Worst: Paying for Multiplayer
The OG Xbox locked multiplayer behind a paywall, something that people criticized at the time. When the Xbox 360 rolled around, some wondered if Microsoft would back down on its multiplayer paywall. It didn’t! Xbox Live Game Pass Core (previously known as Gold) was a part of the Xbox 360 for its entire lifespan and it sucked.
Sure, some argued it meant Xbox invested more in its online services, but as someone who grew up playing PC games like Unreal Tournament and Counter-Strike online for free, having to pay always felt wrong. Meanwhile, on PS3, Sony didn’t charge folks to play online. (Though that changed with the PS4.) Oh and until 2014, you had to have Xbox Live Gold to even use Netlifx and Hulu.
