Now that next-gen gaming is actually current-gen gaming, the end is officially here for the Xbox 360.
Microsoft announced plans to discontinue sales of its previous-gen console, which celebrated its 10th anniversary just last year. That means that no new Xbox 360s will ever get produced again, and the only ones remaining in stores will be whatever stock is left.
This certainly marks the end of an era, which saw video games explode like never before. Not only did the Xbox 360 see the dawn of some of the most popular video game franchises, such as Gears of War, but it also led to technological innovations such as Kinect.
"Xbox 360 means a lot to everyone in Microsoft," Xbox Head Phil Spencer wrote on the Xbox blog. "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."
That doesn't mean that the company won't continue supporting the console, though. Xbox 360 owners will still receive Xbox Live on their machines and will still have access to multiplayer gaming and apps. The company also plans on keeping Xbox Live servers that support the 360 online. Players can still purchase Xbox 360 games, too, while Microsoft plans on continuing its hardware support for the console.
Players with existing Xbox 360 games will have access to many of those games on the Xbox One, thanks to that console's backward compatibility.
Microsoft thanked the gaming community for its support over the past 10 years and promises that it will soon reveal more of its plans for Windows 10 and Xbox One gaming.
"I want to personally thank the Xbox community — that includes the vast and diverse audience of gamers, developers and publishers who brought so much passion and creativity to the Xbox 360," Spencer wrote. "You are the heart of what we do at Team Xbox, and you have been critical to the success of Xbox 360."
So long, Xbox 360. It was nice knowing you.
