Microsoft would rather lose some money than lose customers to PlayStation.
The tech titan has pushed back the planned price increases for its Xbox Live gaming service after angry gamers threatened to abandon the flagship console.
“We messed up today and it was right to let us know,” Microsoft’s Xbox Live Gold team said in a blog post late Friday. “Connecting and playing with friends is an important part of the game, and we have not been able to meet the expectations of players who count on it every day.”
Microsoft reversed the course just about 15 hours after planning to charge $ 59.99 for a six-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold, which currently buys a full year of service.
The company also said it would increase the price of a one-month membership by $ 1 and increase the three-month rate by $ 5.
Peeved players have lashed out at the plans on Twitter, with some saying they are considering jumping to Sony’s PlayStation console.
Players also speculated that the price increase was intended to encourage people to sign up for Microsoft’s monthly Xbox Game Pass subscription service, which gives users access to a $ 10-a-month library of games.
But Microsoft has said it will apply the current pricing structure to Xbox Live Gold, including the $ 59.99 one-year subscription. The company will also be making free games without an Xbox Live Gold subscription available in the coming months, according to the blog post.
“We’re making this moment an opportunity to bring Xbox Live more in line with how we see the player at the center of their experience,” Microsoft said in the report.