Goodbye Xbox Live
Original Xbox Live logo from 2002-2010
Xbox Live has, for many, been the core of the entire Xbox ecosystem. Since 2002, it has been the central hub of all things Xbox. Growing with the times from console generation to generation "Live" is what connected you to the rest of the world. Live is what lets you play online with anyone across the world. Live is the service that started giving us free titles to explore on a monthly basis. The Live title was given to the arcade service on the 360, which was one of the first building blocks of digital libraries on consoles. From Xbox game cases to digital storefronts all the way to the Microsoft Point Cards back in the day, "Xbox Live" has been synonymous with Xbox as a brand. Which is why it came as not so much of a surprise but a shock when Microsoft announced they would be dropping the "Live" branding. On September 14, 2023, existing Xbox Live members will be converted to the newly announced "Xbox Game Pass Core." Very few things are changing with this branding shift: the monthly subscription of $9.99 will stay the same, you'll still have access to online multiplayer, and the deals and discounts that you were receiving before The monthly Games with Gold is disappearing and being replaced with a new introduction to Game Pass. Core members will receive 25 digital versions of Game Pass titles as a way to sort of get to get their feet wet for new members. Titles included are: Among Us, Decenders, Dishonored 2, Doom Eternal, Fable Anniversary, Fallout 4, Fallout 76, Forza Horizon 4, Gears 5, Grounded, Halo 5: Guardians, Halo Wars 2, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, Human: Fall Flat, Inside, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Psychonauts 2, State of Decay 2, and The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited.
As I said before, this new thing didn't really come as a surprise, but the reason for it being a thing leaves much to be considered. From a business standpoint, it makes sense, right? Xbox wants to push as many people to be Game Pass subscribers as they can, so why not convert everyone who's already in your ecosystem into one? The assortment of titles included in this lower tier is also a nice bonus and is similar to what Sony did with the launch of the PS5 with their Playstation Plus Collection. Continuing to charge people for online services is where the questions begin. Many of the largest multiplayer games, like Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, Fornite, and even Xbox's own Halo Infinite, already let you play online without requiring this service. When the major players in your service don't require this monthly subscription, why does the platform holder? Something I'd like to point out and mention, as it fits perfectly into this conversation, is the departure of Larry Hyrb, otherwise known to millions as "Xbox Live's Major Nelson. Larry has been with Microsoft for over 20 years and became one of the on-camera personalities for the Xbox brand when it launched in 2001. Larry announced his departure from the company on July 14, 2023. You can't really have Xbox Live's Major Nelson without an Xbox Live to promote, can you? These two changes are par for the course as Xbox shifts its focus to its new vision as a platform. It's just a shame to see things that have been a part of the consumer's life with the platform disappear after so many years.