Microsoft to Introduce 15-30 Second Commercials to Xbox Live

[wingzrow]

http://www.xbox360achievements.org/n...Xbox-Live.html

http://www.gametrailers.com/side-mis...-to-xbox-live/

So, worst console of the generation? You would think making a console that throws ads in your face, forced you to pay to play online, and has an original model that broke down even more than the original nintendo would have put them under but no.

I already see tons of ads just from turning on the system, where would they even ad these commercials? WHERE?

Even if it's just added to their apps and not in game, they just keep pushing this sort of thing further and further. When will it end?

[jonebone]

Ugh... I suppose it's just a matter of time. I was equally as outraged when they first doing the 15 second advertisements at the start of many Youtube videos. But, it's just life and they have to make their money somehow.

[Leo_A]

But, it's just life and they have to make their money somehow.

I thought that's what they were doing by charging a subscription fee?

Yet I have no doubt Gold subscribers will be subjected to this right alongside Silver subscribers.

[wingzrow]

Microsoft Pioneers:
The first to have payments for DLC
The first to charge to play online
The first to offer adverts, even if you'd paid for Gold
The first to convince customers it was ok to go through 4 consoles because of a design flaw
The first to shred its own media
Microsoft points only sold in increments of 5000
The first to make other multiplatform games lose features if they weren't on xbox

Am I missing anything?

[Bojay1997]

I'm sorry, but your headline and description is blatantly deceptive. The ads are only being added to TV and movie apps (i.e. this is no different than watching video on any commercial website and sitting through 15 seconds of an ad before your video will start). I guess you don't use Youtube or have cable and satellite which charge crazy monthly fees and yet still have tons of commercials, pop-ups in programming guides and all manner of other advertising. While I don't necessarily like being advertised to constantly, at least it makes sense in the context in which it is being used. So, no, I don't think the 360 is the worst console this generation, it's at least as good as the others and frankly, I play it more than the other two, so to me it's definitely the most entertaining and represents the best value for my money.

http://www.xbox360achievements.org/n...Xbox-Live.html

http://www.gametrailers.com/side-mis...-to-xbox-live/

So, worst console of the generation? You would think making a console that throws ads in your face, forced you to pay to play online, and has an original model that broke down even more than the original nintendo would have put them under but no.

I already see tons of ads just from turning on the system, where would they even ad these commercials? WHERE?

Even if it's just added to their apps and not in game, they just keep pushing this sort of thing further and further. When will it end?

[substantial_snake]

I'm sorry, but your headline and description is blatantly deceptive. The ads are only being added to TV and movie apps (i.e. this is no different than watching video on any commercial website and sitting through 15 seconds of an ad before your video will start). I guess you don't use Youtube or have cable and satellite which charge crazy monthly fees and yet still have tons of commercials, pop-ups in programming guides and all manner of other advertising. While I don't necessarily like being advertised to constantly, at least it makes sense in the context in which it is being used. So, no, I don't think the 360 is the worst console this generation, it's at least as good as the others and frankly, I play it more than the other two, so to me it's definitely the most entertaining and represents the best value for my money.

I think the criticism is still valid since its Microsoft's deal making in the background that caused this to come about. They are putting their own profits before customers ease of use on a subscription service, that other services do something similar is no justification for it. This is just part of a larger trend of increased advertising on XBL though, how long is it going to take before Microsoft makes the big leap and you start seeing "just 15 seconds of advertisement" before you next Gears match?

*insert long rant about how justifying XBL on anything other then a "my friends play on it" basis is just silly considering PC gaming is free not to mention Wii and PS3 Yada Yada Yada

[Collector_Gaming]

ehh if that happened i would get use to it.

I mean it happens on TF2 ... allthoughhh TF2 was free and since its on the PC its free to play online too..
But on the flipside they already have commercials on XBOX live.. in that stupid mishmash screen they have now you'll notice one or 2 commercials that won't have audio unless you have it highlighted

[Bojay1997]

I think the criticism is still valid since its Microsoft's deal making in the background that caused this to come about. They are putting their own profits before customers ease of use on a subscription service, that other services do something similar is no justification for it. This is just part of a larger trend of increased advertising on XBL though, how long is it going to take before Microsoft makes the big leap and you start seeing "just 15 seconds of advertisement" before you next Gears match?

*insert long rant about how justifying XBL on anything other then a "my friends play on it" basis is just silly considering PC gaming is free not to mention Wii and PS3 Yada Yada Yada

It's part of a larger trend in digital services in general. I'm not going to get worked up about Microsoft doing the exact same thing every other digital platform is doing with placing ads ahead of video content.

[heybtbm]

Since the latest update, I've spent the least amount of time navigating around the dashboard as possible. What a fucking disaster. The 360 dashboard could really be THE biggest failure of this console generation. I say that without hyperbole. "Fixing" something that wasn't even broke just to push a wildly unpopular and gimmicky piece of hardware.

The ads? Couldn't care less. The 360 dashboard needs to return to something I actually want to explore. After that happens, I'll start noticing all these terrible commercials everyone here is getting all huffy about.

[Mr Mort]

Since the latest update, I've spent the least amount of time navigating around the dashboard as possible. What a fucking disaster. The 360 dashboard could really be THE biggest failure of this console generation. I say that without hyperbole. "Fixing" something that wasn't even broke just to push a wildly unpopular and gimmicky piece of hardware...

I agree the dashboard as a whole is a mess. Finding a specific game that I've purchased & downloaded is now an enormous chore. I hate the tiles, they clutter up the screen and all the most relevant things I'm looking for in regards to my library and console are always hidden away somewhere.

As for the ads, I am furious about it, but I knew it was coming. I still don't feel it's right to subject me to ads after I'm paying a yearly fee for the service. If they somehow inject ads into the Netflix or Hulu Plus apps, I will be outraged. Furthermore, the day they inject ads into gameplay sessions is the day I outright cancel my subscription.

I'm an old and crotchety gamer. Stuff like this is seriously making me consider that I will stop purchasing new games at this current generation and skip out on the next one(s).

[Jorpho]

AdBlock Plus actually does a good job of hiding ads on Youtube from me.

If this is really so outrageous, I'm sure router hacks will quickly sprout up that will filter the content appropriately.

[NayusDante]

You can't even access any of the channels without Gold. Simple apps like Facebook Twitter, YouTube, Netflix, ESPN, etc are all blocked for Silver members. If adding ads meant providing free access, it might be a good idea, but now it'll just inconvenience their paying customers. The free members probably won't be able to use the new video channels.

[Retrocade Fantasia]

And the 360 is still light years ahead of anything PSN and whatever Nintendo's online model is.

[Gamereviewgod]

And the 360 is still light years ahead of anything PSN and whatever Nintendo's online model is.

Exactly. The ads on the dash annoy the hell out of me (especially if I glance over one and it begins blaring 10 decibels higher than it should), but for ease of online multiplayer and quality of XBLA entries, I stick with what provides the best gaming experience.

[buzz_n64]

They should have these ads for silver users, and allow them to have limited online gameplay to justify it.

[kupomogli]

And the 360 is still light years ahead of anything PSN and whatever Nintendo's online model is.

Exactly. The ads on the dash annoy the hell out of me (especially if I glance over one and it begins blaring 10 decibels higher than it should), but for ease of online multiplayer and quality of XBLA entries, I stick with what provides the best gaming experience.

Outside of cross game chat, the quality of online multiplayer and ease of use is the exact same. Ease of use is all based on the game, where quality of online is based on the game as well as the connection of your opponents. Playing the same game on the 360 doesn't make the online easier to access or better quality.

New Mythbusters: Does Xbox Live have a better online multiplayer connection or is it just fanboys trying to justify why they pay $50 a year? Monday 05/07 at 3:00 PM CST. Having played a good deal of online on both consoles, many of the same titles, I don't have to watch Mythbusters to know 360 only owners arguments are bullshit.

[Bojay1997]

Outside of cross game chat, the quality of online multiplayer and ease of use is the exact same. Ease of use is all based on the game, where quality of online is based on the game as well as the connection of your opponents. Playing the same game on the 360 doesn't make the online easier to access or better quality.

New Mythbusters: Does Xbox Live have a better online multiplayer connection or is it just fanboys trying to justify why they pay $50 a year? Monday 05/07 at 3:00 PM CST. Having played a good deal of online on both consoles, many of the same titles, I don't have to watch Mythbusters to know 360 only owners arguments are bullshit.

Disagree. The 360 just has a much slicker interface IMHO and frankly, there is no doubt that downloading on PSN is significantly slower than on the 360 when done over an identical connection. Is it worth $50 (well, most people pay less actually with the many sales at various retailers on 12 month cards) a year? I don't know, but I do know that Sony is guaranteed to charge for on-line services on the next Playstation as they can't survive without doing so after years of record losses.

[Aussie2B]

Microsoft Pioneers:
The first to have payments for DLC
The first to charge to play online
The first to offer adverts, even if you'd paid for Gold
The first to convince customers it was ok to go through 4 consoles because of a design flaw
The first to shred its own media
Microsoft points only sold in increments of 5000
The first to make other multiplatform games lose features if they weren't on xbox

Am I missing anything?

I don't know about everything you're talking about, but many systems offered paid subscription services for online gaming prior to Microsoft doing so (XBand for Genesis and SNES, Randnet for the 64DD, etc.). Many systems were also notorious for poor design that broke down and forced gamers to buy multiple systems (PS1, PS2, etc.), and maybe it's not exactly the same thing, but Sony was insistent that some multiplatform games would offer more content on their hardware than on Saturn (besides there are plenty of PS3 games that have more content than their 360 versions).

Anyway, I'm still using an old version of the Dashboard and I never take my 360 online, so everything is still just dandy for me. :P

[Gamereviewgod]

Outside of cross game chat, the quality of online multiplayer and ease of use is the exact same. Ease of use is all based on the game, where quality of online is based on the game as well as the connection of your opponents. Playing the same game on the 360 doesn't make the online easier to access or better quality.

New Mythbusters: Does Xbox Live have a better online multiplayer connection or is it just fanboys trying to justify why they pay $50 a year? Monday 05/07 at 3:00 PM CST. Having played a good deal of online on both consoles, many of the same titles, I don't have to watch Mythbusters to know 360 only owners arguments are bullshit.

Online multiplayer is not the same on PSN, and certainly not on the Wii. Each game is saddled with their own interface on PSN, wherein Xbox Live works within the same parameters across all games. PSN regular downtime is also a pain, wherein Xbox Live has been down twice in maybe three years. The only time it's ever suffered was Christmas of '07.

And I own all three consoles, so it's hardly fanboy BS.

[skaar]

Don't bother arguing with Kupo. Just ignore him.