Microsoft would rather lose a little money than lose customers to the PlayStation.
The tech titan has backed down on planned price increases for its Xbox Live gaming service after outraged players threatened to abandon the main console.
“We messed up today and you were right to let us know,” Microsoft’s Xbox Live Gold team said in a blog on Friday. “Connecting and playing with friends is a vital part of the game and we don’t live up to the expectations of the players who rely on it every day.”
Microsoft reversed the course about 15 hours after announcing plans to charge $ 59.99 for a six-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold, which currently buys a full year of the service.
The company also said it would increase the price of a one-month membership by $ 1 and increase the three-month fee by $ 5.
Angry players protested the plans on Twitter, with some saying they were considering abandoning the ship for Sony’s PlayStation console.
Players also speculated that the price increase was intended to force people to sign up for Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass monthly subscription service, which gives users access to a game library for $ 10 a month.
But Microsoft said it would leave the current pricing structure for Xbox Live Gold in effect, including the $ 59.99 annual subscription. The company will also make free Xbox Live Gold subscription games available in the coming months, according to the blog post.
“We are turning this moment into an opportunity to bring Xbox Live more in line with how we see the player at the center of their experience,” said Microsoft in the post.