Microsoft has quietly altered the Work & Play bundle, which groups together several services at a discounted price. The bundle was originally made available in the fall of 2014 for $199, and included a year subscription to each of the following: Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Music, Office 365 Home, and Skype Unlimited World. The catch was that it was available only via physical Microsoft Stores located in the U.S. The Work & Play bundle was reintroduced this month, with the added option of purchasing online, and a further price reduction down to $149.
And now, yet another change has taken place: Xbox Music has been removed, replaced with a “bonus” $60 gift card to the Windows and Xbox stores. On one hand, the overall value of the bundle has been reduced; a 12-month subscription to Xbox Music normally runs for $99. On the other hand, some customers might appreciate the freedom to spend that money on a variety of content, which extends beyond music into games and video.
No more #XboxMusic Pass in the @Microsoft “Play+Work” bundle. Bummer. http://t.co/82jzFHM30Q
— Marques Lyons (@tromboneforhire) April 27, 2015
