Microsoft ends support for original Xbox games

Xbox News | Another system put out to pasture...

Gamerscore Blog reports that Microsoft has today announced that they will no longer support original Xbox titles. This means taht original Xbox games such as Halo 2 will not longer be available for purchase, nor will original Xbox titles be available for play on the original iteration of Xbox Live.

Furthermore, Xbox Live service for all the original Xbox consoles will no longer be available in any form for users. Microsoft has said that they will contact Xbox Live members who are directly affected by this with more details and new opportunities.

Dropping this service from the original version of Xbox Live will enable Microsoft to move forward with developing services and providing new features for subscribers. Microsoft in the past has attributed a number of shortcomings of the current Xbox Live service (Such as the restriction of only 100 Xbox Live friends) to the limitations of the original implementation of the Xbox.

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8 Comments

Slashee the Cow

1 month ago

And this is why not having splitscreen or system link play is a problem - in 2018 or whenever it is when they shut down Live on 360, I won't be able to play half my games multiplayer.

ppjim3

1 month ago

While I agree with you in theory... in 2018 are you going to want to play 99% of the games released now? You'll probably be playing Halo 8 anyway!

Marka

1 month ago

So what happens to the copy of Fahrenheit that I purchased from Xbox Live? I won't be able to download it again in the future if I wish? guess that is one of the downfalls of Digital Distribution.

critter2003

1 month ago

I don't think they're removing the XBox Originals from the store, you just won't be able to play games like Halo 2 online against other people anymore.

jiayijames

1 month ago

Yeah, it's about 'support' for original Xbox games on Live. 2010 seems ok to do this as the hardware stopped in 2004 (?) and games stopped coming out in 2005 (?). Maybe time for them to make a HD Halo 2 on 360. It's funny by comparing MS with Sony, PS2 is STILL selling in stores, not to mention the online multiplayer support.

Lord Haart

1 month ago

PS2 was a phenomenon that Sony can't come close to replicating, well over 100 million consoles sold. So Sony has a much greater financial interest in the PS2 than MS does in the vanilla Xbox.

Can't say I've really used the BackCompat anyhow, so it's a win for me if it means Live gets better.