A Little Xbox Live Stat Crunching
Microsoft has released a whole pile of Xbox Live stats on Gamerscore Blog. There are some interesting bits of information beyond the “ZOMG! 6 MILLION!” that I’m sure you’ve seen posted on every other game site (including this one.)
For instance, you may not have noticed that apparently over 5 billion Microsoft points (US$62,500,000) have been purchased. When averaged against the 6 million Xbox Live “users” this equates to roughly $10.41 spent for each GamerTag. What Microsoft’s stats don’t tell us, is how many of the 6 million users are paid Xbox Live Gold subscribers.
Take my Xbox 360 (no don’t), I have 6 gamertags on my Xbox (my wife, her sister, her brother, her mother, and a second tag for myself, so people don’t know just HOW many achievements I’ve gotten in Viva Pinata.) Only one of those gamertags has a Gold subscription. So, if we assume that only 1 out of 6 gamertags is a Gold subscriber (which is a completely anecdotal, NON-scientific number) that comes out to about $62.48 worth of points purchased per Gold subscriber.
I keep hoping that they’ll subsidize the cost of online play with video marketplace downloads, but honestly, the video marketplace needs some massive improvements (HD Movie OWNERSHIP, portability to other platforms besides the Zune, larger and CHEAPER storage) before such a model becomes viable, I think. But I can dream…
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You guys are worrying over HD ownership, while in the Uk, we’re just hoping that we get access to the content you’re already getting. For less than we’re paying.
Don’t get me wrong, I honestly think Live is cheap at the price, especially when compared to Nintendo and Sony offerings, but come on, licensing schmicensing, sort it out Microsoft.
Ok, I take it back…ish.
According to the below link, the South Park episode is now going to be available across Europe, for free.
http://aceybongos.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!34EFB79E92974FD2!3147.entry
That’s a good start, now bring on the HD movies!