GameFlavor

Our assistant editor Jason Wong wrote an article about Microsoft's use of Silverlight to bring more ads to Xbox Live, which you can check out here:

http://www.xboxist.com/xbox-360/news/wi … 010497.php

What do you think of this deal?  Is it fair for Micro$oft to make money from people who are ALREADY paying for Live?  This just seems a little bit too greedy for my taste, but I'm one of those people who doesn't like ads.  If anything, ad-supported Live whould make the service free for everybody.  What do you all think?

I don't think they will be too intrusive. Also, I study advertising at college so I am a fan of adverts.

Why complain about it?
It's a win-win situation.
More adverts means that Microsoft get more money without US paying for it.
The more money Microsoft has the more they can work on consoles, peripherals and games. Unless of course they want to use the money to lower the price of Xbox Live or as a cash injection for Project Natal, we just don't know yet.
My point is, Microsoft get more cash to play around with, and all we have to do is put up with a few adverts (I mean, when I go to dashboard I just go straight to the game!)

My problem with silverlight is we're already paying for Xbox LIVE service.  Usually people pay for a service to get the ads removed.  Not so for Microsoft.  It really incenses me when I look over at the PS3, which offers its free PSN service, and nary do I see an ad.  If your competitors can provide a non-intrusive service at $0 and you're charging $60 annually for your service plus you're making them watch ads you've sold, it means MS really only cares about generating revenue over providing a comfortable environment for their end users.  MS is screwing over the consumers twice.

If adds keep them from raising the yearly cost of a gold membership, I don't see any reason to complain. I do find it funny that the Mazda add on live shows up on the boards in NHL10. I thought I was crazy, but when I disconnected from live, the Mazda adds were gone. That does kind of bother me a little.