After an industry defining run on the market that went on for more than 10 years, Microsoft have announced that they will now be ending production of the Xbox 360– starting now, only residual Xbox 360 inventory will be sold, and once they’ve sold it all, there will be no more new Xbox 360 consoles in the wild.
The Xbox 360, Microsoft’s second console, still remains their most successful outing on the market, as well as one of the most important consoles in this industry’s history. With over 80 million units sold, it is also one of the most successful consoles of all time- its legacy is felt in the fact that modern consoles are all built in the image of the Xbox 360.
Production of the Xbox 360 may be ending, but Microsoft has committed to continuing to support the system for the foreseeable future. This will include:
- Xbox 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 Xbox 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 Xbox 360 games through Xbox One Backward Compatibility – at no additional cost.
And with that, one of the most influential consoles of all time comes to an end, as does an era- an era when Microsoft was setting the tone and pace for the industry. The Xbox One is largely not as much of a success as the epoch defining Xbox 360 was, and I suppose all of us can only hope that by the end of its run, it will have amassed a legacy approaching that of the Xbox 360.