Microsoft's "Games With Gold" was announced last week during its E3 press briefing last week which included one free game a month for Xbox Live Gold members and the first title available will be Lionhead's 2010 action RPG Fable 3.
Two free Xbox 360 games will be offered beginning on the first and sixteenth day of every month through the promotion. Assassin's Creed II and Halo 3 will be the next games available after Fable 3. According to Microsoft, once downloaded, the game can be kept indefinitely. Fable 3's free offer ends at the end of the month.
According to Microsoft, the reasoning behind the free games promotion came as way to show gratitude to Xbox Live supporters.
"As our way of saying thanks for being part of this community, we're giving all qualifying Gold members two free Xbox 360 games each month for the rest of the year," read a release on Microsoft's site. "Each specially selected, fan-favorite game will be available to download only for a limited time, so grab them before they're gone and keep them no matter what."
The promotion could be a swipe against Sony who has offered free games for Playstation Plus members for quite some time.
During last week's press briefing, Microsoft pledge continued support for its Xbox 360 console as it transitions over toward the next-gen Xbox One. In speaking with Gamespot , Microsoft Game Studios executive Phil Spencer said the company hopes support for the system will last for "years to come."
"I think the [Xbox 360] is going to be very vibrant for many years," said Spencer."
To date, over 77 million Xbox 360s have been sold worldwide
Another plan for Microsoft to extend the Xbox 360's lifespan is through a redesign also shipped in US, UK, Canada, Ireland and Australia last week after its press briefing. The new Xbox 360 will come in three different models; $199.99 for the 4GB console, $299.99 for the 250GB model and $299.99 for the 4GB with Kinect.
