A Letter from Marc Whitten: Discontinuation of Xbox LIVE for Original Xbox Games
Dear Xbox LIVE Members,
On April 15 we will discontinue the Xbox LIVE service for original Xbox consoles and games, including Xbox v1 games playable on Xbox 360 and Xbox Originals. I want to start by saying this isn’t a decision we made lightly, but after careful consideration, it is clear this will provide the greatest benefit to the Xbox LIVE community.
Seven years ago we laid out our vision for the connected console when we launched Xbox LIVE. We believed then that the power of the Internet to connect people would revolutionize living room entertainment. It started with amazing multiplayer games, and we’ve since seen that bet pay off again and again with the launches of Xbox 360, Marketplace, Netflix and powerful social features like Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm. None of this would have been possible without the success of LIVE as a multiplayer gaming network.
There’s no greater example of the power of the Xbox LIVE community than the “Halo” franchise. “Halo 2” has had an amazing run on LIVE, with a dedicated community more than five years after launch and well into the next generation of consoles. It has fundamentally changed the way we play video games. And while it’s difficult to see that run come to an end, the “Halo” franchise continues to act as the benchmark for multiplayer gaming in this generation, with “Halo 3,” “Halo 3: ODST” and soon “Halo: Reach” on Xbox 360.
Your Xbox LIVE community has grown to 23 million strong. And as we look down the road, we’ll continue to evolve the service with features and experiences that harness the full power of Xbox 360. To reach our aspiration, we need to make changes to the service that are incompatible with our original Xbox v1 games. We will contact the Xbox LIVE members directly impacted by this change and if this includes you, I encourage you to check your LIVE messages and associated e-mail account over the coming weeks for more details and opportunities. We view you as a partner in this process.
We’ll share more details soon, but in the meantime I want to assure you that the best is yet to come for Xbox LIVE. I believe we’ll look back on 2010 as a landmark year in gaming and home entertainment, and I couldn’t be more excited about what we have in store with “Project Natal” and LIVE. The LIVE community is the driving force behind everything we do, and it’s because of the community that ground-breaking experiences on Xbox continue to be possible.
See you on LIVE,
Marc Whitten
Gamertag - Notwen
Summary
On April 15, 2010 Microsoft will discontinue Xbox LIVE service for original Xbox consoles and games, including Xbox 1 games playable on Xbox 360, and will turn off auto-renewals for those members immediately. Over its seven year history, Xbox LIVE has evolved from a multiplayer gaming service to an industry-leading entertainment network offering the best in games, movies, music, social connections and more. This change will allow us to continue that evolution with new features and experiences that fully harness the power of Xbox 360 and the global Xbox LIVE community of more than 20 million members. The best is yet to come, and we look forward to sharing more details in the near future.
Q&A
Q: Why are you discontinuing Xbox LIVE service for the original Xbox?
A: This change will allow us to continue the evolution of Xbox LIVE, delivering features and experiences that fully harness the power of Xbox 360 and the global Xbox LIVE community of more than 20 million members. The best is yet to come, and we look forward to sharing more details in the near future.
Q: What new features? When will these features launch?
A: We don’t have any specific features or timing to announce right now, but we look forward to sharing more details in the future.
Q: When will you be cutting off service?
A: Xbox LIVE support for original Xbox consoles and games will end on April 15, 2010. We will turn off auto-renewals for those memberships immediately.
Q: How many people are still using the service – how big a population does this impact?
A: We don’t have specific numbers to share.
Q: Is this a global discontinuation?
A: Yes.
Q: Isn’t this really just to get customers to upgrade to an Xbox 360?
A: Absolutely not, this is about providing the most benefit to the full Xbox LIVE community.
Q: Does this impact games that are running on an Xbox 360, or just the original Xbox?
A: Xbox LIVE support will end for original Xbox 1 consoles and games, including Xbox 1 games playable on Xbox 360.
Q: If customers have questions, who can they contact?
A: As always, if customers have any questions about Xbox LIVE they can head to www.xbox.com/support, call 1-800-4MY-XBOX, or tweet to us @XboxSupport.
Q: Does this have anything to do with Project Natal?
A: While we haven’t announced the full details of how “Project Natal” will complement Xbox LIVE, the fully immersive experience, which includes full-body, voice, intuitive and social play, will add a new dimension to social gaming and entertainment on Xbox 360.
Q: Is it true that supporting original Xbox consoles has been responsible for the 100 friends cap? Is it safe to say that will be lifted?
A: We’re always listening to user feedback and looking at new ways to enhance the service, and expanding the friends limit is something we’re investigating. We don’t have any specifics to announce right now, but we look forward to sharing more details in the future.
Q: Don’t you think this is a huge blow to the “Halo 2” community?
A: “Halo 2” redefined the multiplayer gaming experience on a console, and we’re incredibly grateful to the Halo community for their continued support of the franchise. We are committed to continued LIVE support of popular experiences such as “Halo 3,” “Halo Wars,” and “Halo 3: ODST” on Xbox 360. We’re also moving quickly towards the future of the franchise with the “Halo: Reach” beta on Xbox LIVE just around the corner.
Q: Are you doing anything special for the people affected?
A: Over the coming months we will contact the Xbox LIVE members directly impacted by this change. We view the community as a partner in this process.
Q: What if I already paid for a year of Gold membership?
A: We will provide a pro-rated refund of the amount paid.
Q: Does this mean you plan to shut down Xbox LIVE for Xbox 360 users as well?
A: Absolutely not. Our focus now is continuing the evolution of Xbox LIVE with new features specifically for the Xbox 360 community.MovieMiguel.com
