Tenure

Nice OP! When Live first came out my friend I split the cost and a profile 50/50 because I didn't have hi speed internet at my house. We were in the beta for live on the OG xbox. That was what 2002? I guess I'd have 13 years if I could even remember the
name of that profile. I've had this one since the 360 and I think it has four or five years.

 

I think Tenure is a brilliant move by Xbox as well. As Vaynel said, it is something that users are proud to have. And I agree with that. I don't see why it is an odd thing, it is another badge or notch in the belt so to speak. Some people are proud to
be recognized for their dedication. I am one of them. Both for my almost 6 years, and the other 3 that I didn't renew my gold for making a stand. Would I like my tenure to be almost 9 years? Heck yeah. But that 3 years of a dedication to a stand defines
my Xbox relationship.

 

[quote user="NxtDoc1851"]I think Tenure is a brilliant move by Xbox as well. As Vaynel said, it is something that users are proud to have. And I agree with that. I don't see why it is an odd thing, it is another badge or notch in the belt so to speak[/quote]I
find it odd simply because I don't understand why you'd be proud to pay for a service. After all are people proud when they pay their electricity bill each month?

That's why I find the tenure a genius move by Microsoft. It's makes people proud to give them money each year.

 

Well i got the old xbox 4 days after launch but didnt have LIVE. i then got a 360 and changed email address. i then got gold so no idea could have been over 11 years if i didnt change my email and if i had GOLD since day 1

 

XBL is an online community. I find nothing 'odd' at all with people having a sense of pride in belonging to a group with a common interest.

I think what clouds the issue for a lot of people is that we rarely ever see [most] people we game with. Obviously there are exceptions, some people game with family members, co-workers and such. But, for me, there are only about 3 people I've ever gamed
with that I actually know IRL. But, there is still this sense of 'singularity' about it because we can sit in our own home, on our recliner, all by ourselves and play games... MP or SP.

I think the convenience aspect brought by the internet is what makes some people see it as nothing more than a paying customer relationship.

Take the internet away for a minute (hypothetically speaking). You could play SP (and very few MP) games. Want to have a few friends play a game like Halo? Back in the day you could only have up to 4 on a console. More than that... LAN party. Want matchmaking
for a few thousand? Better have a lot of networking equipment and know how to set it all up. Know anyone who would volunteer to incur all the costs involved and let just anyone show up to play? For free? Not likely unless you have an incredibly rich friend.

So... does paying a fee to be a participant in a group of people, who all enjoy a common interest, suddenly mean that group isn't a community in which people can be 'proud members'? Does that fee suddenly demote them to being just 'paying customers'? Not
in my book.

 

I agree Blue Illusion. It is something that one can take pride in. A group/community with a common interest. Having that longevity shows commitment and dedication.

And honestly Vaynel. I do take pride in paying my bills on time. So I think that may be a bad analogy.

 

I only have met face to face with some people on my friends list. My parents don't play video games. But most of the others I've had at least some great gameplay and chat experiences. I do get spammed by invites when several of my friends come online. On
Xbox 360 you have video Kinect (I don't have a 360 Kinect) and on Xbox 1 you have the Skype App and I DO have an Xbox 1 Kinect. There are other social media services you can share. I know the Youtube channels to like 10 or 12 on my friends list and have shared
my channel name with about 10 of them. I'm subscribed to a Youtuber and she says "I'm that secretly social person". Some of my friends are kind of social outcasts or suffer with depression in real life. People's Tenure's are going to continue to grow when
Microsoft keeps providing a fun service at an affordable/fair price, and to me, they are doing both. XBL is a fun and secure service as it connects us in different countries to play and have a woo. If Gold was just free, I don't think Microsoft would have
a very easy time maintaining the services for Xbox like the thousands of servers they use for 360 and Xbox 1, etc.

 

I got Xbox Live for Christmas in 2002, and actually set it up in January. Have kept the same account ever since, so mine is at 12 years. I think this is a nice little badge to be proud of, just as achievements are nice little badges. I don't put the tenure
on my resume, but whilst talking among people in the same community, it is definitely something worth sharing, I think.

Vaynel, if my electric company shared how many consecutive months I have paid for my electric bill on time, I would brag about that as well, because I do find paying your bills on time to be something to be proud of.

 

[quote user="Kid Slice"]

@ kid slice Doesnt that mean you would have a founders badge attatched to your gamercard then????

Good Question? I know I was one of the originals. I remember playing Revolt for hours, thinking this was the coolest thing ever. I remember being ranked in the top 10 in NFL fever.

Maybe someone here can answer that question?

[/quote]

The founding member badge (now retired) goes to users who were posters on the old Xbox.com forums. By old forums I mean like original Xbox old, not pre-2011 forums old.

I'm at six years myself. I still had dial up internet when I first got my 360 so I didn't have Gold for a bit after getting it.

 

Well sorry fine forum folk but I must disagree. paying your bills on time is the right thing to do and not something I would find pride worthy.

Thank you for showing me a different perspective.

 

Vaynel needs a holiday XD. If people have tenures which are around 8 or more years, that means Xbox must be a fun hobby, at least for certain people. Pay your bills on time, otherwise you get charged a late penalty fee, and goodness knows how much more that
will make you moan. Try to think of the positives in life instead of dwell on the negatives. For those who like Xbox, make sure you renew your subs early before the deadline, that way you can watch that growing Number.

Have a fantastic day peps

 

Spot on smileskybird. My Xbox tenure isn't something I'd stick on a resume or shout from the mountain top, but it's still a cool accomplishment for some. That goes for paying bills on time too. I'm actually pretty proud of that too. Especially compared to
some people I know.

 

Tenure is based on the time spent as a gold account. Paying bills on time only helps make every day of the year add to the tenure.

I look at it as the amount of time people in the community have committed to online gaming and the social aspect of it.

Think I'm only approaching 6 due to Australian internet standards and me not hooking up the house until late.

 

It's an achievement for someone like me because I don't think I've been this committed to anything in my life, hahaha.

 

What does XBL have to do with properly paying bills on time? Nothing.

Paying bills is something that is "necessary". Utilities like water, gas, electric are all necessities. It's not like you could go a few months without [one of] them without having hardships... major ones.

You pay bills because they provide utilities that are necessary for day to day living. Many communities have eviction protocols for people if they don't keep their electricity on.

XBL is not a bill. It's a due... a fee. You pay it to acquire a service, yes, but that's not the 'all of it'. It's a community. I don't get together with other people and make friends while I'm 'playing electricity, water or gas'... because those are utilities.

I pay my bills on time because I need them. I'm a paying customer. I pay my XBL fee because I enjoy being online and playing with friends... as a part of that community.