Home Gaming Xbox Live Silver Accounts Demoted

Xbox Live Silver Accounts Demoted

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The fall update has changed the rules regarding the Silver and Gold accounts.

Now if you are still on the silver account you will notice that you can no longer download the demo’s and free content as soon as it is added to the marketplace.

These are now exclusively available to Gold members for the first week and then only can the silver members access it.

Personally I think Microsoft are just being cheeky here by trying to force Silver members to upgrade to Gold accounts even though they are not using the multi-player portion.

According to Major Nelson

This is not done to annoy our Silver members—limited time exclusive access to content is just one of the many benefits of having a Gold Xbox Live account.

I say bollocks, this is done completely to annoy the Silver members and to remind them that things will be better if they upgrade.

FYI: Free Xbox Live Marketplace content and Silver accounts – Xbox Live’s Major Nelson

Last Updated: December 5, 2007

16 Comments

  1. Bob

    December 5, 2007 at 08:46

    A game is an advertisement for a game, just like gamer pics and dashboard themes.

    Only Microsoft would think of charging people for these things.

    Reply

  2. Bob

    December 5, 2007 at 08:47

    Oops, I mean a Demo is an ad for a game.

    Reply

  3. Abev

    December 5, 2007 at 08:59

    Go Microsoft Go!!

    Reply

  4. Ocelot

    December 5, 2007 at 09:13

    Charging people for demo’s, nice one MS.

    Reply

  5. Gavin

    December 5, 2007 at 09:38

    this isn’t really on this topic but its the closest post i could find related to the update. Is anyone having trouble streaming avi and divx videos? Mine take an incredibly long time to load up and then lag incessantly once they do. Anyone else experiencing similiar issues?

    Reply

  6. LazySAGamer

    December 5, 2007 at 09:43

    @Gavin, sorry no idea. From all the reports I have seen the DivX works great… haven’t tried it myself though.

    How are you loading the movies?

    Reply

  7. J4NR1K

    December 5, 2007 at 09:44

    No streaming issues.
    And why should we, the paying, GOLD crowd, not get stuff a week before the freebie crowd?

    Big up MS!

    Reply

  8. Burns ZA

    December 5, 2007 at 10:08

    No streaming issues. All my files played and streamed well.

    Reply

  9. koldFU5iON

    December 5, 2007 at 11:32

    I really can’t see the benefit of getting demo’s a week before the silver account holders I’d have thought that the publishers would have an issue with this as their games are no limited to gold members only for a week, and a week is a long time in the gaming industry…

    Reply

  10. Ruslan

    December 5, 2007 at 12:18

    Why would I see somebody getting the same content for free while I pay for the service? Wait a week. Its not the end of the world and it saves your cap!

    Go MS!

    @Ocelot – they are not charging for demos, they are available for free after a week. Doh!

    Reply

  11. doobiwan

    December 5, 2007 at 12:56

    Rephrase that – all free content (demo’s pics etc) are available to gold members a week early, that’s it.

    Now bungie charging 800pts for 3 maps – that’s a rip off.

    Reply

  12. RivaZA

    December 5, 2007 at 21:04

    Whilst I have Gold so this does not effect me I do think this is a bit low of Microsoft. Like some said, demos are basically
    advertising for the full game. At the very least they should limit it to exclusives, because how is it going to look when multipat demos get released at the same time on both consoles with anyone that has a PS3 can get the demo but Silver people have to wait. And by being a Silver member, and I am genaralizing here, could mean that you are not so Xbox loyal and have a higher chance of giving MS the big up yours and focus your attention more on the PS3.

    Reply

  13. Ruslan

    December 6, 2007 at 10:51

    PSN suffers the same thing when they lock game demos for specific regions. So not much difference in regards to demo availability on both consoles.

    Reply

  14. Tim

    December 3, 2008 at 05:39

    Im upset about this because Im 17, and I have a Gold account. That means I had to create a silver account to download M rated material (even though you can buy M rated retail at the age of 17?) yeah, this whole thing makes complete sense. Now, not only am I paying for Live, but Im also waiting in line with the silvers for all the best stuff.

    HUMBUG!

    Reply

  15. gh0st

    February 17, 2009 at 00:02

    Turn off the brain and let the MS bashing beging!!!

    First, they are not forcing you to do anything.
    Second, they are not “downgrading” anything, they are simply making the other better (see how that works, it is called perspective, your perspective is a little whiney child who didn’t get their candy when they demanded it, the rest of us operate in the perspective of adults living in the real world).

    Third, they are not charging for anything.

    If you do not like their policy, buy a different system. GASP! But Live is the best! Yep…and it is their system and they can set it up and run it however they want. Complaining about it is basically childish and silly.

    Reply

  16. Frank Armadillo

    September 25, 2009 at 16:35

    Complaining about it is not childish and silly, it is appropriate! In the adult world, when something isn’t right, the people revolt! This has nothing to do with candy-withdrawal.. people (or their parents) spend real earned money on their game systems, and feeling cheated by the system that we were so loyal to, through all the issues, the red ring of death, many of us went through 3-4 XBOX 360’s and didn’t once think about getting a ps3.. now they pay our loyalty back by making us spend MORE money!!? No, thats absolutely ridiculous.. and it goes to show Microsoft just isn’t doing good business like they should be. I fail to understand why they are noticing Apple, after being trampled on all these years by MS sales, is now starting to rise up.. and MS thinks the solution is f*ck more people over and manipulate extra money from them? No, sir, its horse shit.. maybe if the 360 had a clean track record something like this wouldn’t get such a stir, but it doesn’t! (i.e. thanks for the offer to fix my RROD 360.. but I’ve already gone through 3 of them.. its about 1.5 years too late to change your return policy…

    and P.S. if complaining about a legitimate issue that effects many people is childish and silly, well then what would you call complaining about the people who are righteously complaining?

    Reply

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