On April 15, Microsoft will shut off its original Xbox’s online game service for good. That announcement came in a midnight (?) press release last night from Xbox General Manager Marc Whitten, who confirmed the shut-off but didn’t provide any rationale.
The move is bound to confuse, as the online service in question, Xbox Live, runs two platforms at once: the old Xbox from 2001, and the newer Xbox 360 from 2005. Then again, this is the company that released, what, 14 editions of Windows Vista?
So, to clarify, Microsoft’s April shutdown will only affect the original Xbox’s games, which are typically not found on store shelves anyway.
Thing is, though, the shutdown includes 2004′s Halo 2, arguably the most popular online game ever released. In August, rumors leaked out of Microsoft indicating that Halo 2‘s continued popularity had stayed the life of the old network. Whitten’s press release doesn’t say either way, but this news confirms my long-held belief that running disparate services under the same Xbox Live name was confusing and utterly Microsoftian. (Also worth noting: Microsoft has advertised its old Xbox games as discounted downloads on the Xbox 360′s online store—feigning support for the old network, only to yank the carpet today.)
Microsoft reps were unavailable for response at press time, having gone to bed. I’ll update with any response to my questions.
