Yesterday, we told you of some comments that Microsoft Corporate Vice President for Windows and Devices Marketing Yusuf Mehdi made regarding 2015 being the console’s “best year ever.” He may have been right, and his comments certainly reflected his belief in his words.
There were some other things he said at the same time though, that are cause for concern.
“But the other interesting thing, is now we are bringing that Xbox gaming value prop to other devices, in particular the PC,” Mehdi said at the Credit Suisse Technology Broker Conference.
He followed that up with something that’s made ears prick up, possibly in horror.
“And then you have the ability to effectively now start to get Xbox live in all these games that you are using, whether it’d be Solitaire or Minecraft and now what we see is, we have almost the same number of Xbox live monthly active on Windows as we do on the console,” he continued talking about Microsoft’s newly invigorated PC push.
“To be fair it’s not the same: the console uses our Xbox Live Gold, paying subscribers. These are free customers, but the ability to build a subscription business on the back of that now, you can start to see some light for that opportunity.”
Build a subscription base? There’s a heavy insinuation there that Microsoft may try to charge PC gamers for Xbox Live Gold again. I say again, because they’ve tried this in the past. The much-maligned, ill-fated Games for Windows Live attempted to layer Xbox Live functionality over PC games, and Microsoft tried its hand at convincing PC gamers that Xbox Live was worth paying for.
If they’re going to try that again, they’ll just be laughed in to a corner – with just about every self-respecting PC gamer saying the sorts of things usually reserved for Call of Duty players.
That said, I really don’t think Microsoft is brash or stupid enough to even try that – and his comments are more likely regarding subscription models in games like Solitaire.
Last Updated: December 3, 2015
Ottokie
December 3, 2015 at 08:34
http://www.oblak-novak.org/slike/dela/22/2.jpg
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
December 3, 2015 at 08:35
GfW can GITS
VampyreSquirrel
December 3, 2015 at 08:37
Microsoft can go f**k themselves if they think I’m going to pay a subscription to play online. I have enough DRM on my machine with Steam, Uplay, GoG and Origin, and I don’t have to pay subs for any of those.
My Xbox account has been on “Silver” (Free) for over a year because of two reasons:
1. All my friends left for PS4 or XBone (or both).
2. I don’t need to play online.
3. I don’t like having to pay subs to play games that I’ve paid full price for, and aren’t MMO’s.
Captain JJ 4x
December 3, 2015 at 08:43
Agreed.
miaau
December 3, 2015 at 08:44
I get free games each month, some are crappy, some are loads of fun. that, for me, counts for something.
Captain JJ 4x
December 3, 2015 at 08:45
I’d rather do Humble Monthly than this.
miaau
December 3, 2015 at 08:46
I suppose so.
Anyway, enough devils advocate for now, I have spirits to break. Or work to hand out? Sometimes I forget which. Shame, overtime all round, equal opportunity!
Captain JJ 4x
December 3, 2015 at 08:47
Haha. Enjoy, I guess 🙂
miaau
December 3, 2015 at 08:48
Sigh. Worked about 16 hours last two days, work late, up at 06:00, start from home. But, the reward, getting the job done, may just be worth it.
Seeing the MD’s face when we demo our new tech, that may just be good enough.
Captain JJ 4x
December 3, 2015 at 08:50
Hmm. I do at least ten hours a day. Every damn day, so I get you. Reward would be nice though. :/
miaau
December 3, 2015 at 09:37
I used to, until the end of 2013. Daughter being born changed that. I was in early and left late, as a general rule.
Captain JJ 4x
December 3, 2015 at 09:41
I wish I could do fewer hours, but working with 6 departments means I can barely take a day off without ending up with a big problem, Luckily I still have my weekends though.
miaau
December 3, 2015 at 12:30
I get you.
I head 3 departments, keeping that in focus takes a toll.
HvR
December 3, 2015 at 09:02
Just coming off a monster dev cycle, but managed to get 6 months work done in 3 months and deliver pre-alpha workable version
miaau
December 3, 2015 at 09:37
You see, now that is job satisfaction right there.
VampyreSquirrel
December 3, 2015 at 09:18
I was on Gold, picked up maybe 6 good games, and I haven’t wanted to renew my sub for over a year due to the games they’re “giving” away.
Unavengedavo
December 3, 2015 at 08:44
But GoG is DRM free? O_o
Captain JJ 4x
December 3, 2015 at 08:44
The Witcher 3 is coming?
Hammersteyn
December 3, 2015 at 08:50
GoG is better than Steam. Lot less shit to sift through for one
Captain JJ 4x
December 3, 2015 at 08:52
GoG has thrown more errors than iTunes (no I lie, that’s impossible). But I’m a bit disappointed that Witcher 3 was released on such an un-optimised client. Would’ve preferred it on Steam.
Hammersteyn
December 3, 2015 at 08:53
Witcher had DRM? Oh my.
Captain JJ 4x
December 3, 2015 at 08:56
Well, it’s not DRM. But since I’ve had no issues with Steam and quite a few with GoG Galaxy, I would’ve been happier with it on Steam.
Galaxy just still needs a lot of work.
I did a disc cleanup when I got my SSD and all my Steam games backed up perfectly. None of my GOG Galaxy games want to work after putting them back on. So I now have to re-download all my W3 files.
Kromas untamed
December 3, 2015 at 10:24
This. Hell even Origin games can be backed up with a little more effort.
Aries
December 3, 2015 at 10:34
Same here except I got that 17gig update from my friend and now I cant launch W3 through GoG Galaxy
Kromas untamed
December 3, 2015 at 10:23
“GoG is better than Uplay” – Fixed it for you.
VampyreSquirrel
December 3, 2015 at 09:17
HAHAHAHA… NOTHING is DRM free now, not even your phone.
Captain JJ 4x
December 3, 2015 at 09:18
Even some cars, actually.
VampyreSquirrel
December 3, 2015 at 09:54
So true.
Kromas untamed
December 3, 2015 at 10:22
Wow that started off so aggressive I thought it was going to end with “Don’t support DRM – Cyberpunk is coming” 😛
VampyreSquirrel
December 3, 2015 at 10:24
HAHAHAHA! I got no problem with DRM as long as I don’t have to pay monthly subs and can play my games.
Kromas untamed
December 3, 2015 at 10:25
Idd.
Frik van der Hewerskink
December 3, 2015 at 10:24
Lol do you work at valve? seems like you can only count to two as well :p
VampyreSquirrel
December 3, 2015 at 10:28
LOL! I’m just tired.
miaau
December 3, 2015 at 08:40
If it offers value, servers with good uptime AND proper (at least one AAA) free monthly games, then is this not worth a R50 per month punt?
I do not play on PC (ok, lie, but not much), but I find my R50 for Xbox Live well worth the money. I know nothing of the gaming infrastructure they provide, only really played Neverwinter on-line, but it worked well, through the Xbox Live system.
Captain JJ 4x
December 3, 2015 at 08:42
If they give us ALL the games that are exclusive to Xbox, then yes.
miaau
December 3, 2015 at 08:43
for R50 a month? For free, or do you mean access to all the games? Hmm, that might be interesting, cannot release on Xbox One without a PC, via Xbox Live, release as well?
Compatibility via the power of the cloud? Was that an Xbox One thing back in the fast 180 days?
Captain JJ 4x
December 3, 2015 at 08:44
Access to all the games.
But they would have to backtrack a bit and bring us some that have already been released too, not just the future ones.
Otherwise there is just no way I’ll pay for this.
HvR
December 3, 2015 at 09:01
Well do they actually provide the servers? My understanding with PS+, Xbox Live and GfW is that the developers of the games must still provide and maintain the actual gameplay servers or the provider for the use of their servers. The service is effectively a paywall and as we have all experienced a single point of failure.
Last 2 years the “free” games on console services it was still justifiable but this year pickings were thin, I see the value proposition as such: would you rather play the games you got this year or buy one of the latest top 10 AAA games.
miaau
December 3, 2015 at 09:36
well, good question. I know they provide the network infrastructure at the very least, i.e. the path to the games server that X holds. But I understand, from Xbox 360 days, MS had a lot of gaming servers up, under their control, just for Xbox Live.
I dunno, I am sort of liking some of the games for Xbox One: Games I would not have given 2nd glance otherwise are now getting played by me.
Van Helsing? Looked at, looked at, never bought. playing now. Is kinda fun!
Marcus
December 3, 2015 at 09:41
Good question…
For myself, I would rather not have PS+ and buy games I want to play. Don’t get me wrong, some of the games I downloaded kept me busy for longer than I thought! Yet, I still feel the price for P$+ is a little BS seen as we pay a crap load for AAA titles.
Hammersteyn
December 3, 2015 at 08:51
Games for Windows? Because that worked marvelously last time
Alien Emperor Trevor
December 3, 2015 at 09:00
Look MS, I know I said I like you…
HairyEwok
December 3, 2015 at 09:02
It’s probably just going to be subscriptions on minesweeper and solitaire…. I think all the bosses will be happy about that though, now their employees will finally start working and stop trying to sweep all those mines……. Microsoft… Killing the working class cubical one subcription at a time.
Alien Emperor Trevor
December 3, 2015 at 09:04
Mehnesweeper. WTF would I pay a subscription for that? FINE SWEEPER is where it’s at yo!
(i’m not kidding, it’s actually a pretty cool, well done, diversion)
HairyEwok
December 3, 2015 at 09:07
Speaking of diversions…. Where is our work avoidance Wednesdays gone XD
Marcus
December 3, 2015 at 09:36
Oh yeah! WTF?! Now I know why my boss is reasonably happy with me these days…
HvR
December 3, 2015 at 09:04
Time for the GPU guys to get proper UNIX drivers out.
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
December 3, 2015 at 09:26
It’s within their reach though, I mean, they did create that atrocity we refer to as Games for Windows Live, so I wouldn’t put it past them…
Marcus
December 3, 2015 at 09:33
I told all of you! Don’t support DRM!!! Look now, see what you have done and live with this shame!!! Shame upon you house and family!
All jokes aside, with M$ battling to stay relevant, I don’t see them making PC gamers pay (again) to play their games. Nail….coffin.
afterthefaux
December 3, 2015 at 10:05
No they wont. Mighty big assumption without any evidence and completely contrary to what the company has been doing the last years. Off your tinfoil hat.
MakeItLegal
December 3, 2015 at 10:08
um , if MS does charge for it on pc , i think that would only secure them with “EA” and “ubisoft” , no offense Ms but the reason i became a pc gamer , is 1 your shitty live services didn work here for so long 2 , not paying a subs to pay online after already paying full price for a game
TSEK
Aries
December 3, 2015 at 10:29
Being MS I think they are stupid enough and greedy enough to try it again, and we will watch it burn