Xbox Game Pass, an Amazon Prime and Netflix-like subscription based service for Xbox One that gives its members complete access to a catalog of free Xbox One and Xbox 360 titles, was announced just yesterday. After it was revealed, a lot of gamers wondered what it might actually mean for the future of the current Games With Gold program.
Microsoft has taken the effort to rectify any worry by stating that Games With Gold and Xbox Game Pass will actually live alongside each other.
A Microsoft representative mentioned the following in a statement to Kotaku,
Games with Gold and Xbox Game Pass are two different service offerings with unique benefits, Games with Gold is an added benefit specific to Xbox Live Gold members that rewards players with two to four free games each month to enjoy. Xbox Game Pass is a subscription-based service that gives you unlimited access to over 100 Xbox One and Xbox 360 backward compatible games for Xbox One for $9.99 USD per month. Xbox Live Gold is not required for Xbox Game Pass, however, Xbox Live Gold is required for multiplayer titles that are part of the Xbox Game Pass catalog.
The Microsoft spokesperson further clarified that the Xbox Game Pass 100+ game’s catalog will be updated on a monthly basis; and only sometimes will games be removed from the catalog. You’ll be given the option to play every game in the library for as long as you remain a subscriber of the service.
If you choose to cancel your subscription or a game is removed, the save data with your progress is stored to your account so you can pick up again where you left off anytime in the future should you decide to re-subscribe or buy the game separately.
Xbox Game Pass is available right now on Xbox One for all those in the Xbox Insider Program for testing before it finally rolls out to public; which has been slated for sometime this Spring.
