Microsoft have today announed that the Xbox 360 has been retired from active service, as production of the console has ceased. Introduced in November 2005, the ‘360’ has sold over 85 million units.
“While we’ve had an amazing run, the realities of manufacturing a product over a decade old are starting to creep up on us,” Xbox boss Phil Spencer said in a press statement. “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.”
The Xbox 360 E (pictured) is the last generation of 360, introduced in 2013
Xbox 360’s online servers will remain active however, free games and deals with Xbox Live Gold will continue, and the hardware will still be covered by Xbox Support. The backwards compatibility marketplace for Xbox One will also continue.
“The Xbox 360 helped redefine an entire generation of gaming at Microsoft,” Spencer said. “I am incredibly proud of all of the work and dedication that went into development of the Xbox 360 hardware, services, and games portfolio over the last decade. And I’m grateful to the fans for their continued passion and support.”
Spencer also shared some staggering statistics that Xbox 360 players have achieved throughout the past decade:
- Over 78 billion gaming hours played
- Almost 486 billion Gamescore achieved
- 27 billion billion achievements unlocked
- 25 billion hours spent using apps
Having been a dominant console for over a decade, and featuring some of the most iconic games of all time, it is fairly safe to assume that the Xbox 360 will leave a legacy as one of the most influential gaming consoles of all time.
-JP
