Microsoft has announced they’ll be giving Xbox Live silver accounts access to play some multi-player cross-platform games for free until the fall update. Recently, Microsoft announced free online play with Games for Windows titles, effectively giving PC gamers “gold accounts” to play online.
Most people agree the move to give gold subscriptions to PC gamers was done because PC gamers don’t care to play Games for Windows games online if they have to pay for it. The culture of PC gaming is much different than console gaming on XBL, gamers expect the online experience at no cost; they’re already paying an ISP for network access, paying for a match-making system with a yearly subscription is not desired.
Console gamers don’t have a choice, buying the 360 experience arrives with simple to play games (no drivers, no installs) but limited online choices: pay or go away. Now, silver members will get a little taste of network play, along side PC gamers in the cross-platform Games for Windows titles.
“Supported cross-platform titles include Universe at War, Shadowrun, and Lost Planet: Colonies Edition.” (gamespot)
We question the intention here… is this as a good faith move or are they wetting people’s appitite for XBL so they’ll want to upgrade to gold in the fall? Or, maybe there are some logistical reasons to doing this in the Xbox Live infrastructure to prepare for upgrades where making it free solves a few of their internal upgrade paths and, as a side effect, gives gamers some games to play.
Of course, we’ve seen few people playing Shadowrun or Lost Planet lately. Maybe this will re-popularize a few older titles as well.
I’m so glad I finished Jade Empire before this episode. I have to say I did see it coming in the cut scene just after you defeat the emperor. He got the gem and was just walking down the steps and I thought “Oh man he’s evil! Dammit!”
If PS3 programming isn’t so different from PS4 then why can’t we have backwards compatibility?
I’m thinking of getting a Wii U mostly as a family console for us all to play on. I don’t know what Nintendo’s strategy is anymore if they are giving up on main console and just going to go 3DS.
QOTW: I think it was getting Roberta William’s Ultimate collection of the entire KQ games, both Luara bow games, and a few others on four discs with a soundtrack included for about $20.
I also got a Neo Geo with about 10 games for 20$ from a pawn shop but that system and games we got sucked. We used it as a cd player after that.