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Microsoft is stopping production of the Xbox 360 after more than a decade

By Koh Wanzi - on 21 Apr 2016, 6:01pm

Microsoft is stopping production of the Xbox 360 after more than a decade

Image Source: Microsoft

Well, that was quite a good run. In a blog post from Xbox chief Phil Spencer, Microsoft announced that it is finally stopping production on the Xbox 360, a console that has enjoyed massive success in its decade-long run.

First released in late 2005, the Xbox 360 went on to sell over 80 million units, outstripping the first Xbox and establishing Microsoft as a serious contender in the console space. But it looks like age has finally caught up with the Xbox 360. “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,” Spencer explained in his blog post.

However, the company will continue to sell its remaining inventory of Xbox 360 consoles, and will still support Xbox 360 players in various ways. For instance, Xbox Live servers for the 360 will remain active, and subscribers will continue to receive free games through the Games With Gold program and discounts through Deals With Gold. Microsoft is also retaining support for troubleshooting issues, and will continue to update its Support page for the 360.

Some have seen this coming for a while now, especially since Microsoft made it possible to play select 360 games on the Xbox One late last year.

Rumors are also swirling that Microsoft has plans to release an updated version of the Xbox soon, prompted largely by Spencer’s comments at a roundtable discussion with Gameinformer. The Xbox chief reportedly said that Microsoft has no interest in creating an “Xbox One and a half”, which some took to interpret as a hint at a significant Xbox upgrade.

There’s already news of a more powerful PlayStation 4 codenamed Neo, so it’s no wonder that all these developments have got console gamers up in a tizzy.

Source: Microsoft

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