Microsoft ends Game Pass Family subscriptions

On August 15, 2023, the Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family preview program will end.

[Christopher]

"... as we review what we’ve learned over the past several months and investigate how to build an offer which we can launch worldwide."

That could mean practically anything, including doing absolutely nothing. And it might be a coincidence, but this comes out right as the ABK deal moves into finalizing the merger territory.

[rippermcrip]

Nothing is my guess. It would be dumb of them to kick people off the program and then later tell them to sign up again.

This is just another cost cutting measure. It made no sense to allow any random people to sign up together.

[Godmars290]

"Cost saving" when ending a program meant to save families money?

More like they're trying to get family subscribers to do so alone, now that some are supposedly hooked.

[darthv72]

"Preview".... they are killing the preview to make it a regular option.

[4Sh0w]

It was a temporary "preview" program, so that they could gather user data, its set to expire, of course so they can decide if it's a profitable model, lol nothing really hard to understand.
https://www.windowscentral....

[porkChop]

Probably a coincidence considering they've already had to increase the cost of GP. The family sub was likely being abused so it's not surprising they'd get rid of it and look for a better option.

[raWfodog]

“ Share the fun of Game Pass with friends and family
Share all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate benefits among 5 family members and friends to enjoy hundreds of games together. Each member will enjoy a personalized experience where every account has its own gaming history, achievements, gamertag, saves, and built-in preferences. Geographic restrictions may apply.”

I don’t think it was being abused. It was just allowing up to five different accounts to use one GPU plan. Now they want everyone to get their own plan because they want more revenue. But if they are giving out free codes to the participants then it probably won’t cost the users anything to continue. I’m curious if they will use this to inflate new GP subscription numbers.

[shinoff2183]

I'm not sure how it worked. Was it like me and my son could use the same gamepass and now we cant?

[1Victor]

I smell a Netflix solution “NO FREEBIES” everyone have to buy their subscription.

[Christopher]

I mean, that's just good business sense. I don't want my account that I don't give out for free to increase in price because they have to adjust everyone's monthly price to account for those who do.

[bunt-custardly]

@christopher, that's a really glass half empty angle to take amigo.

[Prime157]

Christopher, that's incredibly short-sighted...

Like, the disabled get disability benefits (it's an insurance system), are you trying to take that away?

It's always ironic to me when someone holds such a jealous world view. Like, then you become disabled 10 years after voting against it due to a freak accident (or gain a family/friends to share the pass with)... And now you only have yourself to blame.

Although, my experience with that short -sightedness is that they never have the mental capacity to realize they screwed themselves.

[Christopher]

***that's a really glass half empty angle to take amigo.***

That's literally economics. If they have to account for users utilizing a service they don't pay for but use up their resources to use it, then who do you think the costs are going to be passed onto? Do you think they're just going to eat those costs up? That's not how it works. They have to account for those lost potential subscriptions and the increased costs to provide that service to more people on a single account.

Profit margins need to be met. That's just how business works. You can disagree with that, but it's also one of the reasons we continue to see subscription model price increases at the rate that we have now.

***Like, the disabled get disability benefits (it's an insurance system), are you trying to take that away?***

Did you just compare a social service to a private company product? Who is the disabled here? Are you saying that because other people can't afford their own subscriptions to a luxury service, not a necessity for living, I should pay more? Are you also then willing to pay more for your games than others in this scenario? You and I, we'll pay $90 for our games, and others will just pay $50 for theirs? Is that what you're saying should happen? Not only would I pay more in taxes, I'd also pay more for the same product put out by a private company that isn't a necessity?

[raWfodog]

To me, it obviously sounds like they want everyone who was utilizing the Family and Friends GP plan to now get their own individual subscriptions. They obviously want to increase their GP revenue even more moving forward, especially with Starfield set to release in September.

Give people a little taste to draw them in, and then take it away, making the ones that want to keep going pay full price.

[raWfodog]

It sounds like they will be giving codes away to the people who participated so that they can get their own GPU accounts. Don’t know if it’s free or not though. Just may be a way to increase GPU subscription numbers

[Inverno]

Call of Duty will soon be on the service, unless it's already on there. They gotta get as many individuals signing up, not a coincidence at all.

[fr0sty]

Digging through the couch for loose change...

[Sonic1881]

Another price increase incoming

[Hofstaderman]

So it begins. You cheered for this sort of thing, now live with it.

[aconnellan]

Cheered for what sort of thing? This was a preview program, a beta, was it not?

[InUrFoxHole]

Same gamer that swore they would never pay for psn

[CrimsonWing69]

He's mentioning the ABK acquisition, which has nothing to do with family sharing, but I suppose anything "negative" to come from Microsoft/Xbox will have comments directly referencing the ABK acquisition, because... well, sh*t, I can't explain idiotism. I just know you can't underestimate the predicability of stupidity.

[Cockney]

They will and when they're paying 4X the amount for one household they'll still bleat on about gamepass day 1 best deal in gaming

[Petebloodyonion]

Love that the title does not reflect the actual story.
Like missing the key word « preview » ;

Also last I checked
1) that Beta or preview wasn’t available everywhere or to everyone.

2) Ms is compensating the current participants.

[Christopher]

It was really hard to read the summary that did mention that it was a preview?

[Petebloodyonion]

After reading some of the comments it seems the answer is a definitive yes
But honestly Christopher, don't you think that having titles that reflect correctly the news would help to reduce the level of toxicity and flaming?

[HyperMoused]

In an effort to make more money, we are doing this...Phil

[Silly Mammo]

This move will be great for gamers....Phil

[S2Killinit]

Oh boy. Someone needs to pay the 68 BILLION I guess. Heheh

[ClayRules2012]

Lol. I guess so.

[talocaca]

Lol..... desperately looking for $70 billion dollars 🙄

[anast]

They yank the chain and people open their wallets.

[jznrpg]

Shocker. Carrot and stick. Here’s a good deal. Oh sorry the good deal is long gone time to pay out yo ass. It’s coming , higher prices , less for more.
Cheering for ABK was stupid, it won’t gain you much but paying more.

[S2Killinit]

YUPPP

They cheered for MS making games they were already getting to be exclusive, but now they will have to foot the bill. Pretty sure prices will go up if they haven’t already, etc etc

[ChasterMies]

Game Pass is the so called “best deal in gaming” but costs more than PS+ for a single person and orders of magnitude more for a household of gamers. All my kids can play all my games on-line on their accounts. I can even play with them on our second PS5, for no extra cost. Microsoft really should stop gouging families.

[S2Killinit]

The biggest scam is that if you look up the list of “day one” games, they are NOT compelling at all for all these years it was used as a selling point.

[Elda]

Agree. Most day one games are Indies with a AA game here or there including a decent game here or there like Wo Long which I enjoyed & Atomic Heart wasn't bad. Exoprimal isn't bad either.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

This sucks for real.

[Elda]

LOL!!

[bunt-custardly]

Isn't this what Netflix recently did. Stopped sharing of accounts. Stay classy MS.

[S2Killinit]

Not classy at all. Netflix did not advertise that you can share. Also, people were sharing Netflix across ipn addresses. And I still think Netflix is shit for blocking this because now I have to pay for netflix at my own home, while my girlfriend pays for her mom’s home and my brother pays for his home in a different city.

MS advertised the family sharing. Now they want everyone to pay separately even if within the same home?? That would be next level!

Someone Correct me if im wrong, for real.

[bunt-custardly]

"Stay classy MS" was a sarcastic part of the comment.

[S2Killinit]

Ah I see now

[Vithar]

gotta recoop 70b, the gamepass folks are in for a surprise

[S2Killinit]

Pretty much. What is crazy is that they are still getting the same games they were getting before!!!

[Risky_24]

It's funny how all these negative commenters are choosing to ignore that this was a preview program. In case you fail to understand what that means, maybe you should take some time off to educate yourself as to avoid making yourselves look like bigger fools. Some comments really seem to be coming from people who lack intelligence.

[AmUnRa]

And so it begins.....GamePass prices will be rising....MS wants the more that 70 billion back that they payed for the developers and Publisher A/B asap...
Xbox Live only sub ends in September....when do you guys see what going on??