It was, for a long time, one of the most beloved and eagerly anticipated monthly gaming deals: Microsoft’s Xbox Games With Gold program.
For close to eight years, Microsoft had allowed gamers to download a selection of free games each month to their Xbox console, ranging from indie titles to full retail games. This monthly rotation of games was a great incentive for gamers on a budget, or for those wanting to try something new.
However, all good things must come to an end, and this past week Microsoft announced it was ending the Games With Gold program. In a statement released to gamers, the company said that the program was no longer needed, and that the focus and resources would be put into Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft’s subscription service.
The announcement was met with a lot of disappointment amongst gaming fans. Xbox Game Pass certainly has its advantages – it is cheaper, and offers a larger selection of titles – but it can’t replicate the joy of a free game that everyone could access.
It can’t also match the sense of surprise and delight that came with not knowing exactly what would be added, and going in with fresh expectations each month. Games With Gold was also an incentive for gamers to hang onto their physical copies of the games, as they knew that the digital version would eventually be free at some point.
It’s hard to say whether Microsoft made the right decision in dropping the program, but the effects of its absence are already clear. Without the lure of good titles, given away for free, what incentive do gamers have to stay loyal to the Xbox platform?
Only time will tell.