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PSA: SSX free for Gold members on Xbox 360
It's tricky to rock a pun, to rock a pun with SSX. It's tricky. It's tricky, tricky, tricky, tricky. So we didn't. EA Canada's 2012 reboot of the trick-crazy snowboarding series is free right now via Games with Gold. That means Xbox 360 owners with Gold memberships can download the game at no extra cost, and that's for keeps - it doesn't matter if your Gold subscription runs out. SSX will stay free on Games with Gold until the end of the month.
Countdown to 2015 Xbox sale starts: Dark Souls 2, Resident Evil, more
Microsoft kicked off its "Countdown to 2015" sale today on the Xbox Store, discounting a myriad of games with bigger price cuts for Xbox Live Gold members. This week's deals are good until December 22 and feature Lords of the Fallen at 40 percent off, Thief at 67 percent off, Wolfenstein: The New Order for half-price and The Evil Within at half-off as well for Xbox One, among a slew of other games. Microsoft also discounted The Crew/Assassin's Creed: Unity as well as The Crew/Far Cry 4 bundles by 25 percent for the week. Two Xbox One games are also on sale for today only: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its season pass are each 33 percent off and Lego: The Hobbit is 50 percent off. Among the many Xbox 360 games on sale this week, Dark Souls 2 is half-off, Tomb Raider is 67 percent off, Halo: Spartan Assault and Dance Central 3 are each 67 percent off and BioShock Infinite's price is slashed by 85 percent. A handful of games in the Resident Evil series are discounted this week as well, such as Resident Evil 5, Revelations and Code Veronica X by 67 percent each, Raccoon City by 75 percent and Resident Evil 6 by 50 percent. Lego: The Hobbit is also discounted by 67 percent on Xbox 360 for today only, and Lego Lord of the Rings is 75 percent off. The full list of this week's deals can be found after the break.
Deals with Gold: PopCap puzzlers
This week's Deals with Gold features discounts on a handful of PopCap-developed games for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Xbox One owners can pick up third-person shooter Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare at 66 percent off ($13.59) as well as Peggle 2 at 60 percent off ($4.79). Garden Warfare is just $10.19 this week on Xbox 360 as well. Other Xbox 360 games are half-off this week, such as the original Peggle ($4.99) and its Peggle Nights expansion ($2.49) as well as Bejeweled 3 and Plants vs. Zombies ($7.49 each). Lastly, players can download both Zuma and Feeding Frenzy ($2.49 each) as well as their sequels Zuma's Revenge and Feeding Frenzy 2 ($4.99 each). The deals are good through Monday, December 15. [Image: PopCap Games]
Deals with Gold: Catherine, EA Sports UFC, Fallout
Deals with Gold isn't fooling around, as five Xbox One games and eight Xbox 360 games are discounted this week. Of the bunch, one game is on sale for both Xbox Live Gold and Silver members, as all Xbox One players can download EA Sports UFC for half-off. The other four Xbox One games on sale for Gold subscribers are Stick it to the Man, KickBeat Special Edition, Divekick and CastleStorm's Definitive Edition, each for 30 percent off their respective prices. As for Xbox 360 players with an Xbox Live paid subscription, both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas are 67 percent off this week through Games on Demand as well as Catherine, which is 60 percent off. Serious Sam Double D XXL and Serious Sam 3: BFE as well as the latter's Jewel of the Nile DLC are 67 percent off on XBLA. Rounding out the group is Foul Play, Pool Nation and How to Survive, each discounted by, you guessed it, 67 percent. The deals are good through Monday, November 17. [Image: EA Sports]
Deals with Gold: Outlast, Rayman Legends, Dragon Age
This week's Deals with Gold on Xbox Live discounts three games and one add-on for Xbox One users. Players can download Rayman Legends at 40 percent off, Outlast for 25 percent off and Worms Battlegrounds at 40 percent off. Additionally, the Battlefield 4 Support Shortcut Kit is also 33 percent off this week for both Xbox One and Xbox 360 versions of the game. Xbox 360 players can save money on RPGs this week as well, with Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2 both 75 percent off. The sequel's Mark of the Assassin and The Exiled Prince DLC packs are both half-off, just in time for Dragon Age: Inquisition's launch on November 18. Lastly, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is 67 percent off and its Teeth of Naros and The Legend of Dead Kel add-ons are also half-off. This week's deals are good through Monday, October 20 for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. [Image: Ubisoft]
Xbox Live Gold free on Xbox 360 this weekend
Xbox 360 owners lacking an Xbox Live Gold subscription will have a chance to test drive the program throughout the weekend. The Free Gold Weekend began early this morning and runs through midnight on October 12. Alongside online multiplayer functionality, joining the Free Gold Weekend also grants Xbox 360 owners access to a number of free to play games usually reserved for Gold subscribers, including Warface, World of Tanks Xbox 360 Edition and Happy Wars. Of course, all of that is in addition to the discounts and special promotions only available to Gold subscribers that are open to all Xbox 360 owners this weekend. How do you sign up? You don't. There's no entry requirement for the Free Gold Weekend beyond owning a functional Xbox 360 and a viable Internet connection. Simply fire the console up and you'll find gratis access to the suite of Xbox Live Gold content. [Image: Microsoft]
Chariot, Darksiders 2 join Games With Gold in October
Microsoft announced its Games With Gold lineup for October, revealing that Xbox Live Gold members will receive free access to Frima Games' co-op platformer Chariot upon its launch next week. Chariot will be available as a free download for Xbox One subscribers from October 1st through the 31st. Xbox 360 owners will get EA's 2010 FPS Battlefield: Bad Company 2 free of charge on October 1, along with a free copy of Vigil's hack-and-slash action-RPG Darksiders 2 starting on October 16. This month's featured games Crimson Dragon, Super Time Force, and Halo: Reach are still up for grabs through September 30, so act fast if you haven't yet claimed your free downloads. [Image: Frima Games]
Xbox Deals with Gold discounts Spider-Man, 1001 Spikes
This week's Deals With Gold lineup is now live on the Xbox Marketplace, giving a 33 percent discount on the Xbox One versions of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, shadowy puzzle-platformer Contrast, and maddeningly difficult side-scroller 1001 Spikes. Xbox 360 owners, meanwhile, can grab The Orange Box for 75 percent off of its regular retail price. Syndicate, Fuse, and Grid Autosport are also on sale this week, and a number of DLC packs from Mass Effect 2 and 3 are currently half-off. Sale prices are exclusive for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Current discounts are available through September 30. [Image: Activision]
Report: Free Play Days appear in Xbox One preview program [update]
Microsoft has a new promotion in store for Xbox Live Gold subscribers dubbed "Free Play Days," assuming a screenshot captured by Reddit users under the Xbox One preview program can be taken at face value. Redditor JBurton90 posted the above image to the online discussion hub last night. It appears to depict Xbox One game Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, only the cutesy platformer bears the words "Free Play Day With Gold" in place of a price tag. Nearby, Crimson Dragon and Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut are also listed as "free" for Xbox Live Gold subscribers owing to the ongoing and well-known Games With Gold promotion - the same promotion that offered Max: The Curse of Brotherhood to Gold subscribers at no charge just last month. Though it's unclear exactly what the Free Play Day promotion entails or when it will officially launch for members of the general public, it seems pretty self-explanatory. Presumably, Xbox Live Gold members will be granted one day to play games available as digital downloads through the Xbox Live Marketplace at no charge. Microsoft has yet to officially acknowledge the promotion, though a recent tweet from Xbox Support confirms the validity of this report and claims that the company will offer more information shortly. Update: A Microsoft spokesperson told Game Informer, "A promotional tile for Max: Curse of the Brotherhood was posted briefly on the US dash in error yesterday. We apologize for any inconvenience. We're constantly exploring different ways to offer more benefits to our Xbox Live Gold members and will keep them updated when special offers become available." [Image: Reddit]
Xbox Deals With Gold delivers discounted Battlefield 4 DLC
Battlefield series die-hards can pick up an arsenal of discounted DLC this week through Microsoft's Deals with Gold promotion, which currently offers a 33 percent discount on Battlefield 4's Premium membership, China Rising, Second Assault, Naval Strike, and Ultimate Shortcut Bundle add-ons for the Xbox One and Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 Games on Demand versions of Madden NFL 25, FIFA 14, and NHL 14 are half-off this week for Gold members, and 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil is available for 70 percent off its regular price. Xbox Live Silver members, meanwhile, can pick up a copy of SpikySnail's liquid puzzler The Splatters for 50 percent off through next week. [Image: EA DICE]
Xbox Live discounts Child of Light, Thief this week
Microsoft's Deals with Gold discounts Thief by 40 percent ($35.99) on Xbox One this week. Additionally, both Xbox Live Gold and Silver members can enjoy discounts on Assassin's Creed 4 add-ons on both Xbox One and Xbox 360, getting the game's season pass, Blackbeard's Wrath, Guild of Rogues, Freedom Cry and Illustrious Pirates DLC for 30 percent off each. As for the Xbox 360-specific deals, Gold subscribers can pick up Child of Light at 33 percent off this week ($10.04) as well as Flashback and Cloudberry Kingdom for 67 percent off ($3.29 each). Four games are slashed by 75 percent this week: I Am Alive, From Dust and Call of Juarez: Gunslinger are $3.74 each while Freefall Racers is $2.49. Lastly, both Gold and Silver subscribers can pick up Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 at 67 percent off ($19.79) as well as its World Challenge DLC at half-off ($2.49). All deals are good through next Monday, July 7. [Image: Square Enix]
Golden freebies: Gotham City Impostors today, Guacamelee tomorrow
If you like the idea of wearing ridiculously extravagant costumes whilst beating up people, but don't have the money, lack of moral code or WWE career to support it, we're here for you with a friendly reminder: As part of Microsoft's Games with Gold service, Gotham City Impostors is free right now for Xbox Live Gold users. So go get already. The Xbox 360 multiplayer shooter is joined tomorrow by wrestle-former Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Edition on Xbox One, and between those two you'll get enough masks, spandex and wacky violence to sustain you right through to winter.
PSA: Netflix, Hulu among apps now free to use on Xbox Live
Last month, Microsoft announced it will no longer keep entertainment apps like Netflix, Hulu Plus and HBO Go behind its Xbox Live premium paywall. The change to its Xbox Live service structure is now in effect, allowing non-paying users to use the aforementioned apps in addition to ones like Twitch, MLB.TV, NBA Game Time, YouTube and more. Microsoft's decision to modify its free and paid Xbox Live service offerings was announced the same day as the $399 Kinect-less Xbox One console, which will be available starting Monday, June 9. Free-to-play and subscription-based games like The Elder Scrolls Online will still require a paid Xbox Live Gold subscription to play online, however. [Image: Microsoft]
You can queue up June's Xbox One freebies for download now
Xbox One owners that have waited since Friday's announcement of this June's Games with Gold freebies to click that shiny download button are now able to do so. This month's free games, available only to Xbox Live Gold subscribers, are Max: Curse of the Brotherhood and twin-stick shooter Halo: Spartan Assault. Microsoft announced last month that June would be its newest home console's first time dancing with the both the Games with Gold and Deals with Gold programs. The month's discounted Xbox One games are NBA 2K14 and Call of Duty: Ghosts, which join a handful of sales on Xbox 360, including Saints Row 4 and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. Additionally, Xbox One players can pick up Crimson Dragon for half-off ($10). Xbox 360 owners will need to wait until June 16 for Charlie Murder and Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition, while Dark Souls is available as a freebie now and until June 15. [Image: Press Play]
NBA 2K14, Call of Duty: Ghosts haunt this week's Xbox Live Gold deals
This week's Deals with Gold discounts two Xbox One games, NBA 2K14 and Call of Duty: Ghosts. 2K Sports' basketball sim is 33 percent off on Xbox One and half-off on Xbox 360 for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. The game's My Player jewelry and Spanish commentary add-ons are also half-off this week. Meanwhile, Call of Duty: Ghosts is 17 percent off on Xbox One and 33 percent off on Xbox 360 this week, whereas the game's Hardened Edition is 20 percent off for Xbox One. As for the other discounts for Xbox 360 owners this week, players can pick up Far Cry Classic, Far Cry3: Blood Dragon and Ghost Recon: Future Soldier for 67 percent off each. Additionally, Namco Bandai-published XBLA games Storm and Skydrift are half-off while Invincible Tiger is 66 percent off. Other discounted Games on Demand include Rayman Legends (60 percent off), Smurfs 2 (67 percent off) and Saints Row 4 (60 percent off). The deals are good through Monday, June 9. [Image: 2K Sports]
Games with Gold doles out Xbox One freebies in June
Microsoft's Games with Gold program will give away five games to Xbox Live Gold members in June, including its first free offerings for the Xbox One. Xbox One subscribers will receive free copies of Press Play's 2.5D platformer Max: The Curse of Brotherhood and 343 Industries and Vanguard Entertainment's twin-stick shooter Halo: Spartan Assault in June, marking the one-year anniversary of the Games with Gold program. Xbox 360 owners, meanwhile, can expect to see Ska Studios' co-op XBLA brawler Charlie Murder, From Software's Dark Souls, and Capcom's Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition throughout the month. Availability dates for next month's featured games have not been announced. [Image: Microsoft]
Joystiq Weekly: Xbox One's Kinect, Mario Kart 8 review, Godzilla's past and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. If machinery works the way The Brave Little Toaster suggests, you gotta feel for the Kinect - the solid experiences it supplements are often drowned in complaints about its underwhelming games, as well as its general inaccuracies as a listening, motion-tracking controller. We imagine Microsoft reassured the device about its playground reputation by including it with every Xbox One out there, but then ... well, this week happened. Kinect might be destined to just stay at home now, waiting for a band of appliance-shaped adventures to accept his flaws so it can tag along with for their straight-to-Blu Ray sequel. Hey, on the upside, at least that terrifying air conditioner died off before Kinect was ever able to meet him. Can you imagine being left alone in a house with that thing as a kid? Talk about new legitimate fears. Anyway, now that we're done painting a bleak picture of Kinect's secret social life, there's a lot more to this week than technological popularity contests. It's financial season, with Ubisoft, Take-Two and the NPD Group throwing numbers everywhere, we've got reviews for Mario Kart 8 and Super Time Force, and there's also a dip into Godzilla's past of ruining virtual metropolises. It's all stacked neat and orderly for you after the break!
Saints Row: The Third now free for Xbox Live Gold subscribers
The Xbox 360 version of Volition's open-world mayhem simulator Saints Row: The Third is currently free for Xbox Live Gold subscribers as part of the service's ongoing Games with Gold promotion. Saints Row: The Third marked a sharp turn for the Saints Row franchise, transforming a once-straightforward crime drama series into a full-blown parody of the genre. The series would later reach new heights of ridiculousness in Saints Row 4, which we named as one of our favorite games of 2013. Microsoft recently expanded its Games with Gold program, pledging to release free Xbox One games for subscribers starting next month. [Image: Volition]
Microsoft offering refunds following Xbox Live changes
We've all experienced a case of customer bad luck in our lives. Maybe you, oh, we don't know, bought an Xbox Live Gold subscription right before Microsoft announced they would be getting rid of the Gold requirement for entertainment services like Hulu and Netflix? Well if that's the case, your bad luck is about to take a turn for the better, as Microsoft will be offering refunds to customers who no longer wish to keep an active Gold subscription once the changes to Xbox Live take effect. Customers who have an active Xbox Live Gold subscription extending beyond the date changes to the program go live can request to cancel their subscription and receive a refund from Microsoft. Microsoft will offer a prorated refund based on the number of days between the date of cancellation and the date their paid Gold membership ends. Requests must be submitted through the Microsoft support site after the changes transpire but before August 31, 2014, and require up to eight weeks for processing. More info is available on the official FAQ. In its own way, you could say that this is Microsoft's way of offering cash for Gold. [Image: Microsoft]
Elder Scrolls Online, free-to-play games still require Xbox Live Gold
One of Microsoft's big announcements today was the restructuring of Xbox Live Gold; the company will now allow Xbox 360 and Xbox One owners to use entertainment apps like Netflix and HBO Go without requiring a paid Xbox Live subscription. As Microsoft's Phil Spencer clarified to Joystiq today, the latest in a series of "Xbox One-80s" doesn't apply to free-to-play and subscription-based online games. "Right now we haven't changed the policy on MMOs and free-to-play games," Spencer said. While not getting into specifics, he noted that with some games there are "engineering constraints, policy constraints and partner constraints in each one of these scenarios," so the decision to keep games behind the Xbox Live paywall reportedly doesn't rest solely in Microsoft's hands. Bethesda's latest MMORPG, The Elder Scrolls Online, will still require a Gold subscription on top of the developer's own monthly fees. For the time being, at least; Microsoft has "about six months" to consider changing its policies, as the game was recently delayed for consoles. The developer was in talks with Microsoft back in August to cut the extra fees for The Elder Scrolls Online, which won't be enforced by Sony via PlayStation Plus for PS4.
