Xbox Live 3.0... what can we expect?

[BRiT]

I don't see how they'll be able to compete with the ones allready providing such services, to garner the interest in such a service, i.e. Netflix, Hulu, etc.

Wider selection of content and more current content are two ways. This could come through a stronger integration with the big cable cartels in the US.

Though I do think it to be a major uphill struggle for them if they attempt to add more at a higher service level.

 

[AlphaWolf]

They can add from their own services. Discounted or free zune rentals with a platinum sub, free or discounted Skype to phone calling etc.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

To go online you need a Live account...

That's possibly what's throwing me. IMO online is discrete from the platform service, so PS3 (and PCs, and tablets) access the internet freely. You then use apps, paid or free, or web pages, to access content. If on XB360 you cannot access any internet content without going through a 'Live portal' (even if not an actual portal, a Live ID is a forced requirement), then there's clearly no difference between apps and Live!. If MS are going to require a Live! account to use Skype, for example, that's different to what I imagine the platform would be (free Skype app using your Skype account, discrete from your Live! account).

 

[AlphaWolf]

I believe Live is the MS inclusive social online portal going forward. They are pushing all their online content under that brand.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

I believe Live is the MS inclusive social online portal going forward. They are pushing all their online content under that brand.

Actually the Live branding is slowly being phased out. One of the first to go is Live Messenger, replaced by Skype. It wouldn't surprise me if on the next Xbox, MS decided to drop "Live" from the Gold and Silver tiers. And they'll just be Xbox Gold and Xbox Silver.

Regards,
SB

 

[dagamer]

I think the only reason there wasn't such a large outcry is because users can still find deals on Gold subscriptions for $35 a year and they offer a family pack of 4 subscriptions for $100.

I can see MS offering a platinum level that includes an all you can eat multimedia content like movie and music rentals for a higher monthly cost.

At this point, anyone paying the full $60 is a sucker. And the regularity of these $35 Xbox Live sales makes it obvious that these deals must be fully authorized by Microsoft since there's no way for a retailer to make profit otherwise. Interestingly though, every time they have these sales, I always end up buying 3-4 at a time and reselling a few, but to Microsoft, it definitely must be generating more sales overall for them. After all, the best way to get someone to buy lots of something at $30 is to say the normal price is $60.

I do wish for some more group functionality in Xbox Live, like a guild system built right into the service itself. That was probably one of the best things about World of Warcraft, even though there were probably people in your guild you never knew, you felt a bit more friendly to them than some random person on your server.

 

[-tkf-]

360 has cloud saves also.

Not sure how profitability works out on PSN+ after payouts on the free games. It'd be interesting to see numbers.

I'm sure it's profitable but just would be interesting to see the breakdown.

Cloud saves are a part of Gold afaik, i think i tried to set it up for Minecraft (and i tried to figure out how to make a copy of the saved games without luck, i blame that on me and not Gold though

PS+ games seems to be either "played out" so they are at a bargain price or games where Sony is the publisher. In any case, imho it's really really good value and Sony just have to keep it up. As with PSN PS+ just gets better and better.

 

[Gubbi]

Cloud saves are a part of Gold afaik, i think i tried to set it up for Minecraft (and i tried to figure out how to make a copy of the saved games without luck, i blame that on me and not Gold though

There is nothing to set up. When you start a game you're queried which storage device to use for saves, HDD, memory stick(s) or cloud.

You can transfer save games to and from cloud in the dashboard.

For Live 3.0, I'd imagine they'd bump up the cloud storage considerably, at least 20GB and use it for save games, in-game screen shots+video capture. Skydrive is only $10/year for 20GB after all.

Cheers

 

[TheChefO]

Given that ~1/3 of Xbox users are willing to pay for multiplayer, what would MS suddenly make it free?

The problem with this line of thinking is that it assumes the world has stayed the same and that MS is still in the position they were in circa 2005.

Back then, they were the only nextgen system available. This made them the defacto standard for multiplat development and games. This also lead to gamers buying multiplat online games for xb360 as the default scenario as live had superior features to go along with a superior gaming experience (for the most part)

Now with Orbis launching at the same time, with better spec, improved online features (parity) which are also free (or even charge the same amount as live) ... I can't say MS will have such luck in charging for a sub-par experience ...

 

[AlphaWolf]

The problem with this line of thinking is that it assumes the world has stayed the same and that MS is still in the position they were in circa 2005.

Back then, they were the only nextgen system available. This made them the defacto standard for multiplat development and games. This also lead to gamers buying multiplat online games for xb360 as the default scenario as live had superior features to go along with a superior gaming experience (for the most part)

Now with Orbis launching at the same time, with better spec, improved online features (parity) which are also free (or even charge the same amount as live) ... I can't say MS will have such luck in charging for a sub-par experience ...

Live subs have grown over the last 7 years.

 

[TheChefO]

Live subs have grown over the last 7 years.

Indeed.

And the superior experience has been xbox over that period.

And that is about to change ...

 

[Scott_Arm]

The problem with this line of thinking is that it assumes the world has stayed the same and that MS is still in the position they were in circa 2005.

Back then, they were the only nextgen system available. This made them the defacto standard for multiplat development and games. This also lead to gamers buying multiplat online games for xb360 as the default scenario as live had superior features to go along with a superior gaming experience (for the most part)

Now with Orbis launching at the same time, with better spec, improved online features (parity) which are also free (or even charge the same amount as live) ... I can't say MS will have such luck in charging for a sub-par experience ...

This post can only lead to bad things.

 

[TheChefO]

This post can only lead to bad things.

MS profits falling?

Seriously, I see MS either dropping the fee to a lower level, increasing the perks (significantly) or an alternate angle (include full blown windows8 on the box and hope that is enough to woo sufficient support which still does little to encourage people giving MS 50-60/yr to game on live when a superior gaming experience can be had elsewhere (for equal or less)).

Times are a changin'.

 

[B Real]

I'm pretty sure Microsoft will have it so you can use/play windows 8 apps. Maybe even have the same store. It will be behind a paywall but that opens the system up to 35,000 apps or at least some of them.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

MS profits falling?

Seriously, I see MS either dropping the fee to a lower level, increasing the perks (significantly) or an alternate angle (include full blown windows8 on the box and hope that is enough to woo sufficient support which still does little to encourage people giving MS 50-60/yr to game on live when a superior gaming experience can be had elsewhere (for equal or less)).

Times are a changin'.

You're OT here. The question is about new features.

 

[TheChefO]

You're OT here. The question is about new features.

I get that, my point is that I wouldn't expect business as usual.

Features/perks will either be bumped (significantly) to justify their fee, the fee will be reduced/eliminated, or Sony will match (or raise) their own xbl-like fee.

Considering that the fee is largely tied to gaming, I'm not sure that other, non-gaming features will be enough to maintain their user-base and/or fee rate.

Perhaps bundle a (limited) netflix account?

 

[Scott_Arm]

I'm not sure if they'll do group lists, or some better way to manage friends, instead of one long list. Maybe custom groupings (friend, family, per-game) with different privacy settings for each. As in, appear online for friends, but offline for people you play a certain title with. I desperately want that feature to hide from some people I happen to play a sports title with online. They can be a little needy.

Maybe something to streamline voice chat parties and in-game parties. Rather than have games implement party systems, they can just leverage one that's provided to them by Live.

 

[BRiT]

The best way to manage your friends list is by using MetaData TAGs. They need to provide the ability to TAG your friends, then let you view your friends list by TAGS.

This would allow for each user to create their own organization of how they want to manage their lists.

There are some folks who I gamed with for 1 particular title but don't feel like adding to my friends list cause of how they'd clutter things up, or if I forgot just exactly how I know the person.

 

[-tkf-]

Live subs have grown over the last 7 years.

The number of XOBX Consoles have grown over the last 7 years as well, or do you mean as a percentage of owners?

Microsoft should and will most likely enable Windows 8 / RT /Metro (what is it called??) apps on the 720, keep live free and get people into your shop and eco system, it's the most profitable way (hello apple).

 

[XpiderMX]

What about a "content store", owned by us, where we can sell our games and content?