What magazines have you guys been reading? You dont pay anything but the 50$ for the xbox live starter kit and you get an online account for one year. You pay nothing else unless you download extra items (some of them dont cost to download some will, the first year should be all free). But after your first 12 months of the account you will be asked to pay to update your account if you dont then no more online xbox. But yes every online game uses the same system so you do not have to pay any extra for seperate games besides the initial cost.

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