On the other hand, being able to stream video to the 360 from Netflix is a benefit afforded to gold members. The party system when taken hand in hand with the ability to watch movies makes for one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had in recent memories when sitting in front of my television. Combine this with Last.fm, Facebook and Twitter capabilities and it becomes clear that Xbox Live has a potential that is constantly evolving to appeal to the users, as opposed to the users being told what they want. But there are some gamers who argue that online; particularly Xbox Live should be free. In the realm of the PC world, I will concede that yes, free online should be free because it has always been free. I grew up playing Counter-Strike and if I had told I had to pay for the ability to do so, I would find it completely asinine. Additionally, when it was initially proposed that in order to play the original Xbox Live I would have to pay, I was outraged. However, the more I played, the more I deemed the cost worthwhile. MechWarrior bled into Halo 2, which eventually turned into Call of Duty 2, Halo 3 and now Call of Duty 4. Fifty dollars for a twelve plus one month card essentially breaks down to less than roughly four bucks a month.
While I wouldn’t have paid that on a PC, it’s still cheaper than an evening out to dinner and movie and still qualifies on some level as a social activity. Now the Playstation 3 I find somewhat amusing as I have a co-worker who has tried to get me to play certain titles I own for the 360 online with him on a Playstation 3 and I constantly decline. The funny thing is, he’s commented on connections dropping and a clunky experience. My only retort is that you get what you pay for and since Microsoft manages their network infrastructure for the system. Along with people like Stepto monitoring the system for people begging for a banning, it definitely strikes me as a service I truly find worth my four dollars a month. The best part though is that when Modern Warfare 2 comes out in November, he’s planning on purchasing the 250 GB special edition 360 and plans on playing on Xbox Live with me. While results may vary based on personal preference, I have a feeling I’ll be choosing Live over the alternatives for a while into the foreseeable future. If Xbox Live was free, I truly have a feeling it wouldn’t be as good as it is today. I sincerely believe that it wouldn’t be as well monitored, as well up kept or having the fluidity it does in regards to network infrastructure and interface.
I’ve struggled through using the Playstation Network and I admit that I think it would be better if they just charged a little to make it work somewhat better. The community that has evolved around Xbox Live is impressive to say the least and while John Gabriel’s Internet Dickwad Theory is always in clear and present view, it is comforting to know that the entire network is monitored and policed so that anyone who has the guts to be racist, sexist, homophobic or show off their cash and prizes via the Xbox Live camera will feel the full wrath of the Ban Hammer. Finally, the ability to play multiplayer and utilize the leaderboard abilities of numerous titles in a way that is painless in the most appropriate sense of the word strikes me in a way that makes the service just seem like something that was always worth paying for and will always be. Maybe someday Microsoft will decide that like Blizzard, they have enough money and will be able to provide awesome service. But, until that day comes, I’m content to shell out a bit of money per year in order to enjoy playing my games online with a 360 controller in my hands.
