things.
I'm okay with paying for PS Plus for two reasons:
1) Online play and the games they give
2) I hope it can contribute to Playstation Studios making the great games that they do. When the day comes they stop making PS games I care for I'll stop paying for this service.
1) Online play and the games they give
2) I hope it can contribute to Playstation Studios making the great games that they do. When the day comes they stop making PS games I care for I'll stop paying for this service.
Video games are my escape from having to deal with other people; I do enough of that at work. The idea of paying for the 'privilege' of multiplayer is doubly hilarious to me.
Let's see, Sony and Microsoft sold about what ...170 million consoles (PS4 + Xbox One) since 2013? It's hard for me to believe that Sony and Microsoft took a hit on every single unit sold. Maybe they did, but a PS4 and Xbox One S are retailing for $300 right now. Anyway, what about accessories, are those subsidized, too? I'm asking, because I don't know.
that's like saying you get a bunch of free tv shows and movies from netflix
that's not what free means
Accessories tend to be one of the areas console makers make money.
You don't even have to look at PC, the argument doesn't make sense even just within the scope of consoles. Third party games manage to maintain servers just fine. Not like they're getting a cut of PS+/Live profits.
PS+ was actually good on PS3. Better than good. I still consider it the gold standard for value in gaming subscription services.
I do not pay for it on PS4. PS+ turned to shit quickly in PS4's life. It was essentially a trojan horse on PS3 so that people wouldn't complain when they introduced the online paywall. That's why PS+ value was as unbelievable as it was on PS3.
Yup, that's a really good example. But you'll get little to zero responses to this as it doesn't fit the narrative. Stop shilling and fall in line!
It was consumers that allowed this to happen. During the 360 gen people were happily paying for XBL Gold by the tens of millions with no complaints or even a question as to why there was a charge. I remember wondering back then why people were so complacent about it. I paid for XBL gold too but I wasn't happy about it and didn't understand why everyone else was.
Xbox had the multiplayer shooter market in North America cornered because it offered the superior experience. Maybe the superiority of the experience vs the free option is why people didn't mind paying. The trail was blazed, path was paved for others to follow and now it's the new irreversible standard.
Sony boiled the frog on me too. I had PS+ on PS3 before Sony aped Microsoft with the pay wall. It was a great value at the time. Then all of a sudden, without even feeling it or noticing I'm now paying basically just for PS online as the "free games" offered are nothing like what it was when PS+ started. Makes me wonder if the original PS+ on PS3 was a Trojan horse to roll out online pay wall. I don't have a crystal ball but would not at all be surprised if game pass and the value it's offering right now is a Trojan horse too - and recent events aren't helping dissuade that.
Xbox had the multiplayer shooter market in North America cornered because it offered the superior experience. Maybe the superiority of the experience vs the free option is why people didn't mind paying. The trail was blazed, path was paved for others to follow and now it's the new irreversible standard.
Sony boiled the frog on me too. I had PS+ on PS3 before Sony aped Microsoft with the pay wall. It was a great value at the time. Then all of a sudden, without even feeling it or noticing I'm now paying basically just for PS online as the "free games" offered are nothing like what it was when PS+ started. Makes me wonder if the original PS+ on PS3 was a Trojan horse to roll out online pay wall. I don't have a crystal ball but would not at all be surprised if game pass and the value it's offering right now is a Trojan horse too - and recent events aren't helping dissuade that.
That's the thing though. It might not pay for the individual game servers but it definitely pays for all of the PS and Xbox infrastructure.
Came for the games, stayed for the extra sales discounts. That said, I ditched my PS+ subscription shortly after picking up a PS4.
I miss when ps+ was about getting those sweet extra games and having some extra discounts, I happily payed for + thorough that era but fuck ps4 gen not being able to play the games I own, shame that thanks to Xbox sony and Nintendo decided to do the same scummy move.
Huh? The games they were giving out back then were amazing.
You made your money back on digital sales as well.
Well said. The money is a great profit for them, but also pays for some servers and all that. Should it be cheaper? Absolutely, but straight up denying that the money doesn't pay for PSN, XBL, ... is ridiculous.
You can't compare the workload of a dying MMO to three of the biggest onlineservice in gaming. The more users you have, the more servers you need. Btw, Xbox is literally keeping old games alive and indies can take advantage of XBL and PSN.
As you said there are many advantages indies for example can take advantage of. Again should PS+, Gold cost so much? No. Is there a huge profit in for these companies? Yes. But some of the money is going into these services, systems, servers, ... Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony provide to developers and consumers.
Why didn't we complain in the Sega days, because they started it.
I don't understand the argument that they don't. We are paying Microsoft. They have one wallet. Microsoft does have servers that they pay for. Whether or not that specific money covers just that or goes to somewhere else...it doesn't really matter. Microsoft both TAKES money from us and PAYS money towards maintaining servers. The distinction you're making is irrelevant.
Also amazes me people justify paying a subscription because of digital sales discounts... when these games after the discounts are pretty much the same "discount" price on other platforms
If that already blows your mind imagine people paying money to be able to use their own internet connection to play games.
It was a good service, with good games on it. Now isn't as good but it is still ok. Plus discounts on purchases.
I have also heard some people say that you are paying for secure online gaming by paying for psn/xbl. They claim that keeping hackers/cheaters off of consoles is the reason why Sony/Microsoft charge for this shit. I don't buy it. I have seen hackers and cheaters on these services. Just not at the same level as PC. Hell COD4 on xbl was full of hackers at one point.
i'm confused by what you mean...original xbox or xbox one?
if you mean original xbox, the unified online system was what you were buying. iirc everything was just p2p connections, but even having a storefront on a console to buy map packs or xbla games was nuts.
ps2/pc online games were the wild west in comparison. ps2 had different accounts for every game and was just more of a hassle. it was free though and can't say I didn't play a ton of ratchet deadlocked and socom. PC did have some cool matchmaking/server finding apps like gamespy and xfire, but there was nothing unified and steam as a platform was still a pipe dream even when 360 launched
it's just an annual service fee/tax on the console at this point, and has been for over 10 years. we all suck it up and keep buying consoles too. at this point we take for granted all the features over the years added on these platforms, but it still doesn't justify the pricing to me
I pay for PS+ for the cloud storage and the "free" games per month. I'm not being fooled, I'm willfully paying for it.