Microsoft raises Xbox service charge analyst says it will be punished

August 31 News, according to foreign media reports, Microsoft announced that starting from September 1 to increase the Xbox Live Gold service charges. The annual service charge will increase from 50 US dollars to 60 dollars. Service charge will be increased from USD 20 to $25 per quarter. The monthly service charge will increase from 8 US dollars to 10 dollars. Before the price rises, Microsoft offers users an opportunity to order a second-year service at $40, so that these users can effectively mitigate the impact of new prices by 2012. Game website Joystiq points out that some retailers also sell 40-dollar annual subscription cards.　　Users can now reserve some for longer periods of time.　　The trouble with the price increase is not so much the difference between the 10 dollar itself, but the powerlessness it brings to the user. The price hike is a wake-up call for users who use the Xbox Live service for 50 dollars from the start. It is a reminder that there is no guarantee of a 50 dollar service charge per year for Xbox consoles, and that 60 dollars a year is not guaranteed. Users who choose Xbox 360 without PS3 or Wii consoles must now recognise that they are locked in the price set by Microsoft.　　At least one analyst thinks the price will rise to $100 a year over time. Analysts said that Microsoft's price increases in the short term will increase revenue, in the long run will expand the Microsoft online gaming services and competitors of the prices gap. If the price gap continues to widen between current and next-generation consoles, Microsoft will be given the punishment it deserves.