Microsoft to discontinue Xbox Live for original Xbox
The Xbox Live online game service has had long run, but Microsoft announced today that it will discontinue the service, which is for the original Xbox console launched back in 2001.
The service will be shut down by April 15, according to an open letter posted by Xbox Live general manager Marc Whitten. That’s likely going to enrage the fans of multiplayer Halo 2, which has persisted as a fan favorite since the game launched in 2004.
No doubt fans who didn’t upgrade to the Xbox 360 — which debuted in 2005 — are going to be steamed at Microsoft. The Halo 2 fans can at least migrate to Halo 3 multiplayer on the Xbox 360.
On the one hand, Microsoft is turning its back on loyal customers who paid good money assuming that their consoles would have a long lifespan. Sony, by contrast, has supported the PlayStation 2 console since 2000. But I suppose you can’t expect Microsoft to support its older products forever, given the costs involved. On the operating system side, for instance, Microsoft has been moving to cut its costs by ending tech support for obsolete operating systems. Microsoft appears to be justifying the shutdown by offering more features in the future for its online fans. The company says that future changes, which will bring new features, are going to be incompatible with the original Xbox.
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About the Author, Dean Takahashi
Dean is lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He covers video games, security, chips and a variety of other subjects. Dean previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News, the Wall Street Journal, the Red Herring, the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and the Dallas Times Herald. He is the author of two books, Opening the Xbox and the Xbox 360 Uncloaked. Follow him on Twitter at @deantak, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.
