Xbox Live Gold subscription on sale at Amazon for $29.97
By Laura June 
posted Jan 19th 2009 3:49PM
posted Jan 19th 2009 3:49PM
You heard it right! Microsoft's Xbox Live Gold subscription, which normally runs $50 annually, is being sold by Amazon right this very instant for $29.97. A similar discount was apparently going on at Buy.com last week, so we're not sure what it all means, but we suppose it could mean that Microsoft might possibly be moving toward a lower price for the subscription (don't hold your breath). We don't really know "why" or "how" this has happened, but it "rules" and we're looking forward to all the extra cash our avatar's going to have in the coming year for new hats and fingerless gloves.
[Via PC World]
[Via PC World]
This happens like 2-3 times a week... My conspiracy sense tells me that Amazon wants a sell-out and thus contacted its lacky, Engadget.
God forbid Engadget just wants to inform its readers about a good deal, right?
Well they contacted every other site then because this has been reported on every other site before engadget.
Your conspiracy sense is pretty zany.
Charging for online gameplay is a rip off. Still, If users are willing to pay then Microsoft might as well continue to mug them off.
It's good business on their part.
seeing as how X3F reported this first yesterday, as well as the Buy.com sale the day before....
YOU FAIL!
If only the PS3 had online features. MS would then be forced to make Live free.
*better
In other news,
I got 4 LIVE 12+1 month Cards :).
Just went back up to $42.79!
@ Almo
No, it hasn't. The link is taking you to the HubbaGames seller for some reason. Amazon still has it for $29 on the right of the page.
I think 30 bucks a year is fair. Not a cent more though.
what it was when i got my year subscription (one and a half years ago) i thought it was a rip off...and i still think it is and i haven't renewed it because of that and well i cant afford it...but $30!!! hell yeah im gettin it!!
@adrian
You're right, because when companies give online play away for free like with PS3 or Wii, it is so much better, right? All the money they're investing in making a smooth, seamless online experience for you?
Or you could just get the damn free Silver account. Quit your FUD-ing.
@ SABRAGE
You need a tin foil hat to go along with your conspiracy, sir.
@Brad: Something I always loved: even though the consumer is paying for their online service, Microsoft has the audacity to still put ads everywhere. I'm not pro PS3, though. I'd much rather PC, where X-Fire, Steam, and Ventrilo are all you need to have a good time (and free).
@ Metkis
Are the ads really that much of a bother to you? Just because you pay for something doesn't mean it should be ad free (in some cases). I never had an Xbox but I do have a Zune from what I read Microsoft seems to be trying to do a good job in keeping their customers happy. Yea, they totally screwed up on the assembly end of the Xbox but they spent a lot of money in trying to fix the issues. Don't blame them for trying to make that money back.
Dude, the argument about ads on Live is so weak.
First of all, give me one ad that you see on Live that is not related to content that they provide. Be it ads for latest movie releases, latest game DLCs or sponsored gamer pictures etc. At least they aren't trying to sell you OxyClean or a new car with their ads.
You fanboys can be so intolerable sometimes. You pay 10x a year as much for cable television which has 8 minutes of ads in every half an hour of show time. So why is this double standard acceptable?
Besides, do the ads on Live stop you during a game to show them like television does? NO. So please, elaborate on why you believe the ads are in any way intrusive???
On a more related note, this discount offer isn't available through Amazon Canada... boooo =(
@Brad
I don't think I mentioned Sony or the PS3 in my comment, So why bring that console into the debate.
I suppose XBox users have never demanded credits or refunds from Microsoft because XBox live is always so smooth like you say.
I suppose if one of the big search engines wanted to charge 1$ per search query you would think it okay?. In fact don't answer, as you would pay up.
Microsoft is laughing at you lot. Continue being mugged via XBox Live just like those XBox hard drives their selling.
Christ, some people will never learn.
Yeah, but how much can you buy it for at Circuit City??
$55 bucks plus 10% off, so about $50! Enjoy!
Circuit City I guess wasn't allowed to drop the prices of the Xbox Live Subscription / Points cards (per sales associate at CC).
Circuit who? Seem I've forgotten already.
Incorrect. Because the company is going out of business, they are no longer obligated to observe the minimum prices. Just like CompUSA. They can sell the cards as cheaply as they want. When CompUSA went out of business, I bough four 1600 point cards for $20/ea.
A 1600 point card goes for $20 at many online stores (and even B&M stores when there's a sale).
1600 points for $20 is retail price.
@SDotCiRe
"$55 bucks plus 10% off, so about $50! Enjoy! "
I had high hopes for people's mathematics skills........ Turned out, it's overrated.
Yeah it's almost 53 dollars with taxes ;)
No UK love says the River to the Englishman.
Im going to buy two. maybe i can email you a code for some monies? :]
Only if it works for the UK... which IIRC, doesn't :/
I was just wondering: Would the code work with a German Xbox 360? Then I'd order one in a second.
walmart has had it for $29.97 plus $.97cents shipping
Is it available at their retail locations?
I still haven't hopped onto the online shopping bandwagon... call me old-fashioned
A good looking deal.
I got mine in November for $32...now I feel ripped off. Think of all the extra avatar crap I could have bought.
Right now, Avatar crap is free. Unless there's stuff to buy that I haven't seen.
My 2005 360 just red ringed on me, so I won't be needing this.
The vindaloo I had on Saturday red ringed me too.
:(
You can find tutorials on line how to fix the red ring. Usually its something got disconnected. Or you could just return it to best buy and get a jasper.
http://www.anonboard.com
My launch XBOX360 red ringed about 2 months ago and they fixed it without issue. What are you complaining about, they'll send you another one.
@Brad
Well technically it's one month out of the 3 year warranty, it was manufactured Dec. 16th 2005, but I've heard that they will fix red ringed 360s even if it's out of warranty since it's a known issue. Any truth to this?
-(Might be a repost, urgg.)
I got mine from Walmart.com 2 weeks ago for the same price.
Not on the Canadian Amazon store. $55 plus taxes!
Headlines:"Canadian games market hits a record $1.66 billion"...yeahhhh Kelly, pretty weird huh?, pretty weird.
This happens every 13 months from the initial release date for some reason.
I personally think MS will be changing Live so that you don't need Gold to play online. You'll still need it for "early" access and for streaming Netflix though.
The last numbers Microsoft released said they have 17 million XBL users and the majority are gold. That's 8.5 million people (minimum) paying $50 a year. I don't think Microsoft will be giving up almost half a billion a year.
Not really, because Netflix run just in US and Gold it's worldwide subscription. Anyways this price-cut is sweet, I remember when I bought my very first annual subscription hopping to finish it until RRoD could knock my door ...and IT DID (finish the sub) T____T, then I sell it to buy Elite u_u
I think you only read half of my post.
Microsoft has no intention of losing the paying gold customers. They will just try to win them using different enticements. Early access to demos (as now), Netflix, perhaps even beta access to hot upcoming games or a free game each quarter.
Personally, I think that all of LIVE should be free. They earn enough from their online sales of videos and stuff anyway. Well, at least Netflix shouldn't require LIVE Gold as you'd have to first pay for a Netflix membership and then for LIVE Gold - that's kinda much. Unless they allow Gold members to view online Netflix videos without being Netflix members.
This is the eternal debate. Gold subscribers are always bitching that they don't get much for their money. (Even though they effectively fund all of the awesome updates.)
Meanwhile all the silver subscribers bitch that they should get everything for free.
Since Gold costs... 8c per day. (Or $2.5 per month) I can hardly see how Gold is too costly for an amazing service which is continually upgraded by a large development team.
Who here is so broke they can't afford $2.5 a month?
It's not that I can afford it. It's that it's throwing away money. I can play online for free on PS3, Wii and PC. And I do. A lot. There's no need to pay to play online on 360.
I just bought one today, awesome deal
I did too! I missed the buy.com deal from X3F yesterday...
!!!~THANKS ENGADGET~!!!
I canceled my auto-renewal because I knew there would be some deals out there like this - just ordered with free shipping, should be here in a week, thanks engadget (and X3F)!
Do we know if those cards works in Canada? I'm heading in the US in a few weeks and if they work, I'd be tempted to buy one and get it delievered in the Us and pick it up when I get there.
Im going to be getting a 14 month :) Since I will be getting a 1 month when my new Xbox comes after I get it back. Third one ive had to send back :(
good thing the Playstation 3 online is still free
/troll
Good thing it works.
/feeds troll juicy steak
Yeah, I saw the headline, and I was like "Sweet! That's a good deal!" I moved my cursor to the address bar, and got as far as "www.amaz" when I remembered: I don't have a 360.
It's amazing how a good deal can sucker in people even if they have no use for the product.
haha...funniest thing i've read all day. i love the occasional jewels i still catch around here...
Apparently this is rumoured as becoming the normal price for Xbox Live, with Live for Windows remaining free.
Buy.com often has two deals for 50 bucks. One is 12 months with a Live Cam and some XBLA games with headset. The other is 12 months with a chatpad and PGR4 with headset. I took advantage of these on my last two subscriptions.
If you are paying for ONLINE GAMING, then that is too much. Why when it's free on the PS3?
You're already paying to play online with the PS3, that's why you paid more for the console. You're not getting any sort of superior gaming experience.
If they had the same features, I'd agree. But they don't. I hate playing multiplayer stuff on the PS3.
It's really difficult to pay for something you are used to getting for free. We have 5-6 months squirreled away from various game/hardware purchases. Only used maybe 3 free months since getting the 360 15 months ago.
Actually started one of the free months last night, and looked around a little. GTA4 online was fun, but hardly anyone was playing it. Same thing with Crackdown. Watched a couple of races in Forza2, but was getting late so didn't do any. The initial impression is that it's not worth the dough.
Time to go back to 32+ person Battlefield PC servers.
Play some popular games right now like
1 CoD: World at War
2 Halo 3
3 Gears of War 2
4 Call of Duty 4
All have a ton of people online.
1. Don't have it.
2. Have it, didn't like the multiplayer.
3. Don't have it.
4. Have it on the PC, don't like it.
Well, if you want to get on a REAL BF server, you have to pay to join a clan, otherwise you're stuck with laggy, hax0r laden crap public servers.
Is there a reason they ship these things? I ordered mine from Buy.com last weeks, it came in a bubble wrap lined shipping bag, then in an oversized plastic shell, all for a paper card with a code written on it... Why can't they just email the code to me, that way I don't have to wait for shipping, Microsoft saves money by not having to use the packaging, there's less waste from the packaging, and less waste from the shipping process itself. Not to mention, you can just copy and paste the code to register it online.
I just bought 2 years of Xbox Live for what I was paying for 1 previously. Awesome.
Glad I'll never have to pay to play games online on my PC or my PS3.
@Dan Derksen But the online gaming sucks, You get what you paid *free*
I have a PS3 and i still havent play online. But i play on LIVE just about everyday and watch Netflix all the time.
Thanks Engadget for the info ordered 2 cards for my nephews.
Peace out.
No it doesn't suck. I play PS3 online nearly every day and haven't played my 360 online (or much at all) for months.
Engadget, you fucking rock. thanks for the news. i just ordered mine.
Just got it. Thanks Engadget!
Just went back to up $42.79!
You can still get the $29.97 by clicking the "41 new from $29.97" link below the price. I just did it without incident.
Woohoo thank you Engadget!
Thanks, I am glad I waiting 48 extra hours to order!!! I would have paid 38 before.
lol! it went up to $42, I was able to buy two earlier. Wonder if Amazon screwed up.
Thanks Engadget
Make sure you're buying from Amazon, not one of the other sellers like HubbaGames.
xbox live is worth every penny and i have no issues paying 50-60 bucks a year. i play online more than campaigns. its basically the price of a game and i get to play with all of you whenever i feel like it, joy. that being said, 30bucks is still better!
My PS3 is worth every penny I didn't spend on Online Gaming!
enjoy your lag too?
hahaha.
xbox.
Bought. Good deal, especially useful since I'll have myself a 360 soon.
For the wonderful price of FREE you get online games with gameplay SERVERS on the PC and PS3. Xbox Live? Practically all peer-to-peer (P2P), even with first-party Microsoft games.
Halo 3? Gears of War 2? Horrible lagfest. Continue getting ripped off paying for an inferior online GAMING service.
aren't you paying $30-50 a month for high speed internet to do our online gaming? Plus the ongoing cost of constantly upgrading your PC with new video cards, memory, processor, motherboard just to play said video games?
Personally I would gladly pay $200 for an xbox then 50 dollars a year to game and know I won't have to pay another cent on hardware (barring RRoD).
you my friend sound very miserly...I've been on XBL for a very long time now and will continue paying for it. Why? PSN lacks enthusiasm to make you play online. I own a PS3, WoW account, ESEA for counter strike, and play other games on the PC for free as well... the PS3 gets use for bluray and hardly play it online.. I bought COD4:MW for both consoles just compare the online play, at the end i liked the xbox version way better. Explore your surroundings and obviously I see you don't.
I would purchase it when it gets down to $0!!! A la my PS3!
wow, that price didn't last long, good thing I got my $30 card from walmart when they did their promo...
OH MY GOD!!!! 29.99$ wooooooow! U XBOX suckers have to pay for that shiet? AHHAAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...i invite u all to playstation HOME, yeaaah! we even got bietchez hanging out in there...or atleast i think they are?
I still don't get how Xbox users can say they own a superior product when half of the comments on here from said users refer to RRoD's. How can a product be superior when you have to cross your fingers that it wont break down? Both machines offer their advantages and disadvantages, but I would hardly call one superior to the other.
YES. someone finally says the truth!
I own a 360 and always have that dread in the back of my mind about if/when my box will RRoD (again).
they each have their advantages and disadvantages
ballsy
LIVE is a bloody blatant ripoff. Charging for something that should be *#&$(*% free, and has always been free from time in memorial! Especially outside US and UK, there are hardly any servers in other countries!
Would any of you bend over and take it up the ass if say for example, on your PC you had to buy COD4 first, then pay 50$ more to play it?
For those late to the party, the deal is no longer active as the price is up to $42 and some change as of earlier this evening. As I was telling a friend, Amazon's strategy of offering products at the same price as other retailers is a plus for them. I have noticed that whenever a retailer, be it an actual store, or an online one, has something very uniquely priced, Amazon quickly matches the price on their site (Band of Brothers on Blu-Ray, XBOX Live, etc). It is great that Amazon does this, without having to have people concern themselves with price-matching because they seem to get on it quite quickly.
The $30 for a 13 month (not one year as most people seem to think) was a superb deal. Even employees at MS pay $40 plus tax for a 12 month card). Buy.com and a few other online retailers offered this $30 deal but it quickly sold-out, and I was surprised how long the Amazon deal lasted, which was a good solid two days.
I have a feeling the pricing for XBOX Live will actually come down as soon as Sony can get it's act together with their Home service. It may not make this current console generation, but perhaps next console, you will see either Microsoft making a drastic cut in what they charge for XBOX Live to stay competitive and keep it's 12 million subscriber fan base, or you may see Sony actually start to charge for their service. My guess is the former, but the latter wouldn't surprise me either.
I got a couple cards Yesterday from Amazon myself. Great deal, works out to about $2.31 a month for 13 months!!! See what you get with people that online game and have to pay for their account is Limiting Name Changing. You know making a A** out of yourself and the next hour or day you have a new Name. See this way it costs you every time you want to change your name. How do you keep track of all your friends if they are all changing their names every day, or week or month? That's just so annoying.
Sure Nintendo is FREE, and it SUCKS. Sure the PS3 is FREE and it's better, but it's still not Xbox LIVE. There's better Online gaming support on the 360 then PS3, there's far more Game Demo's for the 360 then the PS3, hell there's so much Content on LIVE you could spend days going though it all. Besides you have access to it ALL with a FREE Silver account, you just can't online Game or Netflix. Besides if your going to complain about $2.31 a month to a high normal price of $4.17 a month, maybe you shouldn't be gaming.
Hell if Sony was Charging, maybe they could afford to do more with PSN, or afford to drop prices on the PS3 sooner. Or not having to leave out such things as Back-wards compatibility to get prices lower if Sony was Charging for Online gaming also. There's a lot of things Sony could have done instead of not only loosing lots of money per Console, but a whole lot more to setup the Online network, and keep it running. Bandwidth isn't cheap, People to keep it running and updated isn't cheap. Sony is only making how much per game? That has to help cover the lost of the PS3 sale and all the money spent on Development of the console, plus the cost of maintaining the Online service. Even if Sony charged $30 a year, it would have helped greatly. Get things moving alone a whole lot faster. Besides people would already have been used to it. Now Sony is pretty much stuck with FREE. Sure we all like it when things are FREE, be in the REAL WORLD, most things aren't, and paying for your Internet connection doesn't mean anything. MS or Sony or anyone else doesn't see a DIME of that Money. They have to also pay and their connection is a whole lot more. Not everything is FREE on the Internet. Even places like IGN or Gamespot have Subscription services. I don't work for FREE, and I think most people here don't either.
Dude!!! the bottom line is PS3 Online Gaming is still FREE FREE FREE!!! Nobody cares that you can dress your little people with different outfits, talk trash to other gamers, communicate with other gamers you have no idea who they are or download movies, cuz that's what a computer is for. Gamers want to be able to play online games, PERIOD! Plus demos that are available on the 360 is also available on the PS3, except for a couple of exclusives from 360. BTW silver subscribers has to wait a month to download new demos, while PS3 owners can download new demos right away. Bunch of bull crap how MS tries to nickel and dime you for everything, lucky my CRAPBOX ringed out so I don't have to put anymore $ in to it.