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

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Comments

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

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Tue, 04/12/2011 - 10:58.

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 - 08:34.

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 - 09:22.

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 - 07:33.

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 - 08:16.

Ow. :(

- W

Poll

Shout box

MaskedPixelante: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-05-22-microsoft-wont-let-indies-self-publish-on-xbox-one And the hits just keep on coming.05/22/2013 - 9:20am

E. Zachary Knight: AE: You beat me to it. That's what I get for taking the night off.05/22/2013 - 7:40am

E. Zachary Knight: To continue the confused and convoluted messaging system present in EA, They are making Wii U games: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/192753/EA_is_working_on_Wii_U_games_after_all.php05/22/2013 - 7:33am

Imautobot: I gotta admit, I seriously believed Microsoft was going to "Bring It" with this new console. But they failed, and I think that failure might be Epic.05/22/2013 - 7:27am

Andrew Eisen: Well, the Xbox One reveal certainly had an interesting affect on the big 3's stock prices. https://twitter.com/AndrewEisen/status/33705126448977100805/21/2013 - 10:45pm

PHX Corp: http://kotaku.com/so-the-xbox-one-reveal-screwed-up-a-lot-of-peoples-kin-509179256 So The Xbox One Reveal Screwed With Some People's Kinects05/21/2013 - 10:36pm

Zen: On a funny side note...both of my boys have already voted NOT to get the Xbox One as soon as they found out Minecraft won't transfer lol. Some people have priorities damnit! ;)05/21/2013 - 9:27pm

Andrew Eisen: Here's the full quote on EA making Wii U games according to Neogaf: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56112105/21/2013 - 8:19pm

Andrew Eisen: Xbox One may not be always on but that doesn't mean you can use it without an internet connection. http://kotaku.com/xbox-one-does-require-internet-connection-cant-play-o-50916410905/21/2013 - 7:39pm

Andrew Eisen: Polygon says EA's CFO says it is developing games for Wii U but doesn't provide that quote. http://www.polygon.com/2013/5/21/4351844/ea-developing-wii-u-games05/21/2013 - 7:11pm

Andrew Eisen: Well, I was right. Both Sony and Microsoft's consoles will be out by the year's end and both will be significantly more powerful than the current gen.05/21/2013 - 5:06pm

james_fudge: thnx05/21/2013 - 4:47pm

Zen: Just to let ya know...you called it the "Xbox 260" in the backwards compatibility article lol.05/21/2013 - 4:26pm

Zen: @PHX Awesome, I will hit those up after class tonight. Going back to college finally! :) My kids have had a blast telling ME to do my homework now lol.05/21/2013 - 4:19pm

PHX Corp: @Zen I sent you a friend request on both PSN and XBL, just a heads up05/21/2013 - 4:16pm

Zen: I noticed it with the football players when EA showed off Madden as well.05/21/2013 - 4:11pm

Zen: Is it just me or is call of duty hitting the "uncanny valley" with their nicely modeled faces and dead looking eyes? I found it distracting and seemed actually "less" real to me lol.05/21/2013 - 4:10pm

james_fudge: it sounds like if you have an HD reciever you'll be able to use it with a pass-through cable... not 100 percent sure yet05/21/2013 - 2:41pm

james_fudge: happening now http://majornelson.com/2013/05/21/xbox-one-architecture-panel/05/21/2013 - 2:20pm

E. Zachary Knight: Some reading material for Microsoft on its used games blocks. That will hurt the console more than helping. http://ezknight.net/?page_id=20505/21/2013 - 2:18pm

All shouts

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