A Nostalgic Look Back at Xbox Live on the 360

Players will still be able to access any previously purchased games or DLCs

The Xbox 360 launched nearly twenty years ago. This console revolutionized how people viewed gaming products. Its robust store and achievement system laid the groundwork for the way that we experience gaming today. The innovations we see in the Xbox series X just wouldn’t be possible without this experimental device. Unfortunately, Microsoft will be closing the doors on this beloved console starting July 29^th, 2024.

Both the Xbox 360 Store and the Xbox 360 Marketplace are set to close on this date. This means that players will no longer be able to purchase anything from the respective stores after that date. You will still be able to access any game or DLC you have purchased before the store closes for good. The COO of Microsoft Gaming, Dave McCarthy, had the following to say about the dilemma.

"This change will not affect your ability to play Xbox 360 games or DLC you have already purchased. Xbox 360 game content previously purchased will still be available to play not only [on] the Xbox 360 console but also Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S devices via backward compatibility."

However, many games are still only available for the Xbox 360. Many games have never received a new-gen release or a proper PC port. This means that those games will essentially vanish into nonexistence. Media death often happens when we switch to new formats of entertainment. Thousands of movies were lost forever when the switch from VHS to DVD and streaming happened. And now it looks like the same thing will be happening to many of the beloved Xbox 360 games.

“The Xbox 360 is the first console that I’ve ever worked with that actually has development tools that are better for games than what we’ve had on PC” John Carmack

Physical copies of the games will still linger around of course. But this often leads to a cost increase due to scarcity. Anyone who has ever tried to find a copy of Pokémon Silver will understand what’s about to happen to these beloved titles.

On a positive note, the Xbox 360 will still keep its multiplayer functionality. This means that you can still jump on the 360 and join a game lobby to play with friends anytime you would like. Microsoft has even stated that they will continue to offer game updates after the service is shut down. The Microsoft Movies and TV app will be shutting down as well. Players will no longer be able to use their console to view media content.

However, nothing good can last forever. The Xbox 360 store has been around for almost twenty years, but it had to close at some point. Microsoft has always been an innovative gaming company, and keeping the shop open will likely drain resources that can be used to improve the gaming scene in other areas.

Just look at what they have done with the Microsoft game pass. This affordable option allows people to access a huge variety of games for a small price. The release of this feature changed the gaming world, and we quickly saw other companies following suit.

So, although this may be a sad day for the gaming world, it is time to let the Xbox 360 rest. We can still jump on to play our favorite classic games, assuming we already own them, and remember all the fun we experienced during its heyday.