Microsoft has announced that the next free game to be releaed under the Games With Gold promotion on Xbox 360 will be Assassin's Creed 2.
The game will be available for Gold subcribers from July 15th until the end of the month. Confirming that Ubisoft's 2009 title would be the next entry released under the program on Twitter Larry 'Major Nelson' Hryb commented:
I can confirm that Assassin’s Creed II will be the next free title released in the Xbox “Games With Gold” Program http://t.co/c7mRquZZHL
— Larry Hryb (@majornelson) July 3, 2013
That means Free ACII on July 16th. We release two free games/month: One on the 1st & the other on the 16th http://t.co/BWzbzf896v
— Larry Hryb (@majornelson) July 3, 2013
On the first of July four year old Xbox Live Arcade game Defense Grid: The Awakening was released as the initial game available as part of the promotion although Fable 3 was free to download for Gold members in June. 2007's Halo 3 will also be made available under the program at a later date but other titles for Games with Gold have not been announced.
While the program is likely meant as a rival to PlayStation Plus Sony's offering is significantly more generous. PlayStation Plus subscribers can currently download Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Catherine, The Cave, Demon's Souls, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus HD, Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning and LittleBigPlanet Karting.
That's in addition to the Vita games which are currently available; Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Gravity Rush, Rayman Origins and Sine Mora.
Sony has confirmed that the instant game collection will continue on PlayStation 4 but Microsoft has yet to make any such statement regarding Games with Gold for Xbox One.
One advantage Games with Gold does offer over PlayStation Plus is that titles included in the promotion are yours to keep forever. Plus games only remain in your collection so long as your subscription remains active.
PlayStation Plus will be updated today with new Instant Game Collection content.
