GZ Roundtable: Do gamers deserve compensation when PSN and Xbox Live go down?

Xbox Live was hit with multiple issues over the last few weeks, leaving the community somewhat aggravated with their inability to play games. The aggravation has displayed itself as multiple requests for compensation for the online service's downtime.

In regards to the requests for compensation, Microsoft's Larry Hryb recently stated that he would speak with the Xbox team and make them aware the request. Whether or not Microsoft intends on fulfilling the request has not been announced, but the issue has sparked some debate.

Do gamers really deserve to be compensated when online services go down?

Tatiana Morris

Stance: Have you considered the repercussions?

The real question is what will satisfy the gaming community in terms of compensation and will they ever be satisfied. We could be looking at a case of the 'Hungry, Hungry Hippos' who will always want more. This sense of entitlement and need can only breed further issues.

So, you want Microsoft and Sony to start considering compensating you for when their services are down? Consider this, if the companies have to shell out cash or credits every time their service goes down they might raise the price of their service to fund your compensation (each day will only give you a couple cents anyway). If the companies offer you a game, is an indie title enough for you? 

Xbox One gives Gold members free games every month – regardless of whether you remain a Gold Member or not and PS Plus members get lent free games (the moment you stop paying you lose those games). If you want compensation for a service that gives you plenty of freebies, you might want to consider the cost. If you aren't OK with a potential repercussions, it might be best to use the service break to go outside, watch TV or read a book — or just stop complaining.

David Purcell

Stance: It's their choice, but you have a choice as well.

The way I see it customers are paying on a subscription basis for a service and Microsoft, Sony, whoever it may be should try to deliver that online service in the best way possible. If companies have a few hitches and the servers go down, maybe for a few days on a rare occasion, then gamers aren't really going to expect compensation – well, most of them anyway. 

Mike Boccher

Stance: STFU

Those who know me consider me the most direct person they'll ever meet. You ask me for an opinion, I'll give it to you. I won't be sarcastic about it, but don't ask me if you're going to get mad if it's not what you want to hear. Let's be honest. These companies don't owe us dick. It's because of a generation of millennials that were raised to be this way; entitled and whiny. Every sport you played, you got a trophy no matter what place you finished in, even if you never won a game. You THINK you're right by asking for compensation simply because other people share the same entitled, whiny opinion. After all, if someone else has the same opinion as you, then you must be right? Wrong. 

A bunch of wrong minded people doesn't make it right. We're not entitled to a single, damn thing for a little outage of online gaming. It's what is wrong with the mentality of many people today. No sense of personal responsibility and hiding behind admitting you're wrong by using phrases like "in my opinion" and "I feel like..". Well, opinions and feeling are wrong many times, especially when based on factual circumstances.  If you keep trying to be a taker and get handouts, rather than a maker and do something yourself, you'll never get anywhere in life. Real easy phrase to remember as you troll through life with Doritos dust on your fingers and Mountain Dew stains on your controller, "Pigs get fat, but hogs get slaughtered". 

These are the same people that got coddled with cookies and ice cream as kids rather than being told to suck it up every once in a while. Grow up, companies don't owe you a thing. 

Jordan Biazzo

Stance: Yes.

This current gen console cycle, online functionality has really become an important aspect of gaming. Not only do most games require the internet to play, but they also require some sort of subscription model to access each console's online capabilities.

So when the PSN or XBL crashes due to hackers or just plain out outages, this sort of creates a huge dilemma for the player. Gamers spend their hard earned money on that new $60 multiplayer game that they have been looking to play for the weekend just for the online services to be down.

I'm not necessarily asking for a full $60 dollar refund because that would absolutely make no sense. A lot of time the services are down for about 12-24 hours so there is no reason for a huge compensation; but a few years ago when the PSN went down for over a month, it makes sense.

It would be nice on companies to give some sort of free content like a background theme, avatar, or an old game to make up for the online outage, but gamers most definitely are not entitled to free things every time a problem occurs.

James Wynne

Stance: Depends, but companies should do it anyway

It depends on what services, how long, and why the services are going down as to whether or not the gamers deserve compensation. People are paying for a service, so companies should do everything in their power to make sure it's up. Gamers should get to complain when the services go down, but they should also take into consideration extraordinary circumstances. Natural disasters and large scale cyber attacks are examples of special cases where maybe gamers should just shut up. Poor preparation and errant cups of coffee? Not so much.

I can understand wanting to bitch at a company because their services are down when you were looking forward to gaming with friends on your day off, but compensation? Gamers that feel the need to complain about compensation for a service that costs pennies on the day are pretty pathetic.

That being said, companies should compensate them. The good will generated by a tiny act of compensation is always a net gain for a large company.

Daniel Miller 

Stance: Depends on the situation

Life isn't fair, and sometimes it's better to pick your battles than go to war every time something doesn't go your way….said no one ever on the internet.

When it comes to technology, you can count on one thing to always be true. It will fail from time to time. That goes for Xbox Live, PSN, Steam, Nintendo or whatever platform you swear allegiance to. Fortunately, it doesn't happen much, but it can and will happen. Gamers have the right to be alarmed when personal information (Credit Card numbers, addresses, things people can use to steal your identity) is compromised, which to be fair has happened once before. As far as the recent Xbox Live hack attacks go (and any similar situation), the notion of "deserving compensation" is a joke. 

There's a huge personality problem in the gaming community. And there are more than a handful of gamers that could stand to benefit from more rational (and humble) trains of thought. For those who provided the "less thoughtful comments" that Major Nelson didn't take to the Xbox Team, go hold down a customer service job for a while and then see how entitled you feel.  

Travis Amores 

Stance: Stop whining!