Microsoft has announced a rebranding for Xbox Live Gold, which will now be integrated into the Xbox Game Pass brand as a new Core subscription tier. This tier will provide access to online multiplayer as well as a selection of included games. Previously, Xbox Game Pass had three versions: one for Console, one for PC, and Ultimate, which combined PC, Console, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. However, only Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers had access to online multiplayer on consoles.
Xbox Game Pass Core is set to launch on September 14, 2023, and will be priced at $9.99 per month or $59.99 per year. This is the same cost as the PC Game Pass subscription and one dollar less than the Console Game Pass tier, which does not include online multiplayer. Core players will also receive over 25 Xbox Game Pass titles in their subscriptions, compared to the three monthly titles offered by Games With Gold, which will still be available after the transition. However, the number of games included in the full Xbox Game Pass subscriptions is much larger.
The Xbox Live subscription was introduced 21 years ago on the original Xbox, priced at $49.99 per year. Over the years, it has evolved with the introduction of Xbox Live Gold in the Xbox 360 era, which offered perks such as monthly Games With Gold, Xbox Live Arcade, and exclusive discounts.
While paying for online multiplayer has become standard practice across consoles, Xbox was the only platform that required a paid subscription for this service until the PlayStation 4 also adopted the practice. PlayStation Plus, previously used for cloud storage, discounts, and monthly ”free titles” on the PS3, became mandatory for online multiplayer on the PS4 and continued onto the PS5.
In essence, the whole concept seems somewhat unnecessary and appears to be a way to generate more revenue from the gaming community. An infographic on Xbox’s official site explaining the new Game Pass Core tier makes this even more evident. Xbox Game Pass Core costs only one dollar less than the Console tier of Xbox Game Pass, which does not include online multiplayer but offers a significantly larger game library.
2023-07-20 07:00:05
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