Xbox Fitness, launched back in 2013, provides users with in-home workout routines through the Xbox gaming console and the Kinect motion tracking device.
The service has received several updates and new content since its initial launch and has featured trainers such as Jillian Michaels, Tracy Anderson, P90X's Tony Horton and NFL player JJ Watt.
However, there is bad news for users of Xbox Fitness. In a blog post, Microsoft Studios announced that the service will only be available until July of next year, with the company to begin scaling back the support that it is providing to Xbox Fitness.
The shutdown of Xbox Fitness will be occurring in stages. The first stage begins on June 27, with content for Xbox Fitness no longer available to be purchased by users. Current users of the service will still be able to enjoy the content that they have already purchased until the definite shutdown of Xbox Fitness.
The second stage starts on Dec. 15, when Microsoft will remove the Free with Gold offer for Xbox Fitness. Until that date, Xbox Live Gold subscribers will still have access to the more than 30 workouts available under the offer.
The third and final stage is on July 1, 2017, when Xbox Fitness and all its associated content will be taken down. Users will no longer be able to download and use the service and its content, including the content that has been purchased.
"While our team is saddened by this news, we couldn't be more proud of what we've accomplished in the past two and a half years," the blog post reads, mentioning milestones such as the addition of custom content from famous trainers, new features including leaderboards and the option to use the service with or without the Kinect device.
The reason behind the planned shutdown of Xbox Fitness seems to be the fact that Microsoft has decided that it can no longer sustain the updates that the service regularly requires. Microsoft seems to think that the resources that it is spending for the regular updates to Xbox Fitness could be better used for other purposes.
Xbox Fitness is one of the few remaining platforms of Microsoft that still uses the Kinect device, which is utilized by the service to track calories burned and heart rate. The Kinect's use has widely expanded, though, with applications found for improving 3D scanning, creating a virtual fitting room and making X-rays safer for children.
