Microsoft has just announced that all Xbox Live support for the original Xbox will be discontinued on April 15, 2010. This also means that Xbox Live support will also end for Xbox 1 titles that can be played on the Xbox 360. Yes, this means that both Halo and Halo 2 will no longer be playable online. Keep in mind that Halo 2 is still one of the most played online titles across any Xbox platform and has, in fact, held the #1 position for a number of years as the most played online original Xbox title.
While future plans for Xbox Live haven't been announced, discontinuing support for old Xbox titles opens up the doors to larger friends' lists on Xbox 360 Live. It was often stated that the only reason there is a 100 person limit on Live was to keep old Xbox titles supported that had a hard coded limit on friends.
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.
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.
While future plans for Xbox Live haven't been announced, discontinuing support for old Xbox titles opens up the doors to larger friends' lists on Xbox 360 Live. It was often stated that the only reason there is a 100 person limit on Live was to keep old Xbox titles supported that had a hard coded limit on friends.
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