"Gears of War has sold more than 3.7 million copies worldwide since its November release. The price of add-on maps for the game caused some controvery."
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) — New charges for online extras are sharply raising the price serious video gamers pay for Xbox 360 games, a profitable move by Microsoft, but one that could alienate some fans. With more than 6 million users, Microsoft's Xbox Live online network has become the key feature distinguishing the Xbox 360 from rival Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii. More than 3 million Xbox Live subscribers pay a $50 annual fee that allows them to play games online against one another. About 3 million more use the service without an annual subscription, taking the total to more than half Xbox users. Through Xbox Live, players can buy maps for fighting terrains and other add-ons that are indispensable to serious gamers, usually at a cost of $10 each. Such add-ons used to be free most of the time and the additions can raise a game's cost to $80 or even $100 over its lifespan. "The (downloadable maps) are very profitable for us," said Tony Key, vice president of marketing for UbiSoft Entertainment SA, whose Tom Clancy-themed shooters such as Rainbow Six and GRAW 2 are among the most popular games on Xbox Live.
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