Microsoft has revealed the Xbox Games with Gold for July 2021, and it’s telling that an original Xbox game, Conker: Live & Reloaded, is the most notable of the batch. Microsoft is focusing more and more on Xbox Game Pass, with xCloud now available on Apple devices & PC through streaming, while Xbox Live Gold is often perceived as little more than an afterthought by subscribers at this point.
Meanwhile, Sony has been hitting it out of the park with PlayStation Plus’ own free game offerings recently, which has added a mixture of old PS4 games and new PS5 titles to its line-up. The June 2021 lineup for PS+ included Star Wars Squadrons, the PS5 version of Operation Tango, and the PS4-exclusive Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown. For comparison, most high-profile game in June’s Xbox Games with Gold lineup was the Xbox 360 port of Injustice: Gods Among Us.
Microsoft has once again announced the next batch of Xbox Games with Gold in a video on the official Xbox YouTube channel. Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can claim Planet Alpha from July 1-31, Conker: Live & Reloaded from July 1-15, Midway Arcade Origins from July 16-31, and Rock of Ages 3: Make a Break from July 16-August 15.
Click here to see Xbox Games with Gold’s July 2021 lineup.
Planet Alpha is a highly-acclaimed puzzle platformer, where the player must survive on an alien world. The player must use their ability to switch day and night as they continue their journey through the harsh and unknown environment. Conker: Live & Reloaded was an original Xbox-exclusive remake of Conker’s Bad Fur Day, which added a new online multiplayer mode. Midway Arcade Origins is a compilation of over thirty arcade classics, including Gauntlet, Joust, Sinistar, Smash TV, and Spy Hunter. Rock of Ages 3: Make a Break is a tower defense/arcade action game, where the player must destroy enemy fortifications with boulders.
Microsoft’s E3 2021 conference was loaded with Game Pass announcements, to the point where the service is going to receive a killer’s row of games over the next two years. It’s clear that Game Pass is Microsoft’s future and Xbox Live Gold is receiving less care, especially compared to PS+. It wouldn’t be surprising if Microsoft decided to roll Xbox Live Gold into Game Pass in the future, as a way of unifying its services into one subscription. The dismal Xbox Live Gold offerings could be a sign of this shift already taking place.
