Xbox Live and Playstation Network Online Gameplay

All DLC was later released for purchase on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace. As of March 2013, the THQ game servers for online gaming and DLC's are no longer available on PlayStation Network. On late May 2013, the servers on Xbox Live for online
ranked matches were also shut down.

m.ign.com/.../playstation-network-and-xbox-live-are-down

There are a few potential causes for the issue you are experiencing with your friends appearing offline on your Xbox:

1. Network connectivity issues: If your Xbox is not able to connect to the internet, your friends may appear offline. You can try troubleshooting your network connection by resetting your router and modem, or contacting your internet service provider for assistance.
   
2. Xbox Live service issues: If there are issues with the Xbox Live service, this can affect your ability to see your friends' online status. You can check the Xbox Live service status page to see if there are any known issues that could be causing the problem.
   
3. Xbox privacy settings: If your privacy settings are set to "Block" for online status, your friends will not be able to see your online status. You can check your privacy settings by going to "Settings > Account > Privacy & online safety > Xbox Live privacy." Make sure that the "Online status" option is set to "Everyone."
   
4. PlayStation Network issues: If your friends are playing on PlayStation and are unable to see your online status, it's possible that there may be an issue with the PlayStation Network. You can check the PlayStation Network service status page to see if there are any known issues that could be causing the problem.
   

The membership that Xbox charges for online multiplayer covers the cost and maintenance of the robust network of servers that keeps Xbox Live running and supports many of the games being played on the service. All three major console providers now charge
for online multiplayer content; PlayStation Network required it with the launch of PlayStation 4 (while PS3 users still had free multiplayer) and Nintendo flipped the switch - pun intended - to paid online in 2018, about 18 months after launch.

This generation, I had an Xbox 360 and a Playstation 3. For about 6 months, I played both online and offline on both consoles. After that, I realized that the PSNetwork was down about 50% of the time. I have had no network issues or disruptions from Xbox
Live. Also, the hacking happened. Xbox Live is both safe and reliable where Playstation Network falls short. That is my reasoning for happily paying $5 per month for Xbox Live Gold.