Microsoft unveils new Xbox Live pricing
Microsoft on Thursday unveiled its pricing plan for the next-generation version of its online multiplayer video game service, Xbox Live.
In addition to a new pricing structure that it hopes will encourage players to splurge for a full year's subscription, the company said it will no longer require a credit card to sign up.
Later this year, Microsoft is expected to begin selling its much-anticipated next-generation console, the Xbox 360. The new Xbox, if released on time, would likely give Redmond a head start of several months over its console rivals, Sony and Nintendo, which plan to release their new machines, the PlayStation 3 and Revolution, respectively, next year.
The company originally launched Xbox Live in 2002, and the service has grown to more than 2 million subscribers. Microsoft is positioning the online service at the center of its next-generation console strategy and said it will eventually try to connect a billion users.
