This week, Microsoft is not only doing away with their Microsoft Points system (aka Moon Money), they are also doing away with the Gold Family Packs for Xbox Live.
If you don’t know what Gold Family Packs are, they are for people like me that have multiple people (or children in my case) that want Xbox Live accounts, and don’t want to play $60 a year for each of them. $99 bucks a year for four Xbox Live Gold accounts? Umm.. hell yes!!
The Xbox One will supposedly allow multiple accounts to access online content with a Home Gold account, but what about users that still plan to play their Xbox 360’s for a while online? I feel like we are getting shafted, and forced into embracing the Xbox One right out of the gate. Honestly I had planned on it, however this news about my current Xbox Live accounts that my 360 still uses is very irritating.
Another nice thing about the Xbox Live Gold Family Pack was that I could track how much my kids are really playing (if they’re trying to be sneaky) by using some online reports. That feature is being benched as well. I’m sure the same kind of feature will be available on Home Gold for the Xbox One, but I’m sure my kids will still be playing on the 360, so I guess I’m just screwed there.
I understand getting prepped for a new console, but why disable these features right now? Why not phase them out later when they are less used? Leave me a comment and tell me what you think.