The month of February has been an interesting one for Xbox Live Gold. In the past, the Xbox Live Gold service has earned a reputation for taking the quantity-over-quality approach, given that most of the games the service offers don’t equal the value of the subscription price. Players continued to subscribe to Xbox Live Gold, given that a subscription is required to access online multiplayer games. However, after Microsoft decided against raising subscription prices to Xbox Live Gold, the company also announced that free-to-play games such as Fortnite and Apex Legends can now be accessed without a subscription.
Of course, many have wondered whether Xbox Live Gold is still worth subscribing to, given that it now only offers access to paid online games and a monthly roster of free titles. Although those whose sole intention for having Xbox Live Gold is to play free-to-play online games are better off on Xbox Game Pass, players who are after Games with Gold are in luck now that Microsoft appears to have taken a different approach in selecting games for the service. The big question now is, what does this mean for the future of Xbox Live Gold IF Microsoft continues this trend?
This month, Microsoft offered several triple-A games such as Gears 5 and Resident Evil, with the former being the Xbox Series X optimized version. Additionally, the company also increased its roster from four free games to five, with a couple of weekend-only games to sweeten the deal. Of course, this could just be a one-off thing, and Microsoft could easily return to its former habit of offering “okay” games just for the sake of it. However, should this new standard carry over in March and beyond, players could expect several things from Xbox Games with Gold.
First, Microsoft offering the Xbox Series X optimized version of Gears 5 is a step in the right direction as more players transition to the new generation of Xbox consoles. Of course, full-fledged Xbox Series X/S games are still limited, but offering games optimized for those consoles will surely attract players who have transitioned to the new systems to retain their subscriptions to Xbox Live Gold. Second, Microsoft could start adding even more triple-A titles for Xbox One players, similar to Gears 5 and Resident Evil’s caliber. Of course, indie games will always have a place in Xbox Games with Gold’s roster, but a balance between triple-A and indie games will surely attract a wider player base.
Again, should the standards set by February’s Games with Gold gets carried over in the future, Xbox Live Gold actually has a solid chance to stand the test of time. It is worth noting that last year, rumors began circulating online that Microsoft could discontinue Xbox Live Gold in favor of Xbox Game Pass. These rumors grew stronger as more and more players questioned the service’s value, especially with the release of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (which is only slightly more expensive than Xbox Live Gold), which offers the same benefits plus the ability to play hundreds of games.
In response to the growing rumors, Microsoft reiterated its commitment to Xbox Live Gold by dispelling the claims that it is phasing out the service. Of course, the company’s change of approach with its selection of Games with Gold is a testament to that commitment, given that it is a clear strategic move on Microsoft’s part to strengthen the value of Xbox Live Gold in hopes of maintaining its subscribers and getting new players to join the service. All things considered, it is interesting to see the selection of games that Microsoft will offer to Xbox Live Gold subscribers in March, given that next month’s Games with Gold will be a pivotal moment on whether Microsoft has truly changed Xbox Live Gold’s course for the better, or if it will be sticking to the “quantity over quality” approach of the past.
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