A Sad, but Expected Goodbye to the Xbox 360
Well everyone, it’s been a slice but my feet hurt, my hard drive feels clunky and my RAM just ain’t what it used to be. Time for this old Xbox 360 to take a dirt nap. But don’t be sad, after all I will live on in virtual space on your Xbox One console.
Just over 10 years ago we saw the first Xbox 360 consoles roll out of factories on their way to dominance of a generation and today Microsoft has announced that they will no longer be making new ones. This is a big change, although not unexpected, and it’s important to note the impact the 360 console had on gaming over its lifespan. Phil Spencer had the following to say:
The Xbox 360 helped redefine an entire generation of gaming at Microsoft. I am incredibly proud of all of the work and dedication that went into development of the Xbox 360 hardware, services and games portfolio over the last decade. And I’m grateful to the fans for their continued passion and support.
Franchises like Gears of War were born on the 360, and established blockbusters like Halo really came into their own during this console generation.
Microsoft very likely continued to produce Xbox 360 consoles well after they probably would have preferred to stop. With the PS4 coming out strong and the gap between it and the Xbox One growing all the time, it was probably a necessary thing to keep alive to help keep the books balanced. The future of the Xbox One is uncertain at the moment as rumours of an upgraded version have surfaced, but with a price drop likely coming at E3 this is probably the pre-emptive move to seeing the Xbox One console fill that missing market space.
Still, Xbox 360 owners aren’t quite being left in the cold yet with tons of support coming from Microsoft on the existing consoles out there and their games.
- 360 owners will continue to receive Xbox Live services for their console, such as online multiplayer gaming and parties, access to the apps they use today, and Games with Gold and Deals with Gold.
- Xbox Live servers that support 360 services will also remain online and active. Our Xbox 360 fans can continue to play their favorite games with the full support of Xbox Live.
- Gamers will also be able to continue to buy over 4,000 Xbox 360 games or Xbox 360 accessories at retail and through our Xbox 360 store online, while supplies last.
- Any Xbox 360 hardware will still be supported at xbox.com/support.
- And Xbox One owners will be able to continue to enjoy available 360 games through Xbox One Backward Compatibility – at no additional cost.
When we’ll see an end to this level of support is unknown but for now, Xbox 360 can rest easy while mourning the eventual loss of a good friend for the past 10 years.