As of November 1, 2010, Xbox Live Gold memberships will go up in price by 20%. Reaction to this has been universally negative, as one might expect. (Complaints from gamers on the Internet?! I’m shocked!)

I agree with CheapyD and Wombat of the CAGcast that Microsoft practically threw spokesman Major Nelson under the bus with this. He was tasked with announcing the price hike on his blog, so of course the legions of negative comments and other backlash fell squarely on his shoulders. Killing the messenger, and all that. Not cool.

To the surprise (and horror) of many, I recently reacquired an Xbox 360. However, I still stick to my guns on one thing: I will never pay for Xbox Live Gold. If I received a membership as a gift, then great; I certainly wouldn’t turn it down! I draw the line at spending my own money for simple services that are free of charge everywhere else. Regardless, I sympathize with loyal Xbox Live subscribers who are angered by this news. Even with discounted membership cards available at online retailers, it’s still a rabbit punch to the fans’ collective ball bag. If nothing else, I think that longtime Xbox Live Gold members should be exempt from this price increase as a reward for their years of loyalty towards Microsoft, not to mention the millions of dollars that flowed into the company’s coffers as a result.

Of course, the only real way to put a stop to exploitation like this is for the angry Xbox faithful to speak with their wallets…and that’s unlikely to happen. A majority will bitch about the price increase, sure, but pony up the cash anyway. In that case, your complaints are rendered moot. Put your money where your mouth is!