Fans and analysts have long debated on the topic of why consumers must pay for Microsoft's online service Xbox Live while Sony's PlayStation Network users get their access for free. This time, we're getting some official explanations.

As Gamepro points out, in a recent podcast of Microsoft's Gamerscore Blog team, they gave a reason as to why their subscribers need to shell out US$ 50 a year to get on Xbox Live. Representing the company were Chris Paladino of the Xbox Live Community Team and PR Manager Michael Wolf.

Wolf says he pays US$ 100 a month for cable TV, but says "frankly, I spend more time playing online than I do watching TV nowadays, it feels like. So, you're getting a lot of value for $ 50 a year, in my opinion."

He also explains that with the sheer number of options that Live carries and the satisfaction that players get from their system, the value is well justified. With the online play that involves cross-platform competition, Wolf says Live wins outright.

For his part, Paladino says "there are bandwidth costs, there are things that go above and beyond. I think it goes back to this unified system."

"We have to have voice communication, text communication, now we're doing cross-platform. There's Marketplace, there are demos, and all these things don't just mystically hover around that you can pull them out of the ether," he concludes.

 

During a segment on the latest podcast of the Gamerscore Blog, Microsoft's Games for Window's PR Manager Michael Wolf argued that information leaks, like the ones for the Xbox 360 Elite, are counter-productive because the information doesn't have any "context." Gamasutra quotes him as saying:

For the Elite, for example, people were talking about the functionality and had pictures and all this stuff, but they didn't have the full story. They didn't know the price, they didn't know the accessories, they didn't know additional information that really puts a lot of context and a lot of information behind it.

The reason why it's bad is because then you lose all the context. You lose all the facts that back it up, so that people hear the story once, understand it, and move forward, as opposed to hearing things bit by bit, piece by piece.

Although John Porcaro, Microsoft's Senior Group Manager for online community and communications agree with this sentiment, he does admit that in this day and age it may be something necessary. He says:

With the way that Internet works we're just going to have to deal with it to some degree, but on the other hand, it's almost like there's so much information out there... you could say any publicity is good publicity, sort of play devil's advocate there a little bit.

Wolf goes on to note that due to the vast number of alleged leaks Microsoft has a policy of not commenting on rumor and speculation as it doesn't add value to comment on a rumor, especially if they're not ready to make a full announcement yet. As for the origins of the information leak, many theories were offered by employees, and some have even suggested that "we're probably all guilty of [leaking information] to some degree." However, Porcaro assured that employees aren't telling the press. He notes:

I think it's an employee that tells somebody they trust, who then tells somebody they trust, and it's probably second generation... Every now and then we see something pop up that only 30 people know about or should know about, and we have people looking into that too.

To listen to the whole Gamerscore podcast feel free to head to it via our "read" link below.

 

Blogger Joost Schuur notes that near the end of the latest Shadowrun trailer - click here to view it if you really want to - you'll be able to spy what he claims to be "the first, official hint" at a premium Games for Windows Live option.

Of course, Schuur notes that a Gold account for Windows doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to have to pay to play on Games for Windows Live. Schuur also speculates that given the timing of the trailer's release, Microsoft might announce official details regarding Games for Windows Live at the Game Developers Conference 2007.

Recent Microsoft announcements at GDC 2007 include the 512 megabyte memory unit and the Dream Build Play contest.

Given the recent comments that Microsoft is seriously considering that gamers are used to playing online for free on the PC, and are carefully planning their strategy for their Live service on Windows Vista, current speculation (obviously based on what's written on the trailer) is that Microsoft might charge for cross-platform (Xbox 360 to PC) play.

What we do know for sure, if we're going to take Games for Windows PR director Michael Wolf's interview over at Joystiq into account, is that Microsoft is seeking to make Gold membership on Windows Vista worthwhile.