600°

Microsoft Just Killed Xbox Live Family Packs

Steve: As of August 27th, those of you with Xbox Live Family Pack accounts will have their accounts split into four individual memberships. Instead of getting four accounts for $99 a year, you will now be forced to pay the full price for each individual account. The hits just seem to keep rolling in.

Lovable3922d ago

What's with the amount of Xbone article today? Seriously.

ApolloTheBoss3922d ago

Running from the truth won't make it go away.

Maddens Raiders3922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

Speaking of truth....
Is it me or does anyone else notice as of late MS's "news" always seems to be about reversing course, clarifying a statement, changing specs, changing some arcane policy, or easing "restrictions" -- while PS news is usually about games & features, review of games & features, new features, or new games?

darthv723922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

i read that as they are converting the family accounts to gold accounts for the remainder of your subscription time AND adding in another 3mo of service per converted account.

It didnt say anything about paying the difference for that time remaining. Or am i missing something?

shoddy3922d ago

You get what you pay for./S

seriously how can people still bow down to MS greed.

georgeenoob3922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

"Running from the truth won't make it go away"

Truth is MS has more/better exclusives and tons more features than Sony and the fanboys on N4G are the ones running away from the truth focusing on things like the size of the power brick or what comes without a Gold subscription. That's why you see so many of these articles, trying to hide the bigger picture by criticizing the X1 with small things.

Oh the irony.

ApolloTheBoss3922d ago

^^^Obvious troll is obvious. Try harder next time.

ABizzel13922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

There's a bunch of misinformation going on so please clarify. We all understand Xbox Live Gold Family Plan is out. Instead of paying $99 for 4 memberships you have to pay $60 for you XBL account.

But does this mean:

EXAMPLE 1: Boomy and his best friends across the country all shared the XBL family plan for $99. Do they now have to purchase their own separate plan for $60 each once the subscription expires.

or

EXAMPLE 2: Boomy and his best friends across the country all shared the XBL family plan for $99. Boomy buys XBL for $60 and puts his account on his friends Xbox One. Everyone can use that same XBLGold since Boomy paid for it.

How I'm reading it is more like Example 2 (or maybe I just don't want it to be Example 1), but that brings up another question. Can you share it with all Xbox on the same ISP, or can you share it with anyone?

Edit

After further reading on IGN it says you can game share with anyone, so I'm guessing so as long as you give your gamertag / account info to your friend they should be able to use your XBL like, kind of like it is now. But I don't want someone playing on my account so hopefully license transfer still works.

Edit 2

Okay so after going to M$ website, you can share with anyone "in your home". If you have multiple profiles on your console everyone can use the same content even if they didn't buy it. If you use another console outside the home and buy a game, it will be playable on your profile, and saved to your home console so your family can still play it on your console.

So these feature is unlimited as long as the gamers are using your console at your home (kind of pointless if everyone wants their own console, and pretty much what anyone does to begin with).

However, when you're on another console you can download your profile and everyone can play with XBL Gold as long as your using your profile.

So this whole service is pretty much a joke. The only benefit is not having kids cartoons as your top recommendation with Netflix.

http://news.xbox.com/2013/0...

WrAiTh Sp3cTr33922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

"Speaking of truth....
Is it me or does anyone else notice as of late MS's "news" always seems to be about reversing course, clarifying a statement, changing specs, changing some arcane policy, or easing "restrictions" -- while PS news is usually about games & features, review of games & features, new features, or new games?"

Nothing about PS really interests me so I haven't been paying attention, especially in this article which has nothing to do with PS.

GribbleGrunger3922d ago

@ABizzel1: You are confusing to different policies. This is for the 360. The one you are speaking of is for the X1. Like I said below, perhaps MS will include the 360 in that X1 offer but as it stands at the moment, every member of your family will need a separate LIVE account for the 360.

Death3922d ago

"The new system "will enable any Xbox Live Gold member on Xbox One to extend many Gold features to others at no additional cost," Whitten wrote. "One Xbox Live Gold account delivering great benefits to everyone in the home."

If you read the announcement it clearifies it. Home Gold is making it so an unlimited amount of accounts can be set up on one box as long as there is a main gold account set up on it. This way your wife and kids can have there own unique accounts on the same box at the normal $59 yearly rate covering all accounts.

It will not cover seperate XboxOne systems though. Each system requires a main account at $59 a year since each system can be logged in at the same time. The old family plan was ideal for multiple Xbox360's in the same household at a reduced rate. For families accessing all 4 accounts (or more under the new plan)on a single Xbox, they will be saving $40 a year. If they were using multiple box's it is going up between $20-$140 a year depending on how many they plan to use at once.

YNWA963922d ago

Apollothetroll, be nice now. If you have no interest in X1, why are you commenting on this article then? Oh yeah, your trolling....

ABizzel13922d ago

@GribbleGrunger

I wasn't discussing the Xbox 360, I specifically meant the XB1 and as @Death said right below you, this new XB Gold Home is a awful replacement for XBL Family Plan. Most of the people bought the family plan because they owned multiple consoles in the household, or they shared the account with 3 other family members so they only had to pay $25 each.

This new XBL Home Gols cost $60 vs. $100 for the family plan, but everyone in the house has to use the same console to get the same benefits that the family plan offered. The problem is I nor many other people want to share my console with multiple people in the house. When I want to play I don't want to wait for Billy, John, Susan, or whoever else to get done to play. The family plan offered all this on 4 different consoles, and I'd rather pay the $40 to keep that functionality.

This also means that those 4 family members who payed for the plan at $25 each, now have to pay $60 each, because M$ wants more money. $100 vs. $240. It's just utterly ridiculous how M$ does something good, and then turn arounds and hits you in the wallet even more.

This is the final nail in the coffin for me. I gave M$ chance after chance to prove to me, the XB1 was worth it. Game-wise they proved it, but M$ is the greediest f@$#ing corporation I've seen, and I would be happy if the Xbox brand died with the XB1, because at least we had a decent ride with the 360.

I will not be buying an XB1 this generation, and it's looking more and more like I'll be a PS4 / Wii U owner, or a single console owner (PS4) if Nintendo doesn't get their stuff together (always have PC).

I'm just done. I'm not about to support someone who wants to nickel and dime you every chance they get. Xbox brand can die a slow painful death, and for all you Xbox supports good luck to you, and I wish you the best with your console.

Virus2013922d ago

Running from what truth?

The truth is;

They are getting rid of it because when the Xbox One comes out, you only need one Gold account ($60) on the console, and you can make unlimited account.

That website (hardcopy.com) tries to spin it and make it seem like everyone will have to pay now because they are getting rid of the Family pack. If you read the email, they'll be offering those people 3months of Xbox Live (which surprisingly end in November).

Death3922d ago

How many PS4's can play online at once with PS+?

ABizzel13922d ago

@Death

http://www.playstationlifes...

The point is M$ greedy @$$e$ are once again taking away something that was beneficial on the Xbox 360 just so they can try to make more money. If you want to offer XBL Home Gold fine, but don't take away the Family plan, because there are families where each child has their own console.

This plan will only let you share on a single console with all profiles loaded to it. If you have multiple console you have to pay $60 per console rather than $100 for up to 4 like the official Xbox websites says.

I'm sick of this give 1+ and take 2- from M$, and I'm just done. I'm not about to support someone who want to nickel and dime the consumers especially after making the 360 the success it was even after events like the RROD, and having a 1st party game drought for since January and not getting a new IP for what 2 years. M$ has turned the Xbox brand completely corporate, and it's no longer about gaming, but how much money they can take from gamers. And they can k!$$ my @$$.

JokesOnYou3922d ago

lol, You see this is what I'm talking about, this site including folks on n4g just automatically turned good news into something bad, something evil.

The family sharing existed for $99 family members could share multiple xbox live gold accounts on 1 360. The new xbox live policy for sharing means that for each console you can have multiple gold accounts on that 1 360/X1 for only $60.

This is good news XBL just got cheaper for those who purchased the family plan and of course you sony kids just blindly start hating.

sAVAge_bEaST3922d ago

@adorie,

The truth is that M$ does not care about their customer base, will nickle and dime whenever they can,.. and produce the Daily Fail.

rainslacker3922d ago

@Jokes

That's Abizzel's problem though with the new plan. He wants to have the family plan to be able to have multiple consoles available to play in one home. He doesn't want to have to pay a separate live fee for each console in the home. The family plan was more cost effective for him, so now with multiple consoles, he will be spending more.

It's great that MS is allowing unlimited(?) accounts on a single Xbox, but it doesn't pertain to each individual console in the home. There are many multi-console homes out there, and it's perfectly reasonable for him to not like it.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding how the family plan works, but that seems to be his gripe. It's obviously not going to be cheaper for him, and a couple others...so in a sense, a good feature is now a step backwards.

JokesOnYou3922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

Correction this is for Xbox One. 360 users will have to use the Gold Members gamertag for access to online. Again its making a big deal out of nothing, you still have access to all Gold services on 360, just not with a separate gamertag for free.

@Rainslacker but you still have access to gold on multiple consoles you own, its just locked to your Gold membership gamertag, so all it means is that for others who live in your house but don't pay for their own Gold subscription they will have to use your gamertag to log in for gold services.

awi59513921d ago

@shoddy

Apparently Sony since they are jealous of that 500 million a month microsoft gets form xbox live. I cant believe no one even cares that sony is charging for online play this gen after all the years of bashing Xbox for it. But if sony does it it's ok? Really, sony fanboys do you know how silly that looks? Screw both consoles im staying pc having too much fun at much cheaper prices with better graphics.

Redempteur3921d ago

They are getting rid of the familly plan , so what ? now every xbox360 owner MUST upgrade to the xbone ?

i mean yes this is good to have one account for a console , especially in the xbone VS ps4 fight that will start in november BUT , what if i want to stay on 360 ??

mewhy323921d ago

What.....micro $ oft trying to milk more money from the sheep? Don't worry thesheep will continue to pay without question and praise the company for making them do it.

thisismyaccount3921d ago

Sony better have tons of information to share with us, bad propaganda is still propaganda. Haven´t read anything PS4 related the past 3 weeks, more or less.

Give me sumtin Sony!

UnHoly_One3921d ago (Edited 3921d ago )

Just a curiosity question for all of you guys who are blasting MS for this policy like it's the worst thing ever.

Is it even going to affect you?

I'm guessing probably not, so why are you bitching about it??

If you don't currently use the XBL family deal, you have no business being in here bitching about it.

I see quotes like this all over the page: "This is it, I'm done with MS, I'm never buying anything from them again."

Well, I'm guessing that first off, you didn't have a Gold Family pack to begin with, and second, you probably weren't going to ever buy an XB1 anyway.

I just don't get the people that have to come into every Xbox article and bitch about something that doesn't concern them.

kreate3921d ago (Edited 3921d ago )

@unholy

Of course it concerns gamers. These ridiculous policies and restrictions slash nickle and diming affects all of us. So it turns ppl off from getting a xbone. So of course ppl will complain.

Doesn't matter what the product is. I'm just mentioning the xbone cuz ms and the xbone is the issue at hand.

If ms make everything simple and consumer friendly, I highly doubt ppl will complain and moan.

Death3921d ago

@abizzel

So PS+ users can share their console with unlimited accounts and only pay for one. If you want to have multiple PS4's in your household, each system needs to have a paid PS+ account to play online.

Live users can share their console with unlimited accounts and only pay for one. If you want to have multiple Xbox's in your household, each system needs to have a paid Live account to play online.

Previously, Microsoft offered a family share plan that gave you 4 Live subscriptions for $99. It didn't matter if all 4 were on the same console or on different consoles.

Previously, Sony didn't charge for online play. Now they are going to charge $50 per PS4 if you want to play online.

I'm not sure I'd label either as greedy since they are businesses. Sony having the same policy now as Microsoft would put the whole "greed" thing on a level playing field.

nukeitall3921d ago

@rainslacker:

If he/she truly wants to use multiple consoles, then one account can sign in on many consoles.

Now, if you want multiple consoles and multiple accounts without paying, you have to add a step. On the other consoles (other than the main one), sign in on the account that has XBL Gold, then sign in with the account you want to use.

Bam! Problem solved and you saved money over the family plan!

evilhasitsway3921d ago

@adorie

that ms sucks and all ms fans wallets are just getting raped bad ms doesn't know how to treat there customers plain and simple. I started on the first xbox it was a good system to have I also had ps2 but when it came to 360 and ps3 the only big thing between them is the games ps3 just had more games that's the trueth, now with ps4 and x1 ps4 is winning hands down. sony has had a plan and they have stuck to it. ms has changed everything since thy reveal it. that shows me ms doesn't even know what they want. that's the truth.

3921d ago
The_Con-Sept3921d ago

Xbox one is so unstable that it might have been what caused the electricity to fluctuate in black mesa New Mexico!

Gaming1013921d ago

It's simple, consoles aren't as profitable as Msoft would like them to be, so they need to creatively come up with new revenue streams, and if that means restricting things that used to save consumers money like family packs, then too F'n bad consumers, you need to pay. This is what gave birth to the used games debacle - it was another way to increase the revenue stream.

Fanboys can't seem to get it out of their head that Msoft doesn't give a crap about them, they care about one thing - improving investor relations, which means increasing profits. It's the North American way of doing business (mostly US). Don't think you're anything other than a revenue stream to a faceless corporation.

rainslacker3921d ago

@nuke or joke

OK, I get that, based on this and other comments. I guess my only remaining question is this.

Will Xbox Live allow two people who are on the same primary account(ie, the primary and a secondary) both sign in at the same time from different consoles?

I bring this up because there was an article yesterday about GFWL not kicking you off Xbox Live if you logged into both with the same account. It seems the primary would always be the master account that all subsequent accounts would log in through.

I understand the workaround, and if it's possible for two people to be logged in at the same time from different consoles, I will concur that this workaround would actually benefit people who have the family plan now and want to go that extra step...at least monetarily.

BTW, I'm not trying to stir anything up. I'm genuinely curious since I don't use XBLive now and am interested if MS is trying to make more positive moves for the benefit of the consumer.

+ Show (30) more repliesLast reply 3921d ago
Enigma_20993922d ago

It's a reprieve from the Wii U bashing, I guess.

Kingthrash3603921d ago

no need to wiiu bash....who bashes the wiiu?
Nintendo is doing a great job of it themselves by not putting out games fast enough. most of wiiu system sellers are coming out next year and the next gen will be in full swing by then....it them not taking advantage of this head start they've had. it them not having a conference at e3. its them not bringing something new to the table.....its all on them....

Me-Time3921d ago

People really need to stop quoting the first comment (not you) just to be noticed. It looks like the first 100 comments is in reply to the first one. Get a life, you're crap (for lack of a better word).

Enigma_20993921d ago

You folks make me proud to call myself a gamer...[/sarcasm]

NeutralXP3922d ago

Stop trolling and if you don't like it don't comment everybody is sick of hearing PS4 news this isn't a only PS4 site FFS

Blackdeath_6633921d ago

no its just that less people are interested in the XBone so naturally less people will look up XBone news thus less people will submit XBone news and the opposite is true for ps4

Jyndal3921d ago

Of course it's not a PS4 site only.
There's also PC.
Anything else is just filler.

tuglu_pati3922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

You'll be hearing a lot Xbox related news from now on and I'm pretty sure that after Camescom they will start advertising the X1 like crazy.

3922d ago
dedicatedtogamers3922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

Is this really "news"? I thought that Microsoft killed the family plan to put everyone under one Gold account? At least, that's the way it is on Xbox One, to my knowledge.

Maybe it's a way to get people to upgrade from 360 to X1? I dunno. Someone please clarify.

ABizzel13922d ago

http://news.xbox.com/2013/0...

By all means correct if I'm reading it wrong, but basically they canceled the family share plan (4 different consoles et XBL Gold for $100) and replaced it with XBL Home Gold (1 console everyone shares content on for $60).

So for families with 1 console it's a benefit because every account on that one console now has XBL Gold, instead of having to pay $60 per gamertag. Also each gamertag can share all the content, but has their own settings. For example, you have kids that watch a bunch of disney cartoons on Netflix, well those videos won't be recommended to you when you sign in to netflix on your gamertag. Also if you buy Gear of War off the store from your gamertag, as long as your kids are playing on the one console everyone can play that copy of Gears of War and even get online.

However, for families that purchase multiple consoles for say dad, and their 2 - 3 kids, you're f@$#ed, because now you have to stick to buying 1 console and sharing everything (that 500GB HDD is going to get full) or pay $60 for each console in the house.

That's what I got from the Xbox site.

Now if you sign in with your profile on a friends house say out of town. If that friend doesn't have XBL Gold it's okay since your account does, so you both can log in with your own gamertags and play online. And if you buy a game on your friends console while using your gamertag, your console back at home will automatically download the game to your home console for when you return. However, as soon as you activate your account back at your home, your friend loses XBL Gold functionality.

So basically they dumped family plan, for no reason, and added a replacement that doesn't help multi-Xbox owners, and want you to pay more money.

JokesOnYou3922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

@ABizzel1, NO you were making sense until this part:

"However, for families that purchase multiple consoles for say dad, and their 2 - 3 kids, you're f@$#ed, because now you have to stick to buying 1 console and sharing everything (that 500GB HDD is going to get full) or pay $60 for each console in the house."

"So how it works is, on your console, anybody else on the console, whether it's a babysitter that's come over or a friend or your family, can participate in all the experiences like they're on Gold," Xbox chief product officer Marc Whitten told Polygon. "It's with their gamertag so they're not on your gamertag, you don't even have to be there, they're not messing up your gamerscore or your storage or your queues or anything like that. It's their full account experience, but it really gets to take full advantage of many of the Gold features."

"If you login to your gamertag on another Xbox One (for example, at a friend's house or a second console in your house) all of your digital content travels with you, but is only available while you're logged in. Once you sign out, whatever you downloaded is still on that console but will need to be purchased by other users."

"If this sounds familiar, that's because it is. This is how the Xbox 360 handled digital content licenses, providing multiple gamertags access to content on a home console while reverting to "demo" status for Xbox Live Arcade games when logged out at a friend's house. "The way that the home console works is the same way it works for your content," Whitten said. "You play any of your digital content that you downloaded on that home console and we wanted that experience to extend not just around the benefits of the digital system but also what's going on with your [Xbox Live Gold] membership."
http://www.polygon.com/2013...

-So what I gathered from reading this is that when you buy a console one Gamertag(whoever pays the $60 online fee) will be setup as the primary member but you can have UNLIMITED Gamertags created on that same console and those specific gamertags on THAT CONSOLE have full access to all Gold membership services where each of those individual gamertags have full but separate access to Gold services.

The difference is gamertag who paid the $60 can use his gold membership/gamertag on ANY 2nd, 3rd, console he may own including ANYWHERE ON ANY FRIENDS CONSOLE. I mean this is really, really awesome but I do see why only the gamertag who paid $60 can play on any console because if not that would mean you could potentially make 1000 gamertags based on your 1 console ownership/Gold subscription, then give them out to 1000 people to have access to all your games anywhere. This way they keep it locked to 1 console except for whoever pays $60 for Gold membership.

3922d ago
JokesOnYou3922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

Edit, On my above post the 2nd to last sentence should have said:

"then give them out to 1000 people to have access to your GOLD membership anywhere, without paying."

-Yeah edonus, I mean this is a sweet deal, everybody in you household(has access to your console) is set up with full Gold service....and you can use your gold membership on any console anywhere.

btw I'm not going to ever share my gamertag....but think about this basicly you and a brother or trusted friend could both buy an X1, only 1 of you buy a Gold membership, buy all digital games and if you share gamertags essentially only 1 of you needs to buy any game and you both can play it(at seperate times) even if he lives on the other coast. lol, just like you can do now except more conveniently if you don't live together.

rainslacker3922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

@Jokes

So to clarify, because honestly this stuff is getting confusing...

If you set up a primary console...say the living room, and all the households members are registered as users on that console, they can then play all the same content on another console?

If so how does that prevent anyone from just setting up all their friends under their account and those friends being able to log on anywhere?

It seems to me, that with this plan, only one person, whether the primary or secondary, could be logged in at one time. If that's the case, how could two people play different consoles at one time and both be logged in?

I guess to put it simply, is it possible for both the primary and secondary accounts to be able to log in at the same time? If so then this is a great plan. If not, then it's not really a solution to anything that Abizzel is talking about.

Maybe I'm just missing something since I'm not too familiar with the XBox Live service...but that appears to be ABizzel's issue here beside the actual monetary loss he thinks he'll incur.

MasterCornholio3921d ago

"Maybe it's a way to get people to upgrade from 360 to X1?"

That makes sense. Microsoft downgrades a service on the Xbox 360 to give people an incentive to upgrade. Sounds despicable but knowing Microsoft it could be true.

Motorola RAZR i

JokesOnYou3921d ago

"It seems to me, that with this plan, only one person, whether the primary or secondary, could be logged in at one time. If that's the case, how could two people play different consoles at one time and both be logged in?"

Rainslacker

"Microsoft's spokesperson confirmed that won't be the case. "Gold features will stay active on your home Xbox One console even if you roam and login to use your Gold features elsewhere," the spokesperson said".
http://kotaku.com/xbox-one-...

"On Xbox One if you are an Xbox Live Gold member, you will be able to go to a friend’s house and play co-op multiplayer– even if your friend is not a Gold subscriber. Once you log in with your Xbox Live Gold account, everyone using that console can access multiplayer and entertainment apps for as long as you are logged in."
http://news.xbox.com/2013/0...

-So again the Gold membership can be used by the home console owner whoever paid $60 for the Gold membership ANYWHERE ON ANY CONSOLE, the other gamertags created for family members on that console only have access to gold services(online) on that 1 home console.

devwan3921d ago (Edited 3921d ago )

@Jokes

"-So again the Gold membership can be used by the home console owner whoever paid $60 for the Gold membership ANYWHERE ON ANY CONSOLE, the other gamertags created for family members on that console only have access to gold services(online) on that 1 home console."

OK, you keep clarifying that, but how about this, because this is the part I can't see clarified quite as clearly:

You have gold on your home machine and the master account. You set up an account for your little brother on the same machine, he can now have the same benefits on that machine.

Now you go to your friend's house, he doesn't have live so you sign in there and play online.

At home, your little brother wants to play online on his account. Is this possible at the same time? From what you said I think it is. If so, it seems you can happily run a maximum of two accounts through one live payment if you own 2 xbox ones, as only one secondary account can possibly play on your main machine while you sign in to another. If this is the case, you'd need just 2 live payments to happily run 4 machines in one home - and for someone with 4 machines under the family plan they're now paying just $20 more at $120 instead of $100, so it's not a massive difference. Of course, that all depends on the possibility of a secondary account being allowed to use live functionality if the main account is signed into a non-primary xbox one machine.

nukeitall3921d ago

@devwan:

"Of course, that all depends on the possibility of a secondary account being allowed to use live functionality if the main account is signed into a non-primary xbox one machine."

That is exactly how it works confirmed by MS.

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 3921d ago
adorie3922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

Only on N4G, can you get hit with a shit ton of disagrees for asking a simple question.

I've got to hand it to some of these people here. Darwin awards should be expanded.

MasterCornholio3921d ago

Its for the 360......

Motorola RAZR i

CRAIG6673921d ago

you only need ONE live account per household on x1.

seedaripper19733921d ago (Edited 3921d ago )

Do Microsoft have any feet left???

Belking3921d ago

It's the norm around here. If's MS they always focus on the negative.

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 3921d ago
cl19833922d ago

I have to question there being no mention of the source of this image.

Queasy3922d ago

It's legit. I got the same email.

cl19833922d ago

I was just taken back that the story didn't list some type of source.

guitarded773922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

It's legit, but yeah... you're right. It's irresponsible for a site not to list a source. Journalism 101. That's how misinformation and lawsuits happen.

On topic: MS just hasn't learned yet. People don't want features taken away. They don't want value stripped. They want every penny they can get from Live users, so they take away the family plan which makes it cheaper for families/groups to have XBOX Live.

Neoninja3922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

Didn't they say though that if you have gold on one account all other accounts can use it on the xbox?

http://news.xbox.com/2013/0...

GribbleGrunger3922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

So basically MS have give something to a none existent userbase by offering a one account solution to the X1 owners, and then shaft a userbase of 40+ million 360 owners ... Why does there always have to be a catch?

@green: Am I understanding it incorrectly? You used to be able to buy a family pack that gave you LIVE for $99 but that's been dropped. Doesn't this mean that every member of your family will need to pay full price for LIVE?

They're making you pay more ... no?

The catch is that they offered the X1 deal first to make you feel all nice and rosy and then they do this to a userbase of 40 million+.

GribbleGrunger3922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

What's your take on it then? Are you happy that people can no longer pay $99 a year for a family pack, so they have to pay much more? Clearly it's no coincidence that MS announce the one account solution for the X1 and then make 360 owners pay more. Can't you see the connection? Can't you see that MS are using 360 owners to help foot the bill for their X1`offer?

No_Limit3922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

there is no catch Gribble,

It is a migration to a one account system and existence members account within the Family plan will be compensated.

every single one of the family secondary accounts are being converted to their individual Gold account for free until the expiration date. In addition, each account gets 3 extra months for free. The original master account after 8/27 is the account that gets all the just announced 'Home Gold' and its sharing features. Yes, the sharing of one Gold account on a single console also applies to the X360 in addition to the XB1.

Christ!, am I the only one that read the entire article to get the full details instead of coming up with conclusion based on the headline article?

r2oB3921d ago

@ No_Limit

It states in the article that sharing one Gold account for multiple users on one console is for the Xbox One, it does not mention that feature for the 360.

The catch is that after they convert everyone each former member of the Family Pack will receive their own Gold account; but what will happen when that subscription ends? Each member will have to renew @ $60/Gold account in order to have XBL gold on the 360 (as opposed to $99 for 4 Gold accounts).

This is good news for Xbox One owners with multiple users on one console, but bad news for Xbox 360 owners with multiple users on one console.

Between this news, and the lack of exclusive titles coming to the 360... it seems that Microsoft has little to no regard for their current 360 userbase. Once again Microsoft is putting all their focus on the next console, and slowing abandoning the current console.

Geezus3922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

ehh the family pack was expensive anyway im glad theyre fazing it out... they should go with the xbox one plan for all devices tho just for continuity and im more than sure that 40 mill+ werent on the family gold sharing plan they were the minority for sure tour kinda over exaggerating
edit: they made family gold plan out unavailable like 2 month ago

GribbleGrunger3922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

edit: I responded to your post before you completely re-wrote it.

I'm not sure you've quite understood what's going on here. The X1 has a one account solution. This enables you to share an account with your family on the X1. This will mean MS can't make as much money from LIVE on the X1. What they've done is removed the family plan from the 360 so that you have to pay more for your family members to play online, thus using 360 owners to foot the bill for the X1 one account solution.

@No_Limit: That's only for a limited time. Then people with a family of 5 will have to pay $300 a year!

And yes, I did read it all. It's just that I can see the bigger picture.

GribbleGrunger3922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

Ok, so I'll concede that 'perhaps' MS may apply the new X1 policy to 360s too, but as it stands at the moment, they are two separate policies. I will gladly eat humble pie if I'm wrong and MS clarify this.

deadfrag3922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

Yes every member will have to have a diferent account and pay for it,the only catch is that M$ will disolve the family accounts and give 3 months free for every member in that family account.Give with one and take with two!!

slimeybrainboy3922d ago

Arent they swapping it for something else anyway?

http://uk.ign.com/articles/...

PopRocks3593922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

Whoa, whoa, whoa... wasn't it stated for both PS4 and Xbox One that if you get the subscriptions for one account you basically have them for all accounts on the console? Or is my information inaccurate?

@DarkBlood

That's why I'd assume a feature like this would be totally pointless anyway. If you have a single subscription, you don't need to spend an extra $39 four three additional accounts that already get the perks!

DarkBlood3922d ago (Edited 3922d ago )

i believe you are correct, i dont know if it was for both consoles though but i do remeber reading something to that effect

3-4-53922d ago

for PS4 i thought it was true, guess not for XB1.

The family pack is for multiple consoles right ?

or why would anybody pay twice to have internet on one system.

Didn't know these existed but it sounds like they are trying to "Push", people to buy the new XB1 and abandon the Xbox 360.

Hmmm. Could go either way with this, but I still think there is more with this we don't know or they aren't telling us.

Virus2013922d ago

It's like that for the Xbox One as well. THat's why they are getting rid of the family plan and offering those people 3months of Xbox live (up to November). Then when they get their Xbox One consoles, they can transfer those account from the 360 to the X1 and they'll be free.

Halochampian3922d ago

Exactly.

Other sites are focusing on the Home Gold feature.

N4G focuses on getting rid of features for this better one.

Shows you the state of mind of this site.

ABizzel13922d ago

That's the problem Home Gold isn't better unless your family only buys 1 console to being with.

Everything in Home Gold you can do now on 360, simply by transferring the license of the game to the account you want (you can only do it twice I believe).

Home Gold just let's everyone who comes over to visit log in their account on your Xbox One and use your XBL Gold. Compared to the family plan offering Gold for up to 4 different consoles.

Show all comments (167)
300°

Microsoft Survey Asks About Handheld

A new survey from Microsoft has further hinted at the possibility of an Xbox handheld being in development.

Read Full Story >>
twistedvoxel.com
EasilyTheBest5d ago

This is definitely happening, I just hope they have 2 versions one with a much bigger screen.

GamerRN5d ago

I'll be happy with this, and a PC console hybrid that rivals anything we have power wise

Number1TailzFan4d ago

The problem with bigger devices is playing them on your side in bed, Vita and before that was fine. Since the Switch you gotta have a gooseneck holder & controllers detached so you can lie down holding them, or your arm will quickly get tired.

1Victor4d ago

@thesofware: “A much bigger screen than what?”
A gaming laptop 🤷🏿🤣

Kosic4d ago

Than the screen originally planned...duh... :D

darthv724d ago

it kinda already did... https://www.xbox.com/en-US/...

They are just gauging interest in one of their own.

crazyCoconuts4d ago

A Xbox version of Logitech G-Cloud?
I mean, why bother? Not like the G cloud is flying off shelves and what would Xbox add to make it better?
They're surely not going to create bespoke architecture here and there are already a few Windows handhelds out there. I have little confidence in their ability to put together an attractive UI in the way Steam did. So I doubt anything will come from this.

KicksnSnares5d ago

Day One buy for me if they'll make a dedicated handheld device.

darthv725d ago

i have that logitech g-cloud. Its a sweet little piece of kit. I like that it can also install games from the play store unlike the other android based handheld.

mudakoshaka5d ago

It sure is! Don't understand why you get the down-votes. Whoever does not like the G Cloud must have been dropped down a well, head first, when they were of a younger age.

PassNextquestion5d ago

I wonder if Microsoft will perform better in Japan if they do actually make a handheld since everyone says handheld and mobile are king over there.

TiredGamer5d ago

This looks like the future of the game industry... all three platforms with a handheld option.

I wonder if the Playstation Portal is a technology test-bed/prototype for a future Playstation handheld?

rlow15d ago (Edited 5d ago )

It’s a possibility but I can’t help but think would that be the best way to go about it? Though it would give you data on how much it is used and game type. It’s still not a true portable device and so people approach it differently. I think that data on phones, tablets, and of course the competition would give a better indication.

But I really think if Sony is considering a new PSP that could play ps5 games, now would be the time to dive in. Honestly, if they do this, it would be huge.

Traecy4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

Doubt if Sony PS wants to support a new handheld with first party games. Something they lacked with the Vita. What they should do is have a handheld that is like the PS Portal which can play all games but play those games on the go as well as at home. Something like that is a better investment.

TiredGamer4d ago

Agreed that you will probably never see a separate line of games specifically for the handheld (a la PSP or PSVita). The modern economics and expectations of game development make that cost prohibitive. What makes more sense is if the full-fat game on PS5 or PS6 has a special "handheld" profile that is automatically optimized for the lower spec handheld. There would be some significant compromises compared to the bigger console variant, but it would be the same game overall and would only require a single purchase.... somewhat what the Switch does with a lower resolution when playing handheld versus docked.

Show all comments (51)
310°

Xbox Games Showcase Followed by [REDACTED] Direct Airs June 9

- Xbox Wire - Mark your calendars! The Xbox Games Showcase followed by [REDACTED] Direct airs June 9. More info inside.

Read Full Story >>
news.xbox.com
bionicstar5d ago

Will they show Fable 4, Stalker 2, GoW 6 & Perfect Dark?

PhillyDonJawn5d ago

Crossing fingers for Fable and perfect dark. And State of Decay 3

RaidenBlack5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

And maybe Clockwork Revolution, South of Midnight, Contraband, Project 007 & OD? lol
and whatever happened to Everwild ?
+ that rumored Wu Tang RPG

Sonic18815d ago (Edited 5d ago )

Will they have official release dates and gameplay?

anast5d ago

Another game pass event with their plans to go all streaming.

5d ago
Lightning775d ago

It's an Xbox showcase that they have every year.

Make smarter comments for once.

anast5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

Tell me what a smarter comment is.

If they don't sell game pass the entire time, then I will be wrong. All of this can be proven once the show gets underway. Let's wait and see.

InUrFoxHole4d ago

@Anast
Anything you didn't type. Good day sir!

5d ago
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5d ago Replies(1)
Lightning775d ago (Edited 5d ago )

Wow too easy.

You went from MS going all streaming to selling gamepass content in which we all know they are.

Which one is it?

Pretty clear you don't know what a smart comment is at least you admit you don't know.

5d ago
anast4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

"Another game pass event with their plans to go all streaming."

It's both. I would worry about your own intelligence at this point. It seems that there is not enough to go around for you to worry about how smart other people are.

Lightning774d ago

It's just a regular event announcing games. Nice one captain obvious they're gonna mention gp stuff like they do every year what else is new.

The all streaming part is just you, being you I guess. They have streaming options but going all streaming again is just you pulling stuff outta thin air.

anast4d ago

You don't know what a smart comment is or isn't. You're welcome for the help.

Lightning774d ago

No you said something dumb then you tried to back track and mention GP.

Again make smart comments for once.

anast4d ago

And we have broken record syndrome.

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 4d ago
darthv725d ago

Wonder if they will address the handheld rumors....?

jimb0j0nes5d ago

For a brief moment I thought we might get a whole Direct for Gears 6 - seems like it's COD though!

Show all comments (44)
290°

Microsoft’s Surface and Xbox hardware revenues take a big hit in Q3

Microsoft just posted the third quarter of its 2024 fiscal financial results. The software maker made $61.9 billion in revenue and a net income of $21.9 billion during Q3. Revenue is up 17 percent, and net income has increased by 20 percent.

Read Full Story >>
theverge.com
darthv7210d ago

Xbox content + services up 62% while hardware down 31%... seems about right with the way they tout you don't need the hardware to play. People can play on their phones or smart tv or other means. I don't hardly play on my consoles directly since getting devices like the logitech g-cloud and ps portal. Which is to also say I have been playing more digital than physical because of these devices.

solideagle9d ago

you should apply in MS PR team buddy, I think you will do a great job in my humble opinion :)

Sonic18819d ago

I thought darthv72 and Obscure_Observer already work for Microsoft 🤔

dveio9d ago

MS: "Xbox services and content without AB up 1%, with AB up 62%. Hardware down 31%. In total a loss of 350 mill."

darthv72: "Seems about right."

MS: "Excuse m ..."

darthv72: "I don't hardly play on my consoles directly."

MS:

Lightning779d ago

What he said was facts. How he plays games is no concern of you. Don't get too mad about it.

Cacabunga9d ago

I can tell people like you are an absolute minority..

If service is up means their fans and fanboys accepted this model and subscribed to it. The near future you will see a big decline because the service is saturated.

darthv729d ago

to you it may seem like the minority... but your bubble is shrinking because more and more are following suit. convenience is a hell of a drug and its also why physical sales only amount to 30% of overall game sales. times are changing, you either get with them or you get left behind.

neutralgamer19928d ago

Darth

30% physical sales: yet Phil and xbox division are in a rush go give up on that 30%. they don't have any right to give up any piece of the pie since the control such a little of the pie to begin with

also, the market is clearly speaking that the model Xbox is pushing isn't working right now the keyword being right now. you are right about freedom to play anywhere so i hope they put their games on steam

shinoff21839d ago

But that's been ms for years. When things aren't going their way they try to change the way things are said. For instance console sales are down, they stop telling how many sold instead telling us how many hours spent in halo or headshots. So it makes sense console sales down just say people are playing on more devices then previous. What they won't say is how many xbox players jumped ship to ps5.

Cacabunga9d ago

Hardware sales are so bad that Sony and Nintendo are blowing the sales off the water with their hardware.

If Xbox are losers, others aren’t..
Xbox already tried everything with Xbox live then subscriptions went down so much that they had to find something else. Their fans subscribed then reached saturation rather quickly.

Hardware and exclusive games is where it’s at! Keep gamers excited, announce decent software and people will support you

itsmebryan9d ago

@shin
Well keep it simple Sony 's operating income is down 26% and Microsoft's is up 32%. No MS spin there, just facts. 😉
Cheers

S2Killinit9d ago

MS is after diminishing consoles as a medium. They want to destroy this market because they couldnt win. MS’s vision is to dissolve console gaming.

romulus239d ago

Odd that a company that touts you dont need the hardware to play is already touting another console in the works.

darthv729d ago

They are not reliant on the HW but still want to maintain a presence (no matter how small) is a good thing. It shows commitment to the craft. It reminds me of SNK and how they made games for their own hardware (Neo Geo) while also making them for others because they knew there was a market to do so. They knew they would sell more to others but also sell to their own niche fan base.

TheEroica9d ago (Edited 9d ago )

Perfectly reasonable post down voted by insecure corporation friendly folk.... But not gamers. Real gamer want accessibility and ease of acquisition for all.... Company shills are the only ones still telling us that hardware locking people from games is good for us.

Chevalier8d ago

@Darth

You should stop parroting metrics like an idiot without context.

"Xbox content and services revenue grew 62% in Q3 from a year earlier, “driven by 61 points of net impact” from the purchase of the third-party video game giant, Microsoft said."

61 of the 62% was from their merger so net increase is ONLY 1%

https://www.mesaonline.org/...

itsmebryan8d ago

@chevalier

It looks like made a great purchase. Much better then Sony buying Bungie. 😉
Cheers

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 8d ago
purple1019d ago

Xbox hardware revenue tanks to lowest point of Xbox Series generation

Profchaos9d ago

I'm not surprised surface is struggling they aren't relevant anymore

DOMination-9d ago

In the last two years they've started exiting the consumer market altogether. All of the newest Surface products are business models only. They can't seem to work out what they want to do with it.

XBManiac9d ago

Too expensive hardware when others offer the same or more for less? Good work, Green Team.

SimpleDad9d ago (Edited 9d ago )

"Despite some early successes for Xbox games on rival platforms, Xbox hardware is down by a massive 31 percent this quarter."
"Without Activision Blizzard, Microsoft’s overall gaming revenue would have actually declined this quarter."
"Xbox content and services would have only been up a single percent without Activision Blizzard..."
"It looks like next quarter is going to be a similar story for gaming at Microsoft, too."

That is crazy... so A/B/K is carrying the whole Xbox gaming.
Oh and Microsoft will be fine. Windows, Office and Cloud are growing with each pc purchase.

purple1019d ago

Activision: "we gonna need a bigger rucksack/backpack please"

Microsoft: "why's that"

Activision: "to carry yo' weak ass'

Profchaos9d ago (Edited 9d ago )

Top brass have also wanted to start seeing returns on the 100 billion they have put into various Xbox related moves so seeing more multiplatform games is highly likely especially from abk

It's basically saying that PlayStation is the reason Xbox is afloat right now thinks to Ps5 versions of COD

Kornholic9d ago

So basically PS and PC gamers' money is keeping Xbox on life support.

MrDead9d ago

The only growth MS will get out of the console industry is if it supports it's rivals platforms. Xbox is a pointless machine now. I can see them on a big push for live next, and they won't give up on trying to buy Steam.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 9d ago
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