Microsoft officially retires Xbox 360 from production; Game servers to remain active

After 10 years of production, Microsoft is officially retiring the Xbox 360. The console has seen multiple revisions over its existence, countless games, and has sold over 80 million units since release. In November 2013, Microsoft released the Xbox One as a follow-up to the incredibly popular Xbox 360.

The Xbox 360 will not disappear from store shelves immediately, the console will slowly vanish from retailers until each console has been sold – according to Xbox head Phil Spencer.

"Xbox 360 means a lot to everyone in Microsoft. And while we’ve had an amazing run, the realities of manufacturing a product over a decade old are starting to creep up on us. Which is why we have made the decision to stop manufacturing new Xbox 360 consoles. We will continue to sell existing inventory of Xbox 360 consoles, with availability varying by country."

Microsoft will not be abandoning the now classic console entirely, players can still look forward to the following:

• Xbox 360 owners will continue to receive Xbox Live services for their console, such as online multiplayer gaming and parties, access to the apps they use today, and Games with Gold and Deals with Gold.
• Xbox Live servers that support Xbox 360 services will remain online and active with full support of Xbox Live.
• Gamers will also be able to continue to buy over 4,000 Xbox 360 games or Xbox 360 accessories at retail and through the Xbox 360 store online, while supplies last.
• Any Xbox 360 hardware will still be supported at xbox.com/support.
• Xbox One owners will be able to continue to enjoy available Xbox 360 games through Xbox One Backward Compatibility – at no additional cost.

Microsoft will continue the Xbox legacy through the Xbox One, as well as Windows 10.