The Xbox Game Pass family subscription plan has officially been cancelled. According to people familiar with the matter, the reason why this plan was ultimately unsustainable was because EA put tremendous pressure on Microsoft over licensing terms. Simply put, EA’s terms make it impossible for Microsoft to continue to maintain the service.
What did EA do that warranted Microsoft canceling the Family Plan?
According to industry analysis, EA has set strict licensing conditions for the use of its own games in the Xbox Game Pass family plan. This condition left Microsoft with no room for flexibility in its pricing and service structure, ultimately making Whole Family Plan operations unsustainable. This situation is similar to the problems that PlayStation Plus has encountered before, both due to the strong stance of third-party publishers, which has restricted the planning of subscription services.
For home users who have subscribed, this news is a blow!
The cancellation of the Xbox Game Pass Family Plan is undoubtedly negative news for players who have become accustomed to this sharing model. The plan was originally designed to allow a family to share the cost, lowering the subscription cost for everyone. Now that it is suddenly cancelled, users can only return to personal subscription options, and cost pressure immediately increases.
What impact will this decision have on the Xbox ecosystem?
For Microsoft, the Family Plan cancellation is a setback on a user experience level. Originally, Xbox has been working hard to expand the user coverage of Game Pass, and the family plan is an important new tool. Now that the road is blocked, Xbox will face even more pressure to compete with other platforms.