xbox live gold
Latest
Microsoft reveals the first 36 titles in the Xbox Game Pass Core library
Microsoft is replacing Xbox Live Gold with Xbox Game Pass Core on September 14. It has now announced the 36 games that players can access at the outset with their membership.
Xbox Games with Gold will no longer include Xbox 360 titles
As of October 2022, Microsoft will stop offering free Xbox 360 titles through Games with Gold.
Free-to-play Xbox games no longer require Xbox Live Gold to play online
Starting today, all Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S owners can play free online multiplayer games without an Xbox Live Gold membership.
Microsoft starts testing free multiplayer for free-to-play games
The company has now started testing a dashboard update that enables removes the Xbox Live Gold requirement to play free-to-play games online.
Engadget Podcast: How Reddit day traders blew up GameStop's stock
Or are they trying to teach the financial industry a lesson? And isn't this just another example of online memes bleeding into reality, leading to potentially disastrous consequences? We also get a bit of context from an anonymous member from the infamous R/WallStreetBets subreddit.
Microsoft reverses Xbox Live price hike, will add free multiplayer for some games
Microsoft won't raise the price of Xbox Live, and it's adding free multiplayer for free-to-play games like 'Fortnite.'
Microsoft won't increase Xbox Live Gold prices for new members
Hours after announcing a price hike for Xbox Live that doubled the annual cost to $120, Microsoft reversed its decision.
Free-to-play ‘Rocket League’ won’t need PS Plus or Switch Online plans
Xbox Live Gold players, unfortunately, will. Additionally, Rocket League is streamlining its various contests so that Rocket Pass and Tournament, Competitive Seasons all align with one another.
Microsoft stops offering 12-month Xbox Live Gold memberships
Microsoft has stopped offering one-year Xbox Live Gold memberships in a possible move to steer users toward Game Pass.
How to pick the best gaming subscription for you
Here's a detailed comparison of the latest game subscription services to help you choose which one is the best for you.
Get six months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $40 at Newegg
If you play games with your Xbox One frequently, there's a good chance you already have Game Pass Ultimate. Now is an excellent opportunity to top up your subscription at an affordable price. Newegg is offering a total of six months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $40 when you enter the code "EMCDHDE22".
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate adds Discord, Spotify and EA Access freebies
This holiday season, Microsoft really wants you to sign up for its monthly Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription service. To start, for a limited time you can once again get the first three months of the service, which bundles together the company's Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass subscriptions together, for just $1. Additionally, the company is throwing in one free month of EA Access, three free months of Discord Nitro and six free months of Spotify Premium.
Subscriptions and gift cards that make great last-minute gifts
Yes, a gift card can carry the stigma of feeling like an unthoughtful present. On the other hand, we live in a world where subscription services abound, and a virtual gift that grants someone a year of their favorite music, video or gaming service shouldn't be overlooked. When thinking about gift cards and subscriptions this year, we tried to avoid the obvious candidates like Spotify and Netflix -- most people who want those probably have a subscription already. Instead, newer options like Amazon Music HD, Apple Arcade and Disney+ might provide something fresh for the music, game and movie junkies in your life. To move away from entertainment entirely, a Masterclass subscription can help a loved one expand their mind and horizons, while Headspace can give them a much-needed mental respite from the grind of modern life. And if you're gifting someone a new game console this year, you can level up that gift by including PlayStation Plus, Xbox Live Gold or Nintendo Switch Online. For all three of those systems, an online subscription is a near-essential add-on, especially for multiplayer gaming. And in all three cases, it'll provide a happy new console-owner with some free games to download right off the bat.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate combines Gold and games for $15 a month
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gives players all the benefits of Xbox Live Gold and Microsoft's digital subscription service, Game Pass, for $15 a month. The bundle went live today for a limited number of Xbox Insider members, and it's due to launch in all current Game Pass markets later this year.
Xbox Games with Gold in Feb: IDARB, Brothers, Sniper Elite V2
Heartstrings-tugger Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is one of three Games with Gold freebies for Xbox Live Gold subscribers next month. On Xbox 360 you can grab the Joystiq Top 10 of 2013 puzzle-platformer for zero centage between February 1-14. Then, after taking a deep breath, you can grab Sniper Elite V2 between February 15-28. As revealed last month, #IDARB's pixelated sportsball madness is also free through February for Gold members. The Xbox One eight-player side-scroller has a regular launch price of $15.
Early Halo: MCC buyers receive free month of Xbox Live Gold
Halo: The Master Chief Collection has provided a troubled walk down memory lane, but at least fans are being rewarded for their patience and support. Messages detailing a free month of Xbox Live Gold showed up in the inboxes of Spartans yesterday, referring to the gift as "appreciation for your continued support of Halo: The Master Chief Collection." The notice adds that players don't need to do anything further to redeem their free month of Gold. Bonnie Ross, head of development at 343 Industries, explained in an apology last month that a free month of Gold would be gifted to The Master Chief Collection players in an effort to "make this right." Additional thank-yous are coming in the form of a free, 1080p, 60 fps Halo 3: ODST campaign, due to arrive sometime this spring, and an exclusive nameplate and avatar. Anyone who purchased The Master Chief Collection between its November 11 launch date and December 19, 2014 is eligible to receive these gifts, though a reworked version of the Relic map from Halo 2 will also eventually be offered to all players via a free update. [Image: Joystiq]
Avoid a wild hunt for Witcher 2, grab it via Games with Gold now
Just a quick reminder: The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - Enhanced Edition is available now as a freebie for Xbox Live Gold subscribers, thanks to the Games with Gold program. As long as you're a Gold member you can download the dark fantasy RPG at no extra cost, and it's yours to keep even if your Gold subscription runs out. Don't forget, you have until January 31 to grab The Witcher 2 while it's hot and, more importantly, free. The Enhanced Edition of Witcher 2 features the slew of content added to the original PC game, and it's a complete enough way to get bewitchin' ahead of one of 2015's major new releases, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Geralt of Rivia's third game hits Xbox One, PS4 and PC on May 19. For more on The Witcher 2 of Xbox 360, check out Ludwig of Joystiq's deja review. [Image: Sony]
Never Alone, Jackbox Party Pack discounted on Xbox Live
Co-op puzzle platformer Never Alone and the five-game Jackbox Party Pack headline this week's Deals With Gold lineup on Xbox Live, as publishers Capcom and 2K offer steep price drops for several featured Xbox 360 games. Xbox 360 owners can pick up cheap Games On Demand versions of featured games like Borderlands 2, Spec Ops: The Line, and the original Dead Rising, along with discounted add-on content for BioShock Infinite, SSX, and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. The Xbox One versions of the 2D Minecraft-like Terraria and WWE 2K15 are also on sale this week for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Listed prices are active through January 19. [Image: Upper One Games]
Joystiq Weekly: Awesome Games Done Quick, Kalimba review, DIY Mario 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. It was a pretty quiet week thanks to the end-of-the-year holiday lull, but things should pick up soon! Like, today even – Awesome Games Done Quick has just kicked off a week-long marathon of high-skill and speedrun-oriented livestreams, with all donations benefiting the Prevent Cancer Foundation. If supporting a worthwhile cause isn't enough of an excuse to watch talented players blaze through games, what is? ... Yes, okay, other than free puppies. While you're waiting on something of interest that's buried in the event's schedule, catch up on what you might have missed while you were doing relaxing, vacation-y things. PlayStation Network users got good news regarding last week's service outage, Contributing Editor Danny Cowan's relationship survived his Kalimba review, and we explored the history of do-it-yourself Mario and the technical shift in Mortal Kombat X's gore.
PSA: D4, MX vs. ATV now on Games with Gold
As the calendar flipped to January yesterday, Xbox Live Gold members are now able to download this month's free games on Xbox One and Xbox 360. As revealed in December, Xbox One owners with a premium Live subscription can now pick up Access Games' quirky adventure D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die free of charge. Subscribers get two games on Xbox 360 this month: Offroad racer MX vs ATV Alive and CD Projekt's The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. D4 will be available throughout the month while the two previous-generation games are on a split schedule. MX vs ATV Alive is free until January 15, then The Witcher 2 will be available to download at no cost on January 16 through the end of the month. Lastly, according to the Microsoft Store, last month's Xbox One game Worms Battlegrounds is still available to download for free. [Image: Microsoft]
