Game Over: Microsoft To Stop Making Xbox 360
Xbox Live services will continue, along with technical support, despite manufacturing coming to an end
It’s the end of a gaming era – Microsoft says it is to stop manufacturing the Xbox 360 console after more than a decade.
The console – released in 2005 – helped Microsoft gain a strong foothold in the market and it became the sixth most popular games console of all time.
Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft’s Xbox division, said that it reshaped a generation of gaming but it was now showing its age.
He said: “Xbox 360 means a lot to everyone in Microsoft. And while we’ve had an amazing run, the realities of manufacturing a product over a decade old are starting to creep up on us.
“Which is why we have made the decision to stop manufacturing new Xbox 360 consoles. We will continue to sell existing inventory of Xbox 360 consoles, with availability varying by country.”
He added: “The console became a beloved gaming and entertainment hub with over 78 billion gaming hours played.”
He pointed to franchises like Gears Of War and Halo, which thrived on the Xbox 360 platform, as a sign of the console’s influence.
Xbox Live services will continue, along with technical support, despite manufacturing coming to an end.
More than 80 million units of the console have been sold since it was launched, placing it behind PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, Game Boy, PlayStation and Wii in the all-time bestseller list.
The latest Microsoft console – Xbox One – launched in 2013 and is backwards compatible, meaning many Xbox 360 games can be played on it.
More Stories
NIGER REP. MILITARY JUNTA SUMMONS NIGERIAN ENVOY OVER SECURITY ISSUES
The foreign minister of junta-ruled Niger has summoned the charge d’affaires at the Nigerian embassy, accusing the neighbouring nation of...
WORLD NEWS: ROMANIA COURT ACCEPTS ANDREW TATE’S APPEAL
A Romanian court on Thursday granted an appeal by controversial influencer Andrew Tate, refusing to put him on trial over...
WORLD NEWS: UKRAINE STRIKES RUSSIAN OIL REFINERY, TRIGGERING FIRE
According to Russian and Ukrainian officials on Thursday, an oil refinery in southern Russia caught fire overnight as a result...
JUST IN: FIRE BREAKS OUT AT LIBERIAN PARLIAMENT AFTER PROTESTS
A large blaze ravaged parts of Liberia’s parliament building on Wednesday, a day after tense protests erupted following months of...
WORLD NEWS: POLAND SEEKS TO CURTAIL ASYLUM RIGHTS AMID MIGRANT PRESSURE
Agency Report Poland’s government on Wednesday adopted a bill that would allow it to temporarily limit asylum rights, as it...
JUST IN: GABON LIFTS CURFEW OVER A YEAR AFTER MILITARY COUP
Gabon’s ruling junta Wednesday lifted a curfew that had been in force since it seized power in a August 2023...