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"Xbox's recent decision to drop the Xbox Live Gold requirement for access to entertainment apps may be cause for celebration for many \u2014 except those who have already purchased the $60-a-year subscription.\nLuckily, Microsoft said Gold members can apply for a refund for the remainder of their subscription, after the update goes live in June.\nSee also: 'Game of Thrones' Super Mario Mashup Will Have You Humming in 8-Bit\nHere's what the company said about the change: \nOnce 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.\nApps such as Hulu Plus, Netflix, Twitch, ESPN, HBO Go and Machinima will be available on the Xbox One and Xbox 360 without an Xbox Live subscription, starting next month. The change isn't surprising: Sony's PlayStation 3 and 4 both allow access to streaming services without any subscriptions, as does Nintendo's Wii U and Wii. \nAn Xbox Live Gold subscription is required to play games online, use chat functionality and to get free game downloads through Microsoft's Games with Gold service. These free games, which change every month, will expire if the user lets their Gold membership lapse.\nHave something to add to this story? Share it in the comments."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2014/05/14/xbox-live-gold-refunds/>