Square Enix is a big name in the RPG sector with their Final Fantasy series largely being a defining franchise in the genre. However, while Square Enix has made a name for themselves in the offline RPG sector they’ve also done what they could to give gamers access to vast online worlds. Starting out with Final Fantasy XI, the studio has gone on to release a second online title dubbed Final Fantasy XIV.

If you’re one of the game’s many players you’ll know that following the natural disasters in Japan, Square Enix had been forced to temporarily shut down the game’s online servers. However, you’re also sure to know that Square Enix has yet to charge anyone for its online play due to the fact that, well, the game just isn’t very good and has received criticism pretty much across the board.

Well, those thinking they’re going to have to pay anytime soon will be happy to hear that Square Enix isn’t planning to start charging folks just yet. In fact, they will allow gamers to play the game for free until they make a solid plan on how they are going to improve the game. When exactly does that mean? We aren’t quite sure but if you like the game just fine you may as well take advantage of the free online play for as long as possible, right?

Microsof’t Xbox 360 has long been applauded for its top notch online service appropriately dubbed Xbox Live. While this service requires users to pay a subscription fee, Microsoft prides themselves in offering consumers a grade-A experience. Not only that, but thanks to some deals from retailers, the subscription fee isn’t half bad.

In fact, Walmart has just announced today that they will be offering 1-year of Xbox Live plus a game of your choice for $81. Now you’re probably assuming you only get to choose from a line up of crappy games, but that’s not the case. Included in the line up of games that qualify for this deal include Halo: Reach, Call of Duty: Black Ops and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, just to name a few.

This is a great deal as a 1-year Xbox Live subscription usually goes for $60 alongside these games which go for $60 as well.

Check out the deal here.

Video game consoles give consumers the ability to participate in one of the most loved forms of entertainment; gaming. However, while most games feature expansive offline gameplay, that’s only have the fun. With the introduction of high speed broadband Internet came the phenomenon of online gaming with services like Xbox Live and the Playstation Network taking center stage.

While the Playstation Network is offered free of charge, Xbox Live is more popular with online numbers breaking records on the regular. Today, Microsoft has come forth to show off those numbers by saying about half of their 25 million Xbox Live members are Gold subscribers that pay $60 a year for the service. The company then elaborated by saying Gold members spend about 40% of their Xbox Live time on services like Netflix, Last.fm, and Zune making the platform a very valuable asset.

Are you an Xbox Live Gold subscrbier? If so, what do you live most about the service?

via thatvideogameblog

While the Xbox 360, Wii and Playstation 3 are currently the most talked about home video game consoles, another is coming that is sure to stir things up a bit. OnLive is a home console that does things less traditionally than other game consoles in the sense that no physical media is used. Instead, you hook the MicroConsole up to an ethernet port and are then given the option to stream a whole slew of games.

However, while you’re currently forced to pay for each game you stream, a new option has come from OnLive in the form of an all-you-can-eat $9.99 monthly subscription. Unfortunately, this isn’t going to give you access to the entire line up of OnLive games but instead a pre picked “PlayPack”.

To make things even better, if you’ve already got an OnLive MicroConsole, the service is completely free until it officially launches on January 23rd.

Will services like this prove a threat to the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii? Let’s wait and see.

Press release after the break.

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For most current gen MMORPGs you usually have to pay monthly or with a prepaid game card, a la World of Warcraft. However, Cryptic is doing things a bit differently with their latest offering, Star Trek Online.

Sure, you can pay $14.99 a month, $41.97 for 3-months or $77.94 for 6-months but if you want to go all the way up to 1 year, you’ll only be paying $119.99. And if you plan on playing even longer than that, you can buy a lifetime subscription for $239.99. If you go this route, you will be given a playable version of Borg along with 2 additional character slots. Of course, if you buy the 1-year subscription you will also be given the 2 additional character slots, but no Borg.

So what do you think potential Star Trek Online players? Which subscription suits you?

via joystiq

Ever since Realtime Worlds announced All Points Bulletin it has been a highly sought after game with it’s GTA-like gameplay and MMO genre.

Well the developer has again stepped forward to speak of the game and this time about the subscription fees, a topic that has been under discussion for some time. David Jones of Realtime Worlds was quoted to have said the following:

“Basically, you have to buy the client. It’s a traditional game that you buy…We’re not going the normal ‘you have to subscribe to play the game every month’ route. What we haven’t said is which route we are going, and in some respects we’re still looking.”

Let’s hope that they really come up with something unique if you told World of Warcraft players they would have to pay an additional $15 a month to play APB, I don’t think they would be down.

via Kotaku

Back at E3 Microsoft announced thtat they would be bringing services like Last.fm, Facebook and Twitter to Xbox Live but we haven’t heard many details since.

Well, Facebook and Twitter have been put on the back burner for a moment while Last.fm details begin to flow. It seems that a Xbox Live manager by the name of Christina DeRosa recently said that Silver Xbox Live members will in fact be able to access Last.fm, but not like Gold members. The service will be completely free for Gold members while Silver members will only be given a trial that allows for 3 hours of use per month.

Finally, there will also be a subscription to Last.fm that will allow for completely ad-free music, but who wants to pay for that, right?

Read (Joystiq)

A survey hinted to fans of the Call of Duty series that the upcoming sequel to the hugely successful Modern Warfare might feature a paid subscription plan similar to what is already in place for most MMOs. Infinity Ward has put a kaibosh on those rumors, at least when it comes to Modern Warfare 2.

A post on their official forum said ”multiplayer will always be equal and free for everyone as always.”. The survey had come supposedly from Activision and highlighted the benefits of subscription plans. Infinity ward made sure people knew that this was only coming from Activision and had nothing to do with their games. I’m guessing that Infinity Ward knows many of us are only occasional gamers who wouldn’t be terribly happy with paying to play a game they only occasionally have time to sit down at.

There certainly is some room for additional revenue generation when it comes to gaming, but the existing avenue of downloadable map packs and character models is likely the better approach, since the gamers who play more often are generally younger and have less disposable income while the older ones have the cash to put into it but not the time to make a subscription plan worthwhile.