Microsoft waiving Gold requirement for free-to-play sandbox Project Spark
On PC, Xbox One and Xbox 360.Game-creation sandbox Project Spark will not need an Xbox Live Gold subscription to access, Microsoft has clarified, a change from the company's previous stance on free-to-play releases.
Xbox 360 free-to-play games such as Happy Wars and Ascend: Hand of Kul have required an Gold subscription - even to access offline modes.
"You will not need a Gold subscription to play Project Spark for free on any platform," community manager Mike Lescault explained via Reddit (as spotted by NeoGAF).
Project Spark will launch first on Xbox One, with versions also headed to Windows 8 PCs and Xbox 360.
An Xbox One beta is due in January 2014 and is expected to be nearly complete by that time. Features exclusive to the Xbox One version will include Kinect-enabled performance capture, body animations, facial expressions and voice acting.
Will you support Eurogamer?
We want to make Eurogamer better, and that means better for our readers - not for algorithms. You can help! Become a supporter of Eurogamer and you can view the site completely ad-free, as well as gaining exclusive access to articles, podcasts and conversations that will bring you closer to the team, the stories, and the games we all love. Subscriptions start at £3.99 / $4.99 per month.