Xbox
After Microsoft announced a partial price increase for the online service Xbox Live Gold, there was an event to withdraw on the same day due to a backlash.
Microsoft has acknowledged that the short-term plan price increase was a mistake and withdrew it, and has announced a new policy to make paid online multiplayer free for basic free games.
In the past, even if the game itself was basically free, you had to subscribe to Xbox Live Gold for a fee to play online multiplayer on Xbox, but now you can play it for free as long as you have a connection to the main unit and the Internet.
Mike Blake / Reuters
Xbox Live Gold is a paid plan for Microsoft’s online service for game consoles, Xbox Live. Includes online play, cloud storage of save data, games and discounts for subscriber benefits, and more. This service is equivalent to PlayStation Plus for PlayStation and Nintendo Switch Online for Nintendo Switch.
You can subscribe in units of a minimum of 1 to 12 months, and the prices in the US are $ 9.99 for 1 month, $ 24.99 for 3 months, $ 39.99 for 6 months, and $ 59.99 for 12 months, respectively. Like many other subscription services, it’s priced cheaper if you subscribe in bulk.
Microsoft announced in half a day that it plans to raise the short-term one-month and three-month usage rights by $ 1 and $ 5, respectively, to $ 10.99 per month and $ 29.99 for three months. ..
The reason for the price increase is that we have been reviewing and adjusting prices according to the market environment in order to continuously invest in the Xbox community, and in some regions there was no price revision for several years or 10 years. And so on.
It’s a non-existent explanation, but in general, it leads to a relatively cheap 6-month or 12-month plan to stabilize this subscription service, which accounts for a large portion of the gaming sector’s revenue. The intention is possible.
Microsoft is also focusing on the Xbox Game Pass, a flat-rate unlimited game play service, as a new pillar of the game business. In addition to the plan to add to the existing Xbox Live Gold, there is also the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate plan, which is a set of Xbox Live Gold equivalent and unlimited game play from the beginning, and is also cheap with additional benefits.
This Game Pass Ultimate service is the one that Microsoft wants you to subscribe to most. To encourage enrollment, Xbox Live Gold subscribers also offer an upgrade that allows them to convert the remaining duration of their existing plan to GamePass Ultimate at a 1: 1 ratio.
(If you change the remaining period, you can get into the game pass for a few tens of percent to less than half the price. If you dare to subscribe to Xbox Live Gold for a long time and then switch, you can get up to 3 years worth of tens of thousands of yen off ..How to sign up for all Xbox Game Pass at less than half price.Approximately 8,000 yen off annually, chance is only once before joining )
It’s true that making short-term subscriptions more expensive will make 6-month and 12-month gold subscriptions, and game passes relatively cheaper.
Withdrawal on the same day, additional announcement “Basic free is also free for online multi”
This was what was announced on the morning of January 22nd, but there was a backlash from gamers, and Microsoft took this seriously and announced withdrawal as early as the evening of the same day.
According to Microsoft, connecting with friends and playing with them is an integral part of gaming, which has undermined expectations from players who rely on it every day, so they decided not to raise the price of Xbox Live Gold. thing.
At the same time, as a result of taking this situation as an opportunity to review Xbox Live in light of the “player-centered” policy, it is no longer necessary to subscribe to Xbox Live Gold for Free to Play games, so-called basic free games, even in online multiplayer. We are announcing new measures to be taken.
With this free-to-play, online play is expected to be applied as soon as possible in the coming months.
The price of PS Plus has been revised in 2019. Where did the difference come from?
Speaking of price revisions for online services for game consoles, PlayStation Plus, which is in almost the same position, will account for 60% of the existing 1-month, 3-month, and 12-month usage rights for 1-month and 3-month in 2019. We were implementing a large price increase.
However, in the case of PS, the range of discounts is not so large for a single month and 12 months from the beginning, and even after the price increase, it is 850 yen a month, so it is closer to “It is much cheaper to subscribe in bulk” of Xbox Live Gold. Is more accurate. Even so, there was a certain amount of opposition from those who subscribed only when there was a game to play.
Speaking of Microsoft’s Xbox Live Gold price revision, it’s not surprising that it needs regular reviews for business soundness and that there is a backlash against any price increases, but this time around. No matter how muchThe timing was badTo be honest.
The economic environment has deteriorated due to the epidemic of the new coronavirus infection, and consumers are being forced to review the subscription service that they used to pay without problems, and Microsoft is using lockdowns and stay homes. In response to the reduced chances of interacting with people, we have repeatedly stated that games are a way to stay connected with friends and family, connect people, relieve anxiety and stress, and contribute to society.
It’s not disclosed what percentage of Xbox Live Gold subscribers will be short-term usage rights, but if it’s not a pillar long-term subscriber, but only short-term, and the price increase is 10% to 20%, Even if we include the annual contract and the effect of inducing the game pass Ultimate, it is unlikely that it will be a big improvement in profits. I don’t think it’s worth the risk of being perceived as “I’ve raised prices by shooting at those who can’t afford to join for a long time.”
Considering this, the “basic free is on and free” measure, which seems to have been brought out in a hurry, is a consistent measure in that it makes a difference especially for those who can afford to pay for the game.
(Because it is important to let as many players as possible play basic free games as a business structure in the first place, and unlike sold-out games, you can get commissions for in-game purchases, so it removes a big hurdle for non-online service subscribers. Makes sense.
Whether or not a paid online service is required for online play depends on the combination of platform and title, but many basic free titles such as Fort Knight can be played on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch without subscribing to PS Plus / Nintendo Switch Online. is. )
No Changes to Xbox Live Gold Pricing, Free-to-Play Games to be Unlocked [Update] – Xbox Wire
– .
