[quote name='dmaul1114']Too be fair, other than a few raging fanboys I don't think anyone really defends live being a pay service, much less the price increase.
I've always hated paying for it, but I'm a one console guy (don't game anywhere near enough to justify owning multiple consoles) and the 360 easily one the exclusive game battle for me (Sony's first party stuff never interested me much) so it was the one I bought this generation.
So I've had to grin and bear the $30-35 for Xbox live on sale a year to game online, use Netflix streaming etc.
But I won't defend it, and definitely not the price increase as it sucks to have to pay for this stuff--even if it is just pocket change to me even after the increase. It's not fun paying for features that are mostly freely available on other platforms. But alas, Gears, Mass Effect (though that is coming PS3, at least the sequel) are exclusive and those are the games I most enjoy, so c'est la vie.[/QUOTE]
Right now you, and all the other 360 owners have your systems, you have your games. Even if you wanted to switch it'd cost you at least 300 to buy a PS3. MS knows that's not realistic for most to spend 300 dollars just to save 60 dollars a year. So now, you're stuck basically being forced to pay that extra 10 dollars (assuming you don't find a deal) just to keep the online component for not only the games you already own, but for those games you were hoping to own in the future. This issue is not a "fanboy" issue, to me it's a consumer issue... a MONEY issue. I just find it to be a slap in the face to all the xbox live customers that have paid for live since day 1 and made that business one of the most successful business models in this industry, and to then turn around and raise the price. Why?! because they know they've got their customers by the balls, and they can increase that price and people will have to bite the bullet,(and pay up) or else your console loses its greatest feature.