Microsoft Raising Xbox Live Gold Annual Subscription Fee to $59.99 Per Year

Major Nelson announced that Microsoft would be raising the annual Xbox Live Gold subscription fee by $10 per year to $59.99. I was hoping that Microsoft would lower or cancel the fee for Netflix streaming use, but now it'll cost Xbox customers almost the cost of a Roku Player to stream Netflix every year. If you're not a serious gamer and just use your Xbox for Netflix, it might make sense to use one of the dozens of Netflix-ready devices. The price increase starts November 1st.

Do you use your Xbox for Netflix streaming?

Comments

[PS3 fanboi]

Another reason to buy a PS3 (in cases you needed one despite all the RROD issues).

[Del]

MS does not have a clue. Netflix is free on all other devices, why would I pay them for something I get for FREE on my PS3, Wii, Roku and their own Media Center.

Let's see if Sony does not follow MS when the native app comes out and make you have pay fo a subscription.

[AngryXbox360User]

I do but won't renew my xbox live account when it expires. Let's hit'em where it hurts.

[Luna Saisho]

Oh, SERIOUSLY. Sigh. I didn't mind so much paying, but I was thinking that Xbox Live was so established that they would eventually LOWER the price.

I saw the story on Major Nelson's blog. I should look at the comments. I'm sure people are very upset about this.

[dAVe]

Let's be realistic, people like & buy the X360 because it is the leader in online console gaming - probably due to the fact that the subscription fee helps pay for the resource & up-keep of the server farms. For those that get the X360 for this reason, the added benefit on NetFlix Streaming is cake. I've never heard of anyone wanting to run out and buy a X360 just so they can stream NetFlix or watch Blu-ray movies with for that matter. Oh, that's right, X360 was in the HD-DVD format camp during the “war.” What? To soon? OMG, I just check and Microsoft still has yet to pair a Blu-ray player for the console. Apparently, Microsoft really has no motivation in making their machine an entertainment center piece; after all, gamers consume vast amounts of time playing games rather than watching movies.

[FearNo1]

amazon and newegg have XBL Gold for $39.99. No need to pay $60 or even $50

[John]

I use my Xbox for Netflix streaming, but I'm also a gamer, so the price increase doesn't bother me too much. However, it's pretty hard for MS to justify this, since Xbox Live's multiplayer (the most important feature that paying for it gets you) is almost entirely peer-to-peer, with no central server hosting the game.

Still, 60 bucks a year is not much in the scheme of things. Once I pay it, it puts a tiny dent in my budget for about a week. But after that point, I forget about it for a year

[Tiger]

It's still a shame you have to pay for a tier in order to access something you're already paying for.

[Gary]

Just a guess but I would imagine most people who have Netflix on their 360 consider the Netflix an added feature to their console which is probably used mainly for online multiplayer. Now, I'm not defending Microsoft (heck, I canceled my gold membership last year), but $5 a month to play multiplayer as much as you want isn't that bad. Most gamers I know get their monies worth through the mulitplayer.

[Rob]

I am casual gamer and will not be paying for Xbox live anytime soon. I just use one of the many other devices that I own where i can do it for free

[S]

My Xbox just died this weekend, and after placing a call to Xbox, it's apparently $120 to fix the issue. Really? A busted disc drive costs $120 to fix? I've only had the thing for a year and 3 months.

Couple that with the recent increase in Gold membership costs, and it's enough to make me look into other gaming options. Console exclusivity is a thing of the past now. Maybe a PS3 would be better in the long run...

Regardless, the repair costs and Gold memberships costs rankle me.

[Summer]

Doesn't bother me any, we'll be doing the family plan when it launches anyway!

[Jack]

And XBOX Live is down for me this morning. That's a great strategy to get me to want to pay more.

[Fohf]

Once I run out of prepaid cards I won't be subscribing to Gold at the increased price. The only way I will continue my gold membership is if online retailers continue to sell them for around $30.

[Tester]

This is a POS move from a POS company on their POS system. Screw you Microsoft, and screw you twice Gates!

[john]

when Xbox went up $10.00 a year the other prices are going up also. I just check Buy.com and the other mail store and they want now $49.00 not $39.00 for xbox live.

I did used it for nexflix but at that price I just may sell my system and get the other box and be done with it.

M.S. needs to not go up they should stay with the regular price. Or come Down

[Sean]

This is ridiculous, I'm super glad I stopped using my 360. It's such an unreliable system to begin with. PS3's streaming service is lag free on my connection where as I've had a ton of lag issues with the Xbox and they're both hardwired.

[Walt D in LV]

While the price is going up, Microsoft is also offering existing customers to extend their subscriptions for another year for only $39.99. SO, if you average that over the next two years (39.99 this year, 59.99 next year), it's still only $49.99 per year. That's also thinking Microsoft won't offer another deal, or lower their price, over the next two years, and, more importantly, still less than $5 a month.

I've only ever streamed about four movies, in my nine year experience with Netflix, and none of them were on the xBox 360. Two PS3, One computer, one Wii.

@S, above::
Many cities have a "Game Repair" shop that should be able to fix your xBox for less than Microsoft. An xBox 360 Arcade system is only $149, and you could get an extended warranty for it, so that may be a better way to go.

Walt D in LV

[J]

or you could just lock in your next renewal at 39.99 with the currently deal.

Also dont you need a Playstation Plus subscription (or whatever) to use the new netflix streaming?

[James]

I won't be renewing. I also have 2 X-Box's, due to the Netflix Gold requirement, my kids can't watch something streamed from Netflix when I want to play my personal console. F' MS, I am going to buy a Roku or AppleTV...

[Briago]

Most of you are saying you don't mind the price because you game. Well I bought the XBox as a media center extender (I have one Media Center PC as my HD-DVR), and each tv has and XBox to stream my recorded shows.

I also use netflix, but MS would have me spend $120/year for the prvelidge of being able to play my netflix movies on the xbox on my 2 TVs. I do not even own a game for the XBox, and the game controllers have no batteries installed in them. I can play Netflix for free on my BluRay and Wii boxes.

So MS wants me to pay $120/year to do something that doesn't use their network, servers, etc. This is borderline antitrust as they are trying to force me to pay them extra for something that costs them nothing just because they can. For now, I just have to switch over to my BluRay player for Netflix, and I can't watch it in my bedroom. I hope this gets fixed soon.

Please, someone make a free version of PlayOn streaming software!

[Miles]

Hey, you can watch Netflix for "free" using your xbox 360. What a load of bull!!!

The way it really is:
In addition to paying my ISP and Netflix (which I purchase because I DO value their services) you need to pay for an "xbox live GOLD" account.

I won't pay $10/month for an xbox live GOLD account EVER! I will, however, return my xbox 360 and never buy another Microsoft gaming product again. Everyone else (EVERYONE) gives you the Netflix player with their console for FREE. I do not need to pay $10/month for the "added value"; I now have a Wii.