Games with Gold, Big Discounts, Heading to Xbox One

Microsoft had a big day planned today – First it announced a price cut on the Xbox One that includes dropping Kinect, then it confirmed rumors that apps like Netflix, HBO GO, and Hulu will no longer be stuck beyond the Xbox Live Gold Paywall.

Now, apparently, it’s time for games.

Games with Gold, the promotion that gives free games to Xbox Live Gold members each month, is heading to Xbox One in June – in addition to the games heading to Xbox 360.

On Xbox 360, Gold members will be getting Dark Souls, Charlie Murder, and Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition. Xbox One owners’ choices aren’t as awesome as those to start with, but it’s a start – Max: The Curse of Brotherhood and Halo: Spartan Assault will be the first games on offer. The big difference between Games with Gold on Xbox One vs. Xbox 360 is a condition familiar to PlayStation Plus subscribers. Games with Gold on Xbox 360 will remain the same – once you grab the game, you own it. On Xbox One, Games with Gold games are yours as long as you’re subscribed to Xbox Live Gold, according to Microsoft. We’ve reached out to Microsoft to find out if you get those games back after resubscribing on a lapsed account.

In addition, Microsoft is going to start offering huge discounts on games. This is something I’ve been looking forward to since before the system launched, and now’s about the right time.

Deals with Gold will also launch for Xbox One in June, delivering discounts for great games each month, with significant savings for Xbox Live Gold members. The first titles offered in June will include “Forza Motorsport 5,” “Ryse: Son of Rome,” and a few other surprises. In the coming months, we will offer significant savings of up to 50 – 75 percent off certain titles.

I love my Xbox One, but there’s no arguing that the system has had a difficult time since launch, lagging consistently behind PlayStation 4. These new programs from Microsoft will likely provide a big sales boost for the system, as well as give gamers lots of great reasons to keep an Xbox Live subscription – reasons that don’t include sticking stuff that should be free behind a paywall.