Microsoft has announced that it is increasing the rates for certain Xbox Live Gold subscriptions in the UK, US, Canada and Mexico as of 1st November.
UK gamers will soon need to pay £5.99 for a one-month subscription compared to £4.99 in the past. The annual sub is not affected - it's still £39.99, or less if you shop around for the redeemable card.
It's all new in the US though, where one month goes from $7.99 to $9.99, three months goes from $19.99 to $24.99 and a yearlong subscription jumps from $49.99 to $59.99. Screw you Obama etc!
In Canada the one-month sub jumps from CAD$ 8.99 to CAD$ 9.99, while Mexican gamers who want a month on Live used to pay 499 Pesos but will soon need to pay 599 Pesos.
Announcing the news, Major Nelson wrote: "Since launching Xbox Live in 2002 we have continually added more content and entertainment experiences for our members, while keeping the price the same.
"We're confident that when the new pricing takes effect, an Xbox Live Gold membership will continue to offer the best value in the industry."
Neither Nintendo or Sony charge their customers for online services, although both sell games through their equivalent platforms, and Sony recently launched PlayStation Plus - a subscription-based system that provides access to various games and discounts on a monthly basis.
Microsoft is running a special deal right now for U.S. customers, allowing them to lock in a year at $39.99, $20 less than the new rate. For details, visit the deal website.
Jesse Divnich with industry analyst EEDAR sent out a statement accompanying the news, insuring consumers that $60 is still "an incredible value."
"When originally launched in 2002, a Gold subscription cost the same as an AAA video game, $49.99. When taking into account for inflation ($50 in 2002 is roughly $60 in 2010) and the additional services available to Gold subscribers in 2010, such as ESPN, Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, Last.fm and Video Kinect, a $10 price increase still represents an incredible value to consumers"
Whether or not $60 a year is an incredible value is ultimately up to consumers. What say you, consumers?
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