Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack coming in November

Coming this November, Microsoft will be offering a new package of Xbox LIVE Gold accounts. Simply called Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack allows families to purchase four Xbox LIVE accounts for the price of $99.99, or simply, the price of two standard/individual Xbox LIVE Gold accounts. Currently one Xbox Live Gold account costs $49.99 per month, leading this to be a huge savings if families previously wanted to purchase more than two Gold accounts.

 

This, of course, has a lot to do with Microsoft’s release of the Kinect device arriving November 4th. With this new device families will begin interacting more with the Xbox 360, more so than the current gamer of the house. With Kinect, playing the Xbox will be a more family oriented event than current Call of Duty games, or whatever your favorite Xbox 360 game is, thus leading to more users of Xbox LIVE.

 

Here’s the official news from the Xbox Press blog:

 

An Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack includes:

• Up to four individual Xbox LIVE Gold memberships for the price of two – (US) $99.99.
• Family Center – a single, easy to use, destination for Family Settings and account management, accessible on the Xbox dashboard and on Xbox.com.
• The primary account member has the ability to purchase and dispense Microsoft Points to other Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack members.
• Activity monitoring reports viewable on Xbox.com to help encourage discussions about safer more balanced gaming and entertainment habits.
• Simplified billing that applies all purchase charges to the primary account holder’s billing account and the ability to authorize purchases, helping to manage the family’s entertainment budget.
• Exclusive family content and discounts.

The industry-leading, built-in Xbox 360 Family Settings are also being taken to the next level this November. It's Microsoft's goal to provide parents and caregivers with tools and resources to manage their children's gaming and entertainment experiences, and these features are available to all Xbox LIVE members:

• Family Programming that removes all mature games, movies, and content from the dashboard, based on ESRB, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) ratings and the TV Parental Guidelines system . Family Programming is password protected, and easy to turn on and off for each member. (Compatible with international ratings systems.)
• Title exceptions – the ability to allow your family members to play specific games above the console’s designated ESRB rating if you deem appropriate. (Compatible with international ratings systems.)
• Intelligent default settings for child, teen, and adult profiles. Xbox will automatically assign default privacy and activity settings for each member that can later be individually customized.
• Family Settings are displayed prominently in the MyXbox channel. Current tools include the Family Timer, which allows you to control the amount of time - either daily or weekly - your children may use the console.

 

The best part about this promotion is that it’s not a limited offer, like the Windows 7 Family Pack was. Essentially, you get four Xbox LIVE Gold accounts for the price of two, no questions asked. The Xbox definitely now seems more poised as the perfect gaming device, as it tailors to hard-core gamers and casual gamers alike. This makes the Xbox 360 the ultimate device, as it also allows for users to use it as a multimedia hub. If you’re looking for a game console, the Xbox 360 is a definite no brainer, especially the latest Xbox 360 S, which runs quieter and cooler.