Xbox fans rejoice. The day started with the news that Xbox Live Gold prices would be raising. But after backlash on that decision from the fanbase, the day is now ending with Microsoft doing a 180 on that move and even making more consumer-friendly decisions in regards to how it handles free-to-play games.
Friday morning it was revealed that the new pricing for Xbox Live Gold in the US would be $10.99 USD for 1-month, $29.99 USD for 3-months, and $59.99 USD for 6-months. For those who used to purchase 12-month subscriptions of Xbox Live Gold for 59.99 USD, the new pricing was technically double. That 12-months of Xbox Live Gold was also terminated last year and set to continue to be gone moving forward. But Microsoft has heard the backlash of fans, and it will be reverting to the old payment structure.
In a statement on the official Xbox website, Microsoft/Xbox admits that it messed up, claiming that playing video games online with friends and family is a “vital part of gaming.” Therefore, the price spike is something that should not have occurred. It wants to take this mistake and use it as a learning opportunity to grow. The pricing model will again be in the US $9.99 USD for 1-month, $24.99 USD for 3-months, $39.99 for 6-months, and $59.99 for retail 12-months (which means that the 12-month option is returning, albeit “retail” seems to perhaps indicate it only being available in stores).
We messed up today and you were right to let us know. Connecting and playing with friends is a vital part of gaming and we failed to meet the expectations of players who count on it every day. As a result, we have decided not to change Xbox Live Gold pricing.
Another huge positive that comes from the Microsoft’s change of heart is that free-to-play (usually multiplayer) games will no longer require an Xbox Live Gold membership to enjoy online play. This means that games like Call of Duty: Warzone, Fortnite, or Apex Legends can soon be played without an Xbox Live Gold membership. This is a massive change because similar games on the PlayStation or even the Nintendo Switch can be played for free without a PSN or Nintendo Online subscription. Apparently, this change will not be instantaneous, but Xbox will be working over the coming months to ensure that this becomes a reality.
After the news first hit today, the idea that Xbox Live Gold should simply be dropped altogether was also mentioned online. In fact, a former VP of Xbox thinks that Xbox Live Gold should be sunset. It may make sense to focus solely on Xbox Game Pass at some point and do away with any sort of subscription to play games online.
What is perhaps most interesting about the up and down Xbox news of the day is that Microsoft has been on such a positive run in terms of goodwill with its customer base. So many of its decisions have been met with praise, which is part of the reason that the Xbox Series X/S sells out the moment it becomes available. It is very hard to believe that Phil Spencer and the rest of the decision-makers at Xbox genuinely believed that the choice to spike the prices to such a degree would go over well.
However, it is very encouraging that Xbox was willing to change its mind so quickly. Major Nelson, who has worked with Xbox for twenty years, recently said that one of the core principles of the company is to “always fall on the side of the customer.” Perhaps it took a bit of backlash to get there, but this seems to be another example of just that.
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