[Updated (January 22nd)]Within 24 hours of the announcement, Microsoft withdrew its Xbox Live Gold price hike plan in an attempt to fix its relationship with fans who were dissatisfied.
“We made a mistake today. Your suggestions are justified, and you’re right. Playing with friends is an important part of the game, and for players who use it every day. We couldn’t live up to your expectations, and as a result, we decided not to change the pricing for Xbox Live Gold, “the company wrote in a blog post.
Microsoft says it will take it one step further to reconcile with Xbox users. The company said it would no longer require an Xbox Live Gold subscription to play online for free games on the Xbox. “We are working hard to make this change as soon as possible in the coming months,” the company wrote.
The original article as early as Friday, January 22, US time is:
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On Friday, when no one is watching, Microsoft will price the Xbox Live Gold on the morning of January 22nd, as if trying to obscure the bad news.Announced to raise pricedid.
The breakdown of price changes is as follows.
The monthly plan has been changed from $ 10 (about 1038 yen) to $ 11 (about 1141 yen) a month.
The 3-month plan has been changed from $ 25 (about 2594 yen) to $ 30 (about 3113 yen).
The 6-month plan has changed from $ 40 to $ 60 (although Microsoft says it only applies to new members).
“Where is the 12-month plan? Didn’t you have that option before?”
Certainly there! Previously it was $ 60. That is, the price of a new 6-month subscription.The company12-month plan will be discontinued in July 2020I had to admit on the price tag that the 12-month Live Gold price would be $ 120 (about 12,452 yen), probably because this change was imminent. Probably because it wasn’t.
There is also good news. The price increase for the 6-month plan only applies to new members. If you already have a 6-month subscription (or are exempt from an auto-renewal 12-month subscription), Xbox Support has confirmed in a tweet that the price won’t go up.
If you’re an existing online 12-month or 6-month Xbox Live Gold member, there’s no price change. If you choose to renew your membership, it will renew at your current price.https://t.co/wFJmElI5dH
— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) January 22, 2021
“If you’re an existing 12-month or 6-month online Xbox Live Gold member, there’s no price change. If you choose to renew your membership, it will renew at your current price.”
If you have a one-month or three-month plan, you’re likely to pay a new fee.
So why raise the price? Microsoft hasn’t officially explained why (except to point out that it hasn’t raised prices for years, or even 10 years in some regions). At least part of it can be speculated to make the $ 15 / month Xbox Game Pass (which bundles all-you-can-eat on-demand titles with Xbox Live Gold) look more attractive.
[Japan editorial department]As of January 24, in Japan, the 1-month plan is 824 yen including tax, and the 3-month plan is 2138 yen including tax.
Category:Games / eSports
tag:Microsoft、Xbox
Image Credit: Darrell Etherington
(Translation: Nakazato)
