Now Mom and Dad can play with the kids on their Xbox 360. Part of Microsoft's push with their new motion controller Kinect is to get the family playing. Seeing how successful the Nintendo Wii was in getting groups of people and family together to play, Microsoft is now offering a 4 person Xbox Live Gold subscription for $99. There isn't any word on when exactly this is being offered, but I would believe it's very soon, if not by the Fall when they release the Kinect device.
Microsoft is pretty cagey when it comes to emulating their competitors. Sony released the PS3 as an entertainment device that can play music, movies (namely the wonderful Blu-Ray movies), videos and of course videogames.
In the past year or two, Microsoft has really pushed their online services such as Netflix, Facebook integration and other entertainment offerings, and hoping to re-image the Xbox 360 as an entertainment device. For the most part it's working and have taken away some of the Playstation 3's luster as an all-in-one entertainment device.
Now, they have their sights set on getting Grandpa and Grandma to join little Johnny and jumpy Jane in the living room. If the Wii can do that, and have it put in retirement homes to get the elderly moving, Microsoft sure believes it can do the same with the Kinect motion controller.
Now, the downside in my opinion is having to pay for this Gold membership just so I can play with others online. I'm sure many parents and grandparents are going to be upset when they get home and wonder why they can't connect with their kids that live somewhere else.
The $99 for 4 accounts isn't that bad, as it breaks down to about $25 a year per account. It's just you have to buy it again next year.
Xbox - Gold Family Pack
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