As everyone knows some of the core Windows 8 apps got some pretty significant updates just a couple of days ago. These updates, while not earth shattering, have added some decent functionality to Windows 8 apps like Mail, Calendar, People and Music amongst others.
Alongside of those updates three of Microsoft’s Xbox Live games for Windows 8 also received updates which provided some bug fixes, performance enhancements and visual improvements and one other little addition that caught my eye.
Want to get rid of ads? A premium subscription is now available that will remove all advertisements, give you bonus daily challenge rewards, and provide cool game boosts as well!
Indeed – a premium subscription options to remove the advertisements that are included in the game. Now let me say up front that you only see the ads in these games if you want to participate in the Daily Challenges, which is a type of live leaderboard based set of public challenges, so they do not interfere with the normal play of the basic game.
Take a look at the ad now in the Daily Challenges (highlighted by me in red):
By clicking on that ad in each of the games you will see the banners below and details of what the premium subscription will get you in addition to the removal of the ads.
Microsoft Solitaire Collection
Microsoft Minesweeper
Microsoft Mahjong
So as you can see there are a couple of additions to your game play as well as the removal of the ads. The subscriptions cost $1.49 per month or $9.99 a year to be ad free.
Now here as an interesting aside in this premium ad option – remember that some of the built in apps for Windows 8 like, Bing, Finance, Sports, News and Travel also have ads in them. When those ads were first included there was a lot of noise across tech blogs about them being there and as part of apps that are in the operating system.
Could this premium subscription be an option down the road for those apps as well?
