On Friday, Microsoft has announced that it will increase prices for Xbox Live Gold during a pandemic, a statement that rightly sparked anger among Xbox fans. Only a few hours later, Microsoft returned angrily, saying it had “become confused”. At the moment, there would be no price increases, the company said. In addition, it also introduced free multiplayer for free games.
In a update on its original blog posted just before midnight on Friday, Microsoft realized that multiplayer was a critical part of the game, saying that it “did not live up to expectations” of players using multiplayer every day. It’s not like it’s easy to switch to Xbox Live Gold, which is necessary to play games online on Xbox consoles. The move would have increased the cheapest option for a one-year membership from $ 60 – which can currently still be purchased in stores like GameStop and Amazon – to $ 120. Ouch.
In an apparent attempt to appease angry and disappointed gamers, Microsoft said it no longer requires gamers to have an Xbox Live Gold membership to play multiplayer for free games, such as Fortnite or Call of Duty: Warzone. For the sake of comparison, prior to this announcement, Microsoft was the only major platform that did not allow players to use multiplayer for free on free games, the edge report.
“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. ” Microsoft said in its update. ‘We’re making this moment an opportunity to bring Xbox Live more in touch with how we see the player at the center of their experience. For free play games, you no longer need an Xbox Live Gold membership to play those games on Xbox. ‘
G / O Media can get a commission
Microsoft did not specify when free multiplayer for free games would come, but only that it would work as fast as possible over the next few months.
In terms of prices for Xbox Live Gold, existing members will stay at their current price point for renewal. New and existing members can pay $ 9.99 per month, $ 24.99 for three months, $ 39.99 for six months and $ 59.99 for 12 months per company.
It was not difficult to conclude that the proposed price increase of the company would not be taken very well. First, it suggests it during a pandemic benefit his game department. Secondly, it did not even bother to explain why it increases the price. The only reason it was argued was that he would “continue to invest” in the Xbox community, and that the price of Xbox Live Gold in many markets did not change for more than ten years.
“We regularly evaluate the value and pricing of our services to reflect changes in local markets and to continue investing in the Xbox community; we’ll make price adjustments for Xbox Live Gold in certain markets, ‘the company said in its original blog post.
The current price increase from Microsoft was saw by very as an attempt by the company to move players to the Game Pass Ultimate service, which gives members access to Game Pass, a service with a Netflix-like library of games, and Xbox Live Gold, among other benefits, for $ 14.99 per month. The deal for Game Pass Ultimate is better than paying Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass alone, and eventually Microsoft will make more money in the long run.
As noted by Polygonhowever, not everyone can afford to buy Game Pass Ultimate, and they should not be forced to just put more money in Microsoft’s pockets. Luckily, they do not have to do this, and they can celebrate the fact by playing multiplayer on free games in the near future.