It’s been announced by Microsoft that the Xbox 360 store will be shut down next year. Also known as Xbox Live Marketplace, this store has been present on consoles in some form since its 2005 launch.
Recent years saw the shutdown of storefronts on older systems, including the 3DS and Wii U eShops going offline in March, and Sony planning the shutdown of the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita storefronts in 2021, prior to reversing the decision due to backlash.
The Xbox 360 storefront as well as those already lost is a bad move for game presentation, as some games are exclusive to them and will be lost forever once the store is offline.
There has been confirmation the Xbox 360 store will shut down on July 29th next year, and afterwards, players will no longer be able to purchase games, movies, TV shows, or DLC, and will no longer be able to use the Microsoft Movies & TV app.
It’s been revealed previously purchased Xbox 360 games and DLC will still be downloadable and accessible once the shutdown has taken place, and many games are backward compatible with Xbox One and Xbox Series X & S.
Other online services will still work after this date. Xbox Player Services VP, Dave McCarthy said, “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.”
Currently, the idea that “technology has evolved” and what the Xbox 360 Store is using has been hurting user experience and safety, however “expectations from players have shifted reason is much less convincing of an argument. I’m sure most players, like myself, would prefer to keep having the ability to buy games on Xbox 360,” one individual said.
