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Games with Gold will get better

2 min read
14

Goldfinger Golden girl

Games with Gold is generally like that kid in school who no one wants to pick on their team. It’s seriously lame, with mostly old, outdated and boring games given away “for free” to Xbox Live Gold subscribers. When compared to the infinitely cooler kid, PlayStation Plus, it looks even worse. But that is set to change.

Speaking during a Q&A session, Microsoft’s Phil Spencer explained the problem with the comparison:

One of our issues with Games with Gold — not ‘issues,’ but differences between the other system we get compared to, is the fact that with Games with Gold, you get to keep that game, regardless of whether you continue to subscribe. And the business around Games with Gold, for us, is just fundamentally different from some of the other programs that are out there, which does put a different financial picture on a — you’re gonna go buy a game that’s brand new, the cost of putting that in, just to be kind of blunt about it.

So, Games with Gold is lame because we get to keep the games? You know, I’d rather have just one good game a month than two or three old, lame ones. Even Spencer knows that the games they’re giving away aren’t worth it – apparently he has been taking a more hands on approach with selecting games. Going forward, he believes that the program will becoming something “more true” to what consumers expect. Does he even know what that is?

For us, in the long run, as an industry, giving away content like that is just … I think there’s some steps and some evolution of what Games with Gold or any of the other systems will go through to their full potential. You have things out there that are kind of bigger subscription services, where I get access to a lot of content. Games with Gold is kind of this step in the middle of, ‘I get games, and how do I feel about those games.’

Games with Gold is further criticized for having nothing for the Xbox One as of yet, something that Spencer says we’ll be hearing about soon.

It just keeps feeling like excuses and promises for a sub-par service. I get it, you get to keep the games, but considering what I get, I’d rather just keep up my PlayStation Plus subscription. I already have a bunch of games for PS4 when I eventually get the console, plus tons of new content for my PS3. Games with Gold simply can’t compare with PlayStation Plus at this point, and if it’s their model of permanent ownership that’s holding them back, maybe they need to reevaluate that business model.

Last Updated: March 10, 2014

14 Comments

  1. Alien Emperor Trevor

    March 10, 2014 at 09:23

    What did he say? I see lots of words but my eyes just glazed over. I’m going to assume it was something smart & informative because I didn’t understand it.

    Reply

    • RinceThis

      March 10, 2014 at 09:39

      From Spencer? 0-O

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        March 10, 2014 at 09:44

        You shut up! That man is a visionary! I don’t know what visionary means, but he has half a real name, so that means something.

        Reply

        • RinceThis

          March 10, 2014 at 09:53

          “I love you too Trevor baby”

          Reply

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            March 10, 2014 at 09:54

            I don’t know what that means either. :/

  2. Alien Emperor Trevor

    March 10, 2014 at 09:25

    Also, header win. Gold kills, in a bad way.

    Reply

  3. Umar Praise The Golden Sun

    March 10, 2014 at 09:33

    Just keep dancing and dodging the issues and spinning it into something it’s not
    http://i.imgur.com/3x6HhSp.gif

    Reply

  4. JustAnotherGamer

    March 10, 2014 at 09:34

    lol, no it won’t. This is microsoft.

    Reply

  5. Unavengedavo(aka. Bilbo)

    March 10, 2014 at 09:38

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      March 10, 2014 at 09:42

      I didn’t know cocaine was gold. :/

      Reply

  6. Mark Treloar

    March 10, 2014 at 09:47

    So why don’t they just say it in plain Engrish. “Rent your games from us or Subscribe to own”. See short and sweet.

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      March 10, 2014 at 09:53

      Because evolving dialogue patterns for successful communications with all stakeholders are key learning paradigms to take away from MBA programmes.

      Reply

  7. iAmWeasel

    March 10, 2014 at 10:23

    Yep.. no one cares that you get to keep the Games with Gold games… it’s not a big selling point. I’d rather have a newer AAA title for free for just 6 months than some old piece of shite forever.

    Reply

  8. Pieter Kruger

    March 10, 2014 at 12:13

    We really need to catch a wakeup, get off our high horses and bury all this entitlement crap! The world economy is in the slumps. It’s not financially viable to just keep giving new or newer AAA games away for free! MS and Sony both have to buy those titles! All this crap is forcing them to cut on other expenses!!(yes, laying off staff and closing shops etc.) When is enough enough? This crap will cause a huge drought in new games as eventually many developers will only focus on Indies and mobile games or even close down if their games don’t get bought by MS and Sony for free distribution, we’ll all be sitting on our asses bitching and waiting for our next free games while refusing to actually buy anything and thus stimulating growth in the industry!

    Reply

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