Microsoft is facing yet another PR disaster after revealing many of its touted Xbox One features require an Xbox Live Gold account, even as Sony glibly confirmed they were free on the PS4.
An annual Xbox Live subscription costing in the region of $60 will be required if Xbox One users want to make and share gameplay videos (improbably billed as a “social” killer app for both consoles), as well as if they want to make Skype calls, use Netflix, browse the web, or using its (death)matchmaking services.
Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida was as ever quick to capitalise on the news, confirming that no premium account is required to use gameplay recording features on the PS4.
Even so, PS4 owners will have little to crow about – a $50 PlayStation Plus account will be required to play PS4 games online.
Whether real users will actually want to use these video sharing services, or whether more niggardly games companies will still occasionally attempt to prosecute them for copyright infringement on the basis of videos of their play, remain unaddressed issues.
However, as always with US products and services sharing with the NSA is completely free – and thanks to the power of Kinect now includes the mandatory addition of a continuously recording video camera and microphone…
Sony could have basically killed the Xbox by announcing free multiplayer for the PS4, but no, they had to push PS+ as hard as possible and shoved the online multiplayer behind a paywall.
Seems like a growing trend is happening here. Both markets vying for a share of consumer needs and demands. Only thing is cost.. but several games this gen have had the option of free user usage of saving and sharing gameplay vids. Why the sudden change?
Here’s a question: Who actually cares about this?
Skype, Netflix, etc can all be used just as easy or easier from a computer so why bother going through XB1, online play was always only for gold so no change there, and the only people who would actually take the time and effort to make and post gameplay vids are serious enough about gaming that they’re most likely already subscribers, or would willingly become one.
If you don’t have gold now, that means you don’t play XBox games online, which probably means you don’t have enough of an online presence to even bother making and posting gameplay videos, as no one would ever watch them, other than to troll of course.
So again, who cares?
Is this not the same as it is now on 360? I fail to see how this is a big shock to people.
consoles suck
gaming pc all the way