Monday marks the end of an era for Xbox fans as the Xbox 360 Marketplace officially shuts down. Launched in November 2005 alongside the Xbox 360 console, this digital storefront became a beloved hub for gamers worldwide, offering a wide array of video games, add-ons, and other content.
Microsoft Corp's (NASDAQ:MSFT) decision to close the Xbox 360 Marketplace, brings a close to almost 19 years of digital commerce, IGN reported.
As a result, numerous games and add-ons exclusive to the platform are now unavailable for purchase. Titles like Aegis Wing, Meteos Wars, and Crimson Alliance are among the notable losses.
Nostalgic Farewell From Xbox Fans And Former Employees
The shutdown has prompted a wave of nostalgia on social media, with fans and former Microsoft employees alike reminiscing about the impact of the Marketplace.
Larry 'Major Nelson' Hryb, a former Microsoft employee who became the face of Xbox for many fans through his posts about Marketplace sales and updates, shared his sentiments on Twitter.
"Almost 19 years on, all good things must come to an end," Hryb tweeted. "It was my pleasure sharing all the thousands of marketplace sales and updates I've given over the years. Thank you for having fun, playing fair, and filing feedback."
Last-Minute Spree And Digital Preservation Concerns
In the lead-up to the shutdown, many gamers embarked on last-minute spending sprees, purchasing games and DLCs destined to disappear from sale forever.
Despite the shutdown, previously owned titles and DLCs can still be redownloaded, and backward-compatible games remain available on the Xbox One and Series storefronts. Online play on Xbox 360 also continues.
However, games not available via backward compatibility on Xbox One/Series, as well as Xbox 360-era content such as avatars, icons, and themes, are now lost.
The closure has reignited concerns among digital preservation advocates. Double Fine, a Microsoft-owned game developer, took to Twitter to offer free digital codes for Kinect Party, a game unsupported by subsequent Xbox hardware.
They also urged Xbox 360 players to download any games before the closure. Highlighting the preservation issue, Double Fine tweeted: "Alas, digital preservation evangelists are again proven correct."
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