xbox live gold
Latest
Weekend deals: RPG bundles, Deep Silver sale, Xbox Live points, Injustice
PC owners with an itch for leveling up and a lot of free time are in luck this week - Gamefly has several bundles with some deep discounts, so long as you use the promo code GFDOCT20 during checkout. The Witcher series can be collectively snagged for $17.99, both Torchlight games can be looted for $13.99, and the Mass Effect Trilogy's price tag has gone Paragon at $13.99. Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition (and a sadness simulator) can also be had for $9.99, while Deus Ex and Deus Ex: Invisible War can be had with couch change at $3.49. If you're a Steam user, you have until tomorrow to pick through the sale for publisher Deep Silver's catalog. Offers include Saints Row 4 at $24.99, the Metro franchise and its DLC for $36.84, and the Dead Island games and their DLC for $33.49. If you need to gear up for the Xbox One launch, GamerDeals found an Amazon promotion that pairs a $20 code for Xbox Live with the purchase of a 12-month Xbox Live Gold subscription. The offer is good until November 9, so if you don't have the cash now, no worries! Lastly, console owners can gruesomely rip a chunk off the price tag for the 360, PS3 and Vita versions of Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition for $14.99. If you'd rather spout comic-worthy one-liners while dealing out death, Injustice: Gods Among Us is on sale for the 360, PS3 and Wii U for under $40.
Project Spark won't require Xbox Live Gold on any platform
Project Spark, Microsoft's game-creation app for Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC will not require a Gold-level Xbox Live subscription to play. The news comes from community manager Mike Lescault, who said in a Reddit thread that players "will not need a gold subscription to play Project Spark for free on any platform." The game will enter its Xbox One beta phase in January, and the PC beta program is expected to start this month. Project Spark players will be able to use Kinect as a motion capture device, and may eventually implement gameplay control using Kinect as well.
Xbox Live: You get Gold this weekend, and you get Gold ...
Starting on October 4, Microsoft is unlocking Gold level subscription services to all Xbox Live members. All Xbox Live users will be able to access Netflix, download some demos and even try out some GTA Online – or sample any other online multiplayer – until October 6. Okay, take a big breath: The regions affected by this promotion are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam. Phew. A few months back, Microsoft announced a new Games with Gold promotion, guaranteeing Xbox Live Gold subscribers two free downloads each month. Defense Grid: Awakening, Assassin's Creed 2, Crackdown, Dead Rising 2 and Rainbow Six Vegas are just a few of the games Xbox Live Gold members have been able to download gratis so far. A new Games with Gold freebie makes its debut on the 1st and 16th of each month.
Games with Gold members get Halo 3 in October
Xbox Live Gold members will receive free access to a downloadable version of Bungie's Halo 3 in October, months after it was initially revealed as part of Microsoft's Games with Gold program. Similar to Sony's PlayStation Plus initiative, the Games with Gold promotion gives subscribers two free Xbox 360 games monthly. Capybara Games' Xbox Live Arcade puzzler Might & Magic Heroes joins Halo 3 as part of October's announced lineup. Previous Games with Gold inductees include Dead Rising 2, Crackdown, and Assassin's Creed 2.
Bethesda 'pushing' against Xbox Live Gold fees for Elder Scrolls Online
Bethesda is in talks with Microsoft to allow non-Xbox Live Gold members to play Elder Scrolls Online, according to an OXM interview. As it stands, players will need the paid Xbox Live subscription to play the game on Xbox One, which Bethesda recently announced is no longer free to play, but will launch with its own $14.99-per-month subscription plan in place. Bethesda marketing boss Peter Hines told OXM the developer has been "seeing whether or not there's any room to change [Microsoft's] minds about that for folks who are only playing The Elder Scrolls Online and don't want to pay for an Xbox Live Gold subscription just to play The Elder Scrolls Online." He added, "The answer right now is that's the way it works, but it's something that we're aware of and we keep pushing on to see if there's something that can be done." Elder Scrolls Online will launch in 2014 on PC, Mac, Xbox One and PS4.
Bethesda pushing for Elder Scrolls Online without Xbox Live Gold fees
If you want to play online games on Microsoft's Xbox One console, you'll need to pony up the cash required for an Xbox Live Gold subscription. This small sticking point means that free-to-play games aren't necessarily free-to-play (a point lamented by Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi) and that subscription-based games like The Elder Scrolls Online will have their sub cost increased by the monthly cost of Gold. Bethesda's Pete Hines is aware that Xbox One players may not necessarily want to eat a $14.99 per-month subscription fee in addition to the fees associated with Xbox Live Gold, revealing that work is going on behind the scenes to make TESO exempt from the Gold requirement. We have been in talks with Microsoft about that very thing, and seeing whether or not there's any room to change their minds about that for folks who are only playing The Elder Scrolls Online and don't want to pay for an Xbox Live Gold subscription just to play The Elder Scrolls Online. The answer right now is that's the way it works, but it's something that we're aware of and we keep pushing on to see if there's something that can be done. Though we've seen no explicit information on whether a PS Plus subscription will be required for PS4 Elder Scrolls Online players, Sony has previously mentioned that Plus requirements will be "the publisher's decision."
Xbox Live Family Packs converting into individual Gold accounts Aug. 27
Xbox Live Family Pack subscribers will soon have their bundled Xbox Live Gold accounts dissolved into individual, unlinked accounts on Tuesday, August 27, Microsoft announced yesterday in an email to subscribers. In addition to having multiple subscription fees to worry about, this also means that users will no longer be able to access Family Pack-exclusive features, such as activity monitoring reports or the ability to allocate MS Point allowances to linked accounts. Reports will be removed during the account conversion on August 27, whereas allowances will be removed whenever the currency exchange takes place. Microsoft is adding an additional three months of time to every Xbox Live Gold account that spawns from the conversion, so considering how Xbox Live Gold feature sharing works on the Xbox One, this isn't the worst of all possible futures – that's the one where Microsoft converts all Xbox Live Family Pack subscribers into Fruit-of-the-Month-Calendars of the Month Club subscribers. Every month, a new calendar about a different Fruit of the Month club!
Xbox One allows limited sharing of Xbox Live Gold and digital games
Microsoft has announced that perks made available to Xbox Live Gold subscribers will be accessible to every user of that home's Xbox One console. This means that, so long as the owner of the Xbox One is a Gold subscriber, other people in the household will be able to have their own accounts and Gamertags, without having to sacrifice access to Gold-level services such as online multiplayer, DVR functionality and so forth. Gold privileges will also follow subscribers to other people's Xbox Ones, so if you have a Gold account and visit a friend who doesn't, you'll both be able to use Gold features for as long as you're logged in on their console. Microsoft also announced that similar functionality will be applied to digital versions of Xbox One games. When someone purchases and downloads a game onto their console, every one of that console's users will also have access to that game, regardless of whether the person who purchased it is signed in (Xbox 360 games work similarly now). Similarly, every game you've purchased digitally will be available to you on any Xbox One that you sign in on.
Xbox One Game DVR, Skype, Smart Match are for Gold subscribers
Xbox One Game DVR, a feature that will allow players to record gameplay directly through the console, will be exclusive to Gold subscribers, as will Skype and Smart Match matchmaking. These features are in addition to the established parameters of Xbox Live Gold set on Xbox 360: Premium entertainment apps like Netflix will still require it, as will online multiplayer and those coming live NFL broadcasts. Microsoft hasn't said if self-publishing will require Gold. The Xbox One is slated to launch this November for $500 in North America, €500 in Europe and £430 in the United Kingdom. The Xbox One will initially be available in 21 different markets.
Comedy Central laughs all the way to Xbox 360 with stand-up comedy app
Comedy Central announced that its CC: Stand-Up app is now available on Xbox 360. Using a layout similar to YouTube's Xbox 360 app, Xbox Live Gold subscribers can search over 6,000 stand-up comedy videos from over 700 comedians to find anybody but Dane Cook, please. CC: Stand-Up is compatible with both Kinect and SmartGlass, and the app itself is already available on iOS. Now that we have a Comedy Central app on Xbox to make us laugh, we're waiting on Lifetime to bring us the tear-jerkers via Xbox Live. We need to get our cry on.
Download GTA 4 for $10 on Xbox Live
Grand Theft Auto 4 is on sale for $10 for Xbox Live Gold subscribers this week. The digital copy is a 6.51 GB download, so players taking advantage of the deal may have to clear a little room on their hard drives. The game's two big pieces of DLC, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, are also discounted to 400 MSP ($5) and 800 MSP ($10), respectively. In that case, forget what we said earlier; you'll probably need 10.16 GB of space on your Xbox 360's hard drive this week.
Xbox's Games with Gold first freebie is Defense Grid: The Awakening
The first game in Microsoft's Games with Gold promotion is Defense Grid: The Awakening. Hidden Path's 2009 XBLA tower defense game is normally priced at 800 MSP, but will be free for Gold subscribers starting today and until July 15. Games for Gold, unveiled at E3, sees Microsoft make two Xbox 360 games free each month; one on the 1st of the month, and the other on the 16th. The promotion runs through until the end of the year. Xbox's Major Nelson clarified through Twitter that the two games already announced for the program, namely Assassin's Creed 2 and Halo 3, aren't this month's pair of offerings.
Time Warner Cable bringing live TV to Xbox 360 later this summer
A new Time Warner Cable app coming to Xbox 360 later this summer promises access to 300 live television channels, Xbox Wire has announced. The new Time Warner app, which requires Xbox Live Gold and a Time Warner subscription, will offer more live TV channels than any other on Xbox 360. The announcement follows Microsoft's Xbox reveal event and E3 press conference, where Microsoft showcased integrated live television on the Xbox One. Microsoft's entertainment division, overseen by former CBS executive Nancy Tellem, also announced an upcoming Halo live-action series in collaboration with Steven Spielberg. Last week, i love bees creator Elan Lee joined the division.
Xbox Live Gold free games pinned for 1st and 16th of each month [update]
Microsoft pinned monthly dates to its Games With Gold promotion, with the Xbox Live Gold freebies due on the 1st of 16th of each month. As revealed during Microsoft's E3 press conference, Gold subscribers gain access to two free Xbox 360 games each month until the end of the year. Fable 3 was the first offering, with Halo 3 and Assassin's Creed 2 already announced as coming to the program. "As our way of saying thanks for being part of this community, we're giving all qualifying Gold members two free Xbox 360 games each month for the rest of the year." reads the promotion's site. "Each specially selected, fan-favorite game will be available to download only for a limited time, so grab them before they're gone and keep them no matter what." Update: Xbox's Major Nelson has since clarified Halo 3 and Assassin's Creed 2 aren't the two games due in July. This post has been amended to reflect that.
Overdose on Arrested Development during free Xbox Live Gold weekend
Microsoft is hosting a free Xbox Live weekend for non-Gold subscribers, giving Netflix members a chance to indulge in the 15 new episodes of Arrested Development premiering on Sunday, May 26. Xbox Live Silver members will receive free access to Gold services starting today in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Brazil, Mexico, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Chile, Colombia and Argentina. Note, however, that you'll need to have an active Netflix account in order to watch the new season of Arrested Development, as membership isn't included as part of the free weekend. Make sure you set aside a chunk of time if you plan on marathonning all 15 episodes, as you'll only have one day to watch them all, if you're a Silver member. If you miss out, you're required to walk away from your Xbox 360 looking like this.
Twitch app now broadcasting on Xbox 360
It's not enough just to play games anymore. Nowadays, you have to watch them too. That just got a little easier on the Xbox 360, thanks to a new Twitch.tv app. The streaming app is now available for Xbox Live Gold subscribers, offering "access to 300 of the most popular streams," including tournaments, all organized by game or popularity. Twitch will host a special live broadcast with Xbox Live guru Major Nelson following next week's "Xbox Revealed" event on May 21. The broadcast will air on Twitch.tv and the Twitch app on Xbox 360, beginning at 3pm Eastern. The event itself, incidentally, starts at 1pm Eastern. Tune into Joystiq for lots of live coverage.
PSA: Xbox Live Gold free until April 22 in North America, Japan
In days of yore, the world's greatest minds strived and strained to create gold from where there was none. Now, Microsoft is finally realizing the secrets of alchemy. Not only that, but it's sharing its riches with the world (well, parts of it) by making Xbox Live Gold free for all until Monday, April 22.Xbox 360 owners in the US, Canada, Latin America, and Japan can access the Gold service for nada right now, with the temporary freedom granted until 1PM ET (10AM PT) on Monday.
Redbox Instant, GameTrailers apps now on Xbox Live
Redbox's new "Redbox Instant by Verizon" video streaming service has moved out of beta and is now available to Xbox Live Gold subscribers. The app itself will require its own additional subscription for unlimited streaming, though purchasing and renting movies can be done regardless.Two levels of Redbox Instant subscriptions are available: Four kiosk DVDs and unlimited streaming for $8 a month, or a Blu-ray version of the deal for $9 a month. A one-month free trial is available for anyone wishing to see how Redbox Instant's catalogue compares with its competitors.Meanwhile, Xbox Live's other miscellaneous entertainment offerings have also expanded by way of a new GameTrailers app, which brings the video portal's various reviews, original programming and, well, trailers to the Xbox. This way, everyone with an Xbox 360 can enjoy staged interviews with purported burn victims.
Gold Family Pack leaves the Xbox Live nest
The Gold Family Pack has divorced from Xbox Live. Following a couple of tips indicating the pack had disappeared earlier this month, we reached out to Microsoft who confirmed the offer was removed from its service."The Family Gold offer is no longer available for purchase," a Microsoft representative told us. "The Family Center experience with settings management, allowance granting, child activity reports and family subscriptions management are still available for current Family Gold members at this time."As for why the pack was discontinued, the rep said, "We continually evaluate our business focus and work to offer services that make the most sense for our customers and Xbox."Microsoft introduced the Family Pack to Xbox Live back in November 2010, offering up a discounted $99.99 bundle of four year-long Gold memberships, along with Family Center functionality allowing users to manage family members' content and purchasing access.
Xbox Live Gold free to all in the UK March 8-10
Regular Xbox Live members in the UK can enjoy a free bump up to Gold status courtesy of BioShock Infinite. The free weekend kicks off on Friday, March 8, starting 12:00 GMT and lasting until 23:59 GMT on Sunday, March 10.A variety of multiplayer events will go down throughout the weekend, starting with "Rockstar Friday" when developers from the New York outfit will be online and competing in games of GTA IV: Episodes from Liberty City, Max Payne 3, Red Dead Redemption and Midnight Club LA. Other multiplayer events for games such as Halo 4, Borderlands 2, Tomb Raider, FIFA Ultimate Team, Forza Horizon, Far Cry 3 and Assassin's Creed 3 will also take place.A Microsoft representative has confirmed with Joystiq that this is for the UK only.
