If you’ve been meaning to buy something on the Xbox 360, you’d better do it as soon as possible, because you might have forgotten that its digital store is closing tomorrow.
Finally, Microsoft announced that it was shutting down the Xbox 360 Marketplace, a move that wasn’t popular with anyone but wasn’t particularly surprising. The Wii U and Nintendo 3DS eShops both closed last year, and Sony also attempted to shut down its PS3, Vita, and PSP storefronts in 2021, though outcry from fans ultimately reversed that decision, even though buying anything on those platforms has become extremely painful superior. Now, the death knell has sounded for the Xbox 360, the original pseudo-home of the modern indie gaming movement, with its digital market closing tomorrow (July 29).
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Like the 3DS and Wii U, it’s officially a bit of a preservationist’s worst nightmare anyway. Last year, VGC released an analysis report and found that once the store is closed, more than 220 digital Xbox 360 games will no longer be available for purchase through official channels. This may also affect DLC for certain games, as most DLC rarely ends up on disc outside of re-releases of specific games.
Microsoft has done some great work in making a lot of Xbox games backwards compatible to Xbox Series X/S, but that’s not the case for all games, which is a real shame. Of course, not all of these games will be remembered in the pantheon of “best games ever,” but it would be nice to be able to play them in a legal capacity.
Xbox Wire shared a final update in May regarding the various price drops, showing a list of games currently on sale with up to 90% off prices, so if you have some older games, this is always the one for you A choice desperate to pick up.
