Xbox 360 Store and Xbox 360 Marketplace will be shut on July
29, 2024, and gamers using the old console will not be able to purchase and
download new games, according to a post on Xbox's website.
Microsoft is, however, allowing users to play with their
already purchased Xbox 360 games and older titles that are compatible with the
console.
"A lot has changed since the Xbox 360 launched in 2005.
Technology has evolved, expectations from players have shifted, and we are
focused on making Xbox Series X|S the best place to play now and in the
future," Xbox said.
Microsoft stopped the production of Xbox 360 in 2016 and a
year later launched Xbox Game Pass, a subscription gaming service that can be
accessed on consoles and Windows platforms.
As part of its latest move, the Movies & TV app on the
older console will also be removed.
Xbox 360 is regarded as one of the best-selling gaming
consoles of all time, right up against Sony's PlayStation 3. Microsoft had sold
about 84 million units of Xbox 360 till 2014, which is when it stopped
reporting its sales because of the launch of the successor Xbox One.
The Xbox 360 is well on its way out, but Microsoft already
has sights on its next generation of consoles. Court documents from the FTC
trial over the Xbox parent's attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard revealed
that the company believes the next generation of gaming consoles should be out
in 2028. These include the next Xbox console and the PlayStation 6.
Meanwhile, Microsoft is introducing a new strike system to
clamp down on toxic behaviour among its online players on Xbox. Players found
exhibiting toxic behaviour such as using slurs, sending threats, and indulging
in hateful conduct and bullying while gaming online can now be reported,
following which they will receive strikes. Each strike comes with a period of
ban from Xbox multiplayer services, and accumulating eight strikes would lead
to a year-long ban. © Reuters