Gaming Signal: Microsoft merges XBOX and PC gaming

Microsoft merges XBOX and PC gaming - sort of

Microsoft has announced that when Halo 2 goes live next week, they will also be going live with a new Games of Windows - LIVE. Similar to XBOX Live, you now get a way to pay for playing games online.

The basic Silver level is free and allows PC gamers a friends list with the play online against each other. The Gold level grants some additional friends lists and the ability to play online games with XBOX 360 owners. The Gold level costs $50 a year, unless you already have paid for Gold XBOX in which case it is free. I think of it as one program that includes the XBOX and PC LIVE features now.

Will pure PC gamers be interested in pay $50/mo just to play against XBOX owners? It will let those XBOX owners play online with the platform of their choice since they will get PC and XBOX services for the same price. I don't see much here for the PC only gamer, however.

I believe the general consensus regarding this for PC gamers is that it is lame. The ability to play against others online in PC games has been free and what little other benefit is there? I mean honestly there are only two titles at this point that have announced the ability to play against XBOX owners and one is not even released yet (Shadowrun) and the other is almost 3 years old. The only folks who this might even appeal to are the ones that are already dropping the money for a Gold account today. If I didn't have a Xbox360, this would be a joke and one that is not so funny.

Posted by Tim on Monday April 30, 2007 at 2:08 PM