Last December, Microsoft unveiled the latest lineup of free games for its Xbox Live Gold subscribers, and two of those games are already available to download right now. However, with the Xbox Series X release and the continued popularity of the Xbox Game Pass, many are wondering whether Microsoft should discontinue the Xbox Live Gold service.
When Microsoft introduced Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which includes Live Gold's benefits alongside a vast library of games for streaming for a slightly more expensive fee, many asked whether a standalone Live Gold service is still worth it. Given that Microsoft confirmed last year that it would not discontinue Xbox Live Gold in the foreseeable future, it appears that the service will continue throughout 2021. Of course, if Microsoft wants to entice players to keep their Live Gold subscription if not upgrading to Game Pass Ultimate, it should introduce drastic changes to the service, and here are some features that should be added to the Xbox Live Gold this year.
Xbox Games with Gold Could Streamline its Free Games with Stronger Titles
One of the most prominent criticisms players have with Xbox Games with Gold is its focus on quantity over quality. For years now, Xbox Live Gold subscribers get four games, two of which are Xbox One titles, while the other two are divided into older Xbox generations. While decreasing the number of monthly titles could result in a backlash, it is likely that most players won't mind the decrease as long as the games that are offered are of better quality.
Of course, while judging the quality of a game is subjective, Microsoft could target triple-A and indie games that appeal to a broader player base. In the past year, Microsoft received criticisms from players due to the lineup of Games with Gold that is filled with titles that many haven't even heard of. Instead, Microsoft could streamline the roster of Games with Gold by limiting it to two per month, allowing the current offerings to stand out from the rest. Most importantly, Microsoft could focus on games that would entice as many players as possible to prevent subscribers from canceling their Live Gold subscriptions.
Microsoft Could Offer Xbox Game Pass Titles to Live Gold
To the uninitiated, Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft's service that offers players access to a library of games available. However, unlike Live Gold, where players get to keep the game it offers as long as their subscriptions remain active, a good number of Xbox Game Pass titles are only available for a limited time. As an added benefit to Live Gold subscribers, Microsoft could offer some of the games that have been removed from Xbox Game Pass to Xbox Live Gold, allowing players to keep these titles as long as they are subscribed to the service. In other words, removed Game Pass titles could appear on Live Gold for those without Game Pass and make it a better deal.
It is worth noting that this maneuver could be tricky for Microsoft to pull off, especially since it has no direct control over titles released by third-party developers. At the very least, Microsoft could implement this on its own games, focusing on older yet popular titles released as exclusives on the Xbox One. Additionally, this would allow Xbox Live Gold to have an added benefit, especially to players who are unwilling to shell out more money to access Xbox Game Pass.
In the end, the future of Xbox Live Gold remains unclear, especially since it is unknown what Microsoft is planning to ensure that the service remains relevant in the new console generation. However, by prioritizing quality over quantity in its monthly roster of free games and by adding titles that have left the Xbox Game Pass service, Microsoft could secure the future of Xbox Live Gold in 2021, especially if it has no plans to discontinue the service and focus on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.