Xbox LIVE: Now with advertising

Wed Jul 01 04:05PM by Yahoo! UK Games Editor

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Microsoft is bringing rich media technologies, including Silverlight, to Xbox LIVE within the next 12 months.

What does this mean to you, the happy and contented Xbox user? In a word, advertising. In several more, it’s interactive, interconnected advertising campaigns that can, and probably will span multiple media – PC, TV, mobile and, of course, good old Xbox LIVE. In purely practical terms, though, it’ll be ads on the Xbox dashboard that look and operate just like the ones you’d see on any internet browser.

So that’s not too much of an intrusion, is it? Well, no – you can’t view a single web page these days without being assaulted by some ad or other. Then again, those pages are free to view, often thanks to their advertising content, whereas Xbox LIVE is subscription service that costs money. At least it does if you intend to enjoy full Gold privileges.

Let’s look at this another way. If the BBC was to start hosting ads for anyone other than itself we’d be up in arms demanding the repayment of our license fees. That being the case should we be looking for a discount off our Gold subscription – or for Microsoft to waive it altogether?

We’ll keep an eye on this and let you know how it develops. Meantime does the concept bother you at all? What about if Microsoft introduces advertising but maintains the Xbox LIVE cost structure as it is? Let’s hear your thoughts...

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User comments

  • (1)

    Well I think that wud be absolute balls if xbox charge for a subscription only to make more money out of it by putting ads up, at a cost to the user. I mean its either one or the other, get the service for free with ads or pay and not.

    Posted by: wicked_junglist1985 on Tue Jul 07 12:36PM | Report abuse
  • (2)

    i agree with wicked_junglist1985, it's ridiculous they expect us to pay £75 for a wireless adapter and year subscription but still include annoying "hit the duck to get an Ipod" style-ads what do they think they are doing, it's like an eBay description not detailing the truth, disgusting

    Posted by: thedaykin on Tue Jul 07 04:01PM | Report abuse
  • (3)

    It's just as bad as Sky TV - I'm not paying if they start to advertise!

    Posted by: okyllyck on Tue Jul 07 04:16PM | Report abuse
  • (4)

    no no no no no no no no chance its a crime

    Posted by: td_johnson on Tue Jul 07 04:43PM | Report abuse
  • (5)

    I think the ads fng is a good idea but ONLY if it annihilates the gold payments.

    Posted by: knight4rider on Tue Jul 07 04:59PM | Report abuse
  • (6)

    I agree with w_j1985.

    Posted by: daniel.tolu on Tue Jul 07 05:24PM | Report abuse
  • (7)

    we are a captive audiance! everything is commercial these days! We are just a target audiance!

    Posted by: irenedowie10 on Tue Jul 07 06:22PM | Report abuse
  • (8)

    They're already doing targeted advertising in lots of games that you've paid £40 for, and the most sinister use of all is the pairing of army recruitment ads with military-themed games like the Tom Clancy titles. There really ought to be legislation against that sort of thing in the same way subliminal advertising tricks are outlawed. Anyway, as pretty much everyone else has said, MS has a choice to make here: give us free Xbox LIVE and do whatever you like with adverts, or continue to charge us a subscription and get your ads the hell out of my face!

    Posted by: ghostgate2001 on Tue Jul 07 07:09PM | Report abuse