Games with Gold

[Skel]

Not sure how good of a game it is, but MS has updated it's Games with Gold (the free games if you have Live for those that don't know). This time it's Might & Magic Clash of Heroes. I'm sure it's an old, and crappy game that makes MS the worst people in the world for even thinking about giving away (Que MS rage), but free is free...

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/games-with-gold

 

[Lil Frier]

Yeah, I'm torn on this promotion. Sony gives away current games (last month was Assassin's Creed 3, and I think Far Cry 3 is the game of October), while Microsoft has given away Assassin's Creed 2, Rainbow Six: Vegas, and Halo 3, which is the next game to be given out.

On the flip side, Microsoft is giving away games permanently, while Sony requires people to stay with PSN+ to keep these games. Even then, Microsoft is giving away games that are pretty much:

1. Beaten by anyone interested.
2. Dead, for multiplayer purposes.

 

[slugg]

I thought PS+ games were also permanent? Plz asplain. I can't seem to get a straight answer about this.

 

[RedRooster]

Ryan McCaffery made a good point on the IGN podcast, once PS4 starts kicking XB1's butt this gen, MS will surely step up their game on the free game promotions. Cuz ya, I'm really impressed with Sony's, even if it only is rental only(I will always pay for online, so "renting" them isn't an issue).

 

[BoberFett]

Wow, giving away AC3 and FC3? That's pretty crazy, I wonder how they get the publishers to go along with that?

The MS games are definitely less than exciting. So far I've owned most of them already. Fable 3 was the one major exception. I still do the download, because then I can sell or loan the disc and could still play if I want, but the games they give away are pretty ancient best sellers that most people already have that I'm not sure I'd ever go back to anyway.

 

[RedRooster]

The one upside to getting these free games to try is seeing how far the graphics came this gen. The first level of Rainbow Six(all I could force myself to get through) was stunningly bad compared to something like BF3.
So that hopefully bodes well regarding all that 720p vs. 1080p talk in launch games, they should only get much much better and in a year or two we'll be cooking!

 

[DaveSimmons]

I thought PS+ games were also permanent? Plz asplain. I can't seem to get a straight answer about this.

They are permanent as long as you keep renewing your PSN+ membership, if you let it lapse they go away.

There is a window during which you must "buy" the game for $0 if you want to play it later. If they offer a game in August, you have to "buy" it then, and if you wait to join PSN+ in October you don't get it.

So the longer you keep your PSN+ membership, the more games you have. Also, your one PSN+ membership includes PSP / Vita and PS4 too, so if you have pre-ordered a PS4 you could join now and start playing the PS3 / Vita / PSP games.

 

[Lil Frier]

Ryan McCaffery made a good point on the IGN podcast, once PS4 starts kicking XB1's butt this gen, MS will surely step up their game on the free game promotions. Cuz ya, I'm really impressed with Sony's, even if it only is rental only(I will always pay for online, so "renting" them isn't an issue).

I don't see this as feasible. I don't even see the service extending to the next generation, at least not for a few years. There's no backwards compatibility, so there won't really be a backlog of games to offer people. You'd have to give away brand-new games, which would kill profits.

If they hadn't screwed up with ignoring emulation this time around, they could have kept the promotion going and used that whole 360 catalog until One games became plentiful. They could have started it off on the One with Halo 4 or something, but they'd have to stick 100% to indie titles or give away games like Forza 5 and RYSE at the onset.

Then again, they're apparently including FIFA 14 and Forza 5 in launch bundles in Europe, so who knows?

 

[Lil Frier]

Wow, giving away AC3 and FC3? That's pretty crazy, I wonder how they get the publishers to go along with that?

The MS games are definitely less than exciting. So far I've owned most of them already. Fable 3 was the one major exception. I still do the download, because then I can sell or loan the disc and could still play if I want, but the games they give away are pretty ancient best sellers that most people already have that I'm not sure I'd ever go back to anyway.

I doubt it's that tough. I mean, look at how Valve gets publishers on-board with their massive sales all the time.

 

[gorcorps]

They are permanent as long as you keep renewing your PSN+ membership, if you let it lapse they go away.

There is a window during which you must "buy" the game for $0 if you want to play it later. If they offer a game in August, you have to "buy" it then, and if you wait to join PSN+ in October you don't get it.

So the longer you keep your PSN+ membership, the more games you have. Also, your one PSN+ membership includes PSP / Vita and PS4 too, so if you have pre-ordered a PS4 you could join now and start playing the PS3 / Vita / PSP games.

Just so there's no confusion, you don't lose your games as soon as you let it lapse. If you renew again down the road all of the games you "purchased" for free will be available for download again.

 

[Hopeless]

Free is free. I'm probably one of the few but I didn't own or have even played any of the ones that put up. Only tried Crackdown so far while taking a break from Borderlands 2, and it was a pretty fun game.

 

[Lil Frier]

Really, you never owned Rainbow Six: Vegas or Halo 3? That's craaaazy.

 

[boomshard]

I'm looking forward to playing some Halo 3 this week. I'm sure the matchmaking will be revived for a while after it goes free.

 

[Tweak155]

I'm looking forward to playing some Halo 3 this week. I'm sure the matchmaking will be revived for a while after it goes free.

Unfortunately Halo 3 is arguably the worst of the series.

Also sucks for me, my 120gb console died and all I have is a 4gb Kinect combo console left. I could throw the 120gb into the 4gb system, but just not comfortable with it.

 

[smackababy]

Wow, giving away AC3 and FC3? That's pretty crazy, I wonder how they get the publishers to go along with that?

I just signed up for PS+ this weekend and it wasn't FC3 as the free game. It was Saint's Row 3 and Kingom of Almur.

 

[purbeast0]

i just picked up FC3 from gamefly used for $10 and started it over the weekend. the game is pretty damn incredible, although the 360 is showing it's age BIG time with that game.

halo 3 being a free game is laughable. that game can be found for probably $5 if you look for it used. the whole xbl games for gold is laughable in general.

 

[boomshard]

Unfortunately Halo 3 is arguably the worst of the series.

Also sucks for me, my 120gb console died and all I have is a 4gb Kinect combo console left. I could throw the 120gb into the 4gb system, but just not comfortable with it.

I feel like that title belongs to Reach, but I do agree that 1, 2 and 4 are better than 3. What's wrong with putting your bigger HDD on to the working console?

 

[Hopeless]

Really, you never owned Rainbow Six: Vegas or Halo 3? That's craaaazy.

Rainbow six never did grab my interest. I'll give this one a shot since it's free.

Halo 3 is the one exception I rented it when it came out, but it hasn't actually been put up for free yet.

 

[smackababy]

I feel like that title belongs to Reach, but I do agree that 1, 2 and 4 are better than 3. What's wrong with putting your bigger HDD on to the working console?

Reach was so much better than 2,3, and 4. Halo 1 is still the best.

 

[Tweak155]

I feel like that title belongs to Reach, but I do agree that 1, 2 and 4 are better than 3. What's wrong with putting your bigger HDD on to the working console?

I didn't play the same games on them, so I'm just antsy that I'll delete save games, forget to transfer something, etc.

Really at this point it doesn't matter that much (with the new console releases). I have no good excuse. Is there a good video that makes it impossible to mess up? lol.

 

[zerocool84]

i just picked up FC3 from gamefly used for $10 and started it over the weekend. the game is pretty damn incredible, although the 360 is showing it's age BIG time with that game.

halo 3 being a free game is laughable. that game can be found for probably $5 if you look for it used. the whole xbl games for gold is laughable in general.

Yea PS+ definitely has given much better games, Xbox hasn't given many great games but hey, they're free with what we already pay for.

 

[purbeast0]

Yea PS+ definitely has given much better games, Xbox hasn't given many great games but hey, they're free with what we already pay for.

doesn't matter if its free or not, it's still shit. there is plenty of free shit i pass on even if it's free, simply because it's shit. i mean the games are good, they are just old and can be found for like $5 if you really want em.

 

[sweenish]

Not sure how good of a game it is, but MS has updated it's Games with Gold (the free games if you have Live for those that don't know). This time it's Might & Magic Clash of Heroes. I'm sure it's an old, and crappy game that makes MS the worst people in the world for even thinking about giving away (Que MS rage), but free is free...

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/games-with-gold

It's actually a pretty fantastic puzzle/rpg hybrid. You couldn't even be bothered to check reviews? It's a gem of a game.

 

[sweenish]

doesn't matter if its free or not, it's still shit. there is plenty of free shit i pass on even if it's free, simply because it's shit. i mean the games are good, they are just old and can be found for like $5 if you really want em.

So you're advocating paying for the game instead of getting it for free? Or are you advocating paying for the game and not Gold?

 

[purbeast0]

So you're advocating paying for the game instead of getting it for free? Or are you advocating paying for the game and not Gold?

im simply saying that just because it is free doesn't mean it is good or of any value to people. halo 3 is the 6th all time selling game for 360, and can be found dirt cheap. the fact that they are now giving it away years after it was released, to people who have xbl, is nothing special at all. i'd almost call it a slap in the face to people who have been on xbl since before it was released, because chances are the people who had xbox live back then probably had halo 3 too.