Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) apologized for raising the price of its Xbox Live Gold subscription service and said it was reversing its decision.
What happened: The tech giant in Redmond, Washington, last week announced a $ 1 price increase for a one-time Gold membership and a $ 5 increase for a three-month membership. The price increase was not intended to affect existing 12-month or six-month-old Xbox Live Gold members, Microsoft said in a blog post.
The hike would have increased the cost of an annual pass, and a six-month pass would have cost $ 60.
The resulting outrage was evident at Twitter, where one user said: “Damn [I] can switch to the playstation. ”
Xbox users need to sell their Xbox just so they can get Xbox live gold pic.twitter.com/TIYDwg5aFp
– zay (@hruyaz) 22 January 2021
Microsoft has come under fire from its user base and returned to pricing over the weekend.
“We got confused today and it was right that you let us know. Connecting and playing with friends is an important part of the game, and we did not live up to the expectations of players who count on it every day. As a result, we have decided not to change the price of Xbox Live Gold, ”said the technology giant.
Why it matters: Microsoft has said it will drop the requirement for a subscription to Xbox Live Gold membership for access to free games. This is in line with what opposes Sony Corporation (NYSE: SNE) and Nintendo Co. Ltd (OTC: NTDOY) offer.
The fact that you do not need Xbox Live Gold at all to play Halo Infinite Mutiplayer (or any F2P game) is great. I’m so glad Microsoft listened to the community after this. pic.twitter.com/iD3CzSG8E9
– UberNick (@UberNick_) 23 January 2021
The company said that price changes will not affect members of Xbox Live Gold and that they will remain at the current price for renewal.
New and existing members can get Xbox Live Gold for the same price they pay today, which in the United States is $ 9.99 for one month, $ 24.99 for 3 months, $ 39.99 for 6 months and $ 59 , 99 for 12 months.
Price action: Microsoft shares closed nearly 0.4% higher at $ 225.95 on Friday, reaching 0.33% in the after-hours session.
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