a single click. All you need is Adobe Reader.
For use with either a modern browser, or an RSS program.
Pachter predicts new Xbox Live 'Platinum' service
New layer of service for Xbox Live on the way, predicts Pachter, expects "modest" price hike for existing Gold subscription.
Written by David Scammell, 18 April 2010
Gaming research analyst Michael Pachter has predicted that Microsoft will add a further layer of subscription to its Xbox Live service, saying that he thinks "we're going to go from Gold to Platinum", with the new premium model adding "a lot of cool stuff" to the existing XBL service.
"The stickier they make Xbox Live, the easier it is to justify a price increase," said Pachter, speaking on this week's episode of Pach-Attack on GameTrailers.com.
"I think you're going to get a modest increase, but I think you're going to get a new level of service.
"I think we're going to go from Gold to Platinum, and I think Platinum's going to have a lot of cool stuff and it's going to be 100 bucks or 150 bucks or 500 bucks. It's going to be more.
"And the reason I say it could be that much more... what if they offer you television? What if you get internet TV through Xbox Live? What if they say you can watch WKRP in Cincinnati anytime you want on demand through Xbox Live? Because they could do that, and if they offer you every TV show ever made, every movie ever made, you'll pay 500 bucks a year for that. Trust me, you will, because you're already paying that on your cable bill and a lot more."
Pachter also predicted that Microsoft's existing Xbox Live Gold service could see a price hike "from $50 to at least $60, probably as soon as this time next year".
Internet TV is already readily available to Xbox Live Gold members via the recently introduced Sky service, but requires that members pay an additional subscription for a Sky TV account.
Xbox Live is currently available via two models: Silver, which lets players download game demos and movie trailers for free, and Gold, a premium service which lets players play multiplayer games over Xbox Live.
