Microsoft has announced the Xbox Live Gold Family Subscription Plan, a new membership option designed specifically for family-friendly online gaming that ties in nicely with the upcoming launch of Kinect.
For $99.99 per year, the Xbox Live Gold Family Pack will support up to four individual Xbox Live Gold memberships and offer “exclusive family content and discounts.” A designated “primary account” will be able to purchase and distribute Microsoft Points to other Family Pack members, while all online purchases will be charged to the primary account holder, simplifying the billing process.
The built-in Family Settings options are also being improved, making it easier for parents to monitor and manage their children’s online gaming. A new option to remove all mature games, movies and content from the Xbox Live Dashboard based on ESRB, MPAA and TV Parental Guideline settings will be included, as will “Title Exceptions,” which will allow access to individual titles above the default ratings on a case-by-case basis, and customizable “intelligent default settings” for children, teens and adult gamers.
Microsoft is clearly lining up for a run at the family demographic and while it’ll be tough to break Nintendo’s death-grip on that particular market, 100 bucks for four individual Gold accounts is a pretty solid deal. The Xbox Live Gold Family Subscription Plan will become available in November alongside the Kinect motion controller, which is set to debut on November 4.
