Rumor: Microsoft Considering Free To Play on Xbox Live

April 12, 2011

Maybe Microsoft is taking its cues from Sony Online Entertainment's and Playstation Network's launch of Free Realms, or maybe the whole story is the stuff of rumors.. According to "trusted source" speaking to IGN, publishers and developers will be able to release games for free on Xbox Live. Developers and publishers will then be able to allow users to purchase content such as weapons, experience points, in-game currency, perks, and novelty items. The first of these titles is expected to arrive next year, according to the source.

While that is fine, next year seems like a very long time to wait to bring free-to-play to Xbox Live. Microsoft is notorious for controlling micro-transactions on Xbox Live, so it is doubtful that it has suddenly changed its policy. More likely, if it does allow for free-to-play products they will be of the first-party nature.

Still it's an interesting rumor and a business model that continues to gain popularity. Sony has already embraced it and Microsoft would be smart to follow suit.

Source: IGN by way of C&VG

Posted in Rumors Xbox 360 Xbox Live

Comments

Re: Rumor: Microsoft Considering Free To Play on Xbox Live

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Tue, 04/12/2011 - 11:58.

Would be nice if they went the route of PSN or whatever the Wii network is called. They have enough advertising on it.

Re: Rumor: Microsoft Considering Free To Play on Xbox Live

Submitted by SpiralGray on Tue, 04/12/2011 - 09:34.

The way I'm reading this is doesn't have anything to do with Gold subscription levels. The headline seems a little misleading. It sounds like, if the rumor is true, that instead of paying for every Xbox Live Arcade game you'll be able to download and play some of them for free, with the revenue being made up with in-game microtransactions.

Re: Rumor: Microsoft Considering Free To Play on Xbox Live

Submitted by greevar on Tue, 04/12/2011 - 10:22.

That's how it sounds to me too. No free Live access, just free-to-play games.

-Greevar

"Paste superficially profound, but utterly meaningless quotation here."

Re: Rumor: Microsoft Considering Free To Play on Xbox Live

Submitted by nightwng2000 on Tue, 04/12/2011 - 08:33.

Yeah, after I've only recently paid for a year's worth of Family Gold. :: sigh ::

Nightwng2000

NW2K Software

http://www.facebook.com/nightwing2000

Nightwng2000 is now admin to the group "Parents For Education, Not Legislation" on MySpace as http://groups.myspace.com/pfenl

Nightwng2000 NW2K Software http://www.facebook.com/nightwing2000 Nightwng2000 is now admin to the group "Parents For Education, Not Legislation" on MySpace as http://groups.myspace.com/pfenl

Re: Rumor: Microsoft Considering Free To Play on Xbox Live

Submitted by Cecil475 on Tue, 04/12/2011 - 09:16.

Ow. :(

- W

Shout box

E. Zachary Knight: Gamasutra explores the failure of Streetfighter X Tekken and has one of the best arguments against on-disk DLC I have ever read: http://tinyurl.com/d399ylu05/25/2012 - 1:46pm

ddrfr33k: about the xbox live hacks from last year, now we know: http://kotaku.com/5913228/report-how-scammers-are-stealing-xbox-live-accounts-and-what-they-do-with-them05/25/2012 - 12:31pm

tallimar: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57440902-94/microsoft-legal-win-over-google-may-signal-ceasefire/05/24/2012 - 10:17pm

ZippyDSMlee: TIme or an operation!05/24/2012 - 6:43pm

ZippyDSMlee: PC parts are in wish me luck or hell!!05/24/2012 - 6:43pm

MaskedPixelante: 38 Studios and Big Huge Games are pretty much dead now. http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/38-studios-and-big-huge-games-lay-off-entire-staffs05/24/2012 - 4:39pm

DorthLous: Actually, nop, I did miss the emoticon for some reason (getting used to pics?) and I didn't know you changed it since (since I posted previous to my shout and it was still there.) Anyhow, thanks for taking it out!05/23/2012 - 6:01pm

james_fudge: Well we were just testing it. but it is still on the submission to fight $pam.05/23/2012 - 5:48pm

E. Zachary Knight: James, No I don't have it. I was just wondering who does and why. More curiosity than anything.05/23/2012 - 5:38pm

james_fudge: Did you not see the emoticon and did you not see that it has already been changed back?05/23/2012 - 5:10pm

james_fudge: LOL05/23/2012 - 5:07pm

DorthLous: Why? Not shocked that people are barking to an additional hoop to jump through when posting from their already logged in account or just mentionning this to try to paint me as one always complaining?05/23/2012 - 4:45pm

james_fudge: big shock there ;)05/23/2012 - 4:30pm

DorthLous: I'll add my voice to those wanting it gone :S I'm already logged in, I don't need a captch'a. That's for those registering.05/23/2012 - 3:54pm

james_fudge: Et tu EZK?!?05/23/2012 - 3:51pm

Craig R.: I'm a One Man Quorum! And it's working for me now, thanks. :)05/23/2012 - 3:48pm

E. Zachary Knight: How do we determine who get's the game/captcha thingy? Is there a certain posting threshhold users have to meet before it is turned off?05/23/2012 - 2:25pm

james_fudge: Give it a chance, we're still adjusting it ;)05/23/2012 - 11:20am

james_fudge: One does not a Quorum make Craig.05/23/2012 - 11:16am

Craig R.: If I complete the stupid game, and it just deletes my comment, what's the point?05/23/2012 - 11:15am

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