Microsoft has finally called it a day for the Original Xbox Live service and games. Even those which can be ported to Xbox 360 and playing live. This whole exercise will last till April 15, 2010 when Original Xbox Live service will be discontinued... forever. It was fun while it lasted and those who own the Original Xbox must now move to Xbox 360 for better gaming experience.
I think that continuing support for a system which lasted 7 years, is a lot in the first place and now since the Microsoft Entertainment Division is not really coming at par with company's expectations, steps had to be taken to retire those who cannot walk along any more.
In an official response, Microsoft said, on Xbox Forums: "Over its seven year history, Xbox LIVE has evolved from a multiplayer gaming service to an industry-leading entertainment network offering the best in games, movies, music, social connections and more. This change will allow us to continue that evolution with new features and experiences that fully harness the power of Xbox 360 and the global Xbox LIVE community of more than 20 million members. The best is yet to come, and we look forward to sharing more details in the near future."
There, the rumors about Xbox 720 might be coming true after all or maybe they are just bringing out a newer version of existing Xbox 360. I suspect that Microsoft now wants to concentrate on its Project Natal and would like to unveil it within next few months. Let's see what the future holds for us and Microsoft.
More details and FAQ regarding the latest move by Microsoft is available on Xbox Forums
