Network now...NEWS
XBL Silver Now Allows Free Online Gaming?
Microsoft’s decision to stop charging for "premium" online features in Games for Windows - Live titles, including cross-platform gameplay, appears to have enabled Xbox Live Silver members to play cross-platform online games for free.
According to numerous user reports on the official Xbox forums, it appears that Silver Xbox Live members - who don’t usually have access to free online gaming - can now play cross-platform titles including Shadowrun, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition and Universe at War: Earth Assault for free over Xbox Live.
Some forum users are even claiming that free online gaming isn’t restricted to cross-platform titles – two posts suggest XBL Silver members can now also play unranked matches for free on games including Halo 3.
The news is somewhat muddied by the fact that Microsoft offered free online gaming to all Xbox Live subscribers over the weekend as part of its Live Weekend initiative, but reports that Silver XBL members were playing online for free both before and since the weekend appear to indicate there’s something more to this story – is this perhaps the beginning of a free Xbox Live service, or could it just be some sort of knock-on-effect from the dropping of Games for Windows – Live charges?
[UPDATE] Microsoft has now confirmed that Xbox Live silver online play is now free, but only for a limited time for online multiplayer cross-platform play between Xbox 360 and PC. Games capable of cross-platform play include Shadowrun, Lost Planet and Universe at War.
I agree with reloaded. I've gladly paid for XBL since 2003. I have seen both PSN and XBL mature over the years, and I believe XBL is an overall better service. Not that I don't enjoy my PS3, but everything about PSN seems last minute and consistently broken when it comes to playing games over it.
Paying for online service for a console is retarded thats like having to pay extra to use yahoo search engines yeah xbox live is a good service but it should come freely w/ the xbox you buy there product you buy there games and then they want u to pay to play them like they should be played thats why i like Playstation ppl say its broken in wut way i ask ive never had any problems w anything on it i play games all the time lag free always connect download movies and games talk to friends send pictures and guess wut no extra money out of my pocket win win for me xbots must just be stupid as hell either that or have never tried psn the thing is with every update its better and better tell me wut microsoft has on its online network that deserves a charge and ill tell u wut i and many other psn users get for free.
"ppl say its broken in wut way i ask "
In that, if I play Pro evo on my PS3 I am forever getting disconnects... if I play it on my 360 I don't.
At least in a paid for service we have a right to demand improvement, and MS are generally quite good at that.
Don't get me wrong, I'd hate to be paying for online play on two consoles... but XBox Live is a class above PSN.
I'd rather pay a fiver a month for a service that works, rather than a free service that is well and truly broken.
Xbox Live is a robust and proven service. However Ive always felt like spitting feathers when it comes to paying the high cost of a yearly subscription. If Sony raise the game of the PSN, I can see a time when multi-console owners decide not to renew their subscription to Live.
Xbox Live = Online Gaming TAX