Let’s forget the negativity surrounding Microsoft at the moment and concentrate on some more positive news. With the Kinect rapidly gathering dust, Microsoft has announced free Games with Gold for Xbox One, whilst also dropping the infamous Gold paywall for apps in June.
The days of all of the video streaming apps such as Netflix being locked behind a £40 a year Xbox live subscription are finally over and, if in a moment of madness, you subscribed to Xbox Live just to use video streaming apps, internet explorer and Skype. Microsoft will allow you to cancel and get a refund for your remaining Xbox Live Gold subscription when the paywall is finally knocked down next month.
Reading between the lines on the Microsoft FAQ page subscribers are advised the following:
Will I be able to cancel my Gold membership?
“Yes, Once the Xbox One and Xbox 360 system updates become available in June, Xbox Live Gold members who purchased a paid membership before that day can cancel and receive a pro-rata refund of any unused remaining days between the date of cancellation and the date their paid Gold membership ends.
“Cancellation and pro-rata refund requests must be made by August 31, 2014 and require six to eight weeks for processing. Free or trial Gold memberships are not eligible for a refund. To request your pro-rata refund, please click support.xbox.com/contact-us after the system updates become available in June.”
However, it’s worth noting that unlike the PlayStation Plus service free-to-play games on the Xbox One will still require that players be subscribed to Xbox Live Gold, but hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day, right?
Time to give Microsoft a break?
Games with Gold is also finally coming to the Xbox One in June too and begins with it Max: The Curse of Brotherhood and Halo: Spartan Assault, but they will also be showcasing Deals with Gold which will save members money on Forza Motorsport 5, Ryse: Son of Rome, and a few more surprises too.
Much like the PSN+ service, Games with Gold will require you to remain subscribed to Xbox Live Gold, so if your subscription runs out, so does your access to the free games, but don’t worry too much because Phil Spencer (not to be confused with the guy from Location, Location, Location) also confirmed this:
“In the coming months, we will offer significant savings of up to 50 – 75 percent off certain titles. This program will continue to be available for Xbox Live Gold members on Xbox 360. And new on Xbox One, we will launch a virtual VIP room exclusive to Xbox Live Gold members where we will feature free games, monthly deals, and other great benefits”
The more cynical will say that Microsoft are just trying to bury bad news, but perhaps give them the benefit of the doubt and agree that they are at least listening to customer feedback and trying to give gamers what they want. Once again, this whole story is further proof that competition can only be a good thing as ultimately it’s the consumers that benefit.
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