Xbox 360 'May 2023' Closure Message Was An Error, Says Microsoft

I think we should have all known this would come one day, it's why I made sure I got everything I wanted a while ago.

Sounds to me like the shareholders of Microsoft are fed up with the returns on the Xbox division & now they're looking to cut costs everywhere from all the recent news

This just raises the question of why they're immediately axing a ton of titles instead of just letting them all sunset at once. Again, none of this would be a problem if they could get them on the modern Xbox stores. Backwards compatibility about to lose a loooot of value if not.

This is really bad, even more so given Xbox's preservation stance since 2015's addition of the backwards compatibility program to XB1. Hopefully the backlash at Microsoft is at least as big as it was towards Sony back in 2021 regarding the attempted shutdown of the PS3/Vita stores. Jim Ryan should also make a statement re-committing to keeping PS3/Vita stores open.

@Grumblevolcano Don't think they'll bother listening. I'd assume this is the reason they stopped making games backwards compatible & giving them away with GWG - this has been planned for awhile, and it'd take a ridiculous amount of push to even extend the timer. Its the end of an Era, and Microsoft was never about game preservation in the first place it seems.

360 was literally 2 console generations ago. Is anyone really surprised they'd end support for 360 games sales?

@FraserG Microsoft spokesman came out with a statement saying it’s not closing and it had been posted in error.

https://twitter.com/gematsu/status/1621315018749878273?s=46&t=sxVu2JQB-GVFZ2bphvu25g

@Moby You mean aside from the fact that unlike other consoles 360 games are backwards combatable, and that Microsoft kinda pushed that as a selling point?

@shoeses @Grumblevolcano MS already came out and said it’s not closing.

@awp69 I saw your Comment. But at the same time I'm nervous they specify it's not closing May 2023, as opposed to just not closing anytime soon.

"This message was posted in error and we can confirm the Xbox 360 marketplace will not close in May 2023." That's a very specific error... more like they just got the month or year wrong than it not already being in the cards.

@shoeses some games will still be available via the regular store. You can always redownload games you own. If you have not purchased a 360 game by now, that's on you. It isn't reasonable to think MS would host a separate store front for old console games forever, regardless of compatibility. Nowhere did I read it was shutting down complete access to backwards compatible games, just the storefront for new sales.

In short, just finish your X360 backlog games. It is a matter of when, not a matter of if.

@Moby "If you haven't been buying every Xbox game since 2001, that's on you."

@Moby it’s just fake outrage dude. The same people make a mountain out of a molehill on this app when it wont effect anything. The fact that a console two generations ago still has its marketplace up is remarkable, not to mention a ton of the games are backwards compatible. Now it turns out it isnt closing in may. Most people dont actually care and it wont effect anything. Like others have said, if you haven’t played the game by now you probably wouldnt have anyway, and if it means that much to them go get it now. They wont.

@J_Mo_Money agreed. I'm here with popcorn. 🤣

@shoeses that was a miserable attempt at sarcasm.

@Moby That wasn't sarcasm, I shorted your paragraph to a sentence.

@awp69 i believe that the spokesperson forgot to put “yet” after his statement.

just buy your 360 games on disc the consoles will still play them even when they are delisted.

unless youve got a series s then you probably dont care out discs anyway

@shoeses the reason they stopped backwards compatibility is they dont own the games they have to get publisher permission to make a game backwards compatible because its software based backwards compatibility not hardware based. they ran out of games they could get permission for

How does one post that "in error"? It's pretty specific. And if it's a real error that's a heck of an error after Sony got enough pile on to reverse course on this already.

Personally I don't mind not being able to make new purchases on old consoles as long as existing purchases can be redownload forever. I can understand not issuing NEW licenses for old software, as long as the license you own are forever accessible. Especially since most of the big games on 360 are bc. Killing PS3 and Vita sales was scarier since most of the big games are trapped there. Then there's Nintendo....

Bloody hell what is the issue let it go and die.
Who wants to live forever.
Is no one in the world wanting to move forward.

Hahaha. How can such a statement be a mistake?!?!? Someone typed it up and it won’t be easy to get a statement like this posted.

It’s a U turn (for now) - Xbox best feature is PR, they are amazing at PR….. in recent months, it’s gone horribly wrong, they will lose a lot of momentum if bigger PR mistakes are made.

Sony has terrible PR. Always doing and saying stupid stuff. It’s why Xbox had built up such good will.

Unfortunately it can be eroded quite quickly. I hope they turn it round and stop saying and doing stupid stuff.

As others have said, the actual statement itself isn’t that bad at all. It’s the “it was a mistake” statement that’s worse. How can it be a mistake? Lol.

As for shopfronts closing. Unfortunately that’s modern gaming. See comments here and you see everyone is critical of anyone not keen on the closure and not the other way round.

Although the folk here we are probably in a bubble and more a “protect Xbox at all costs kinda vibe”

Balance is a thing of the past. We must protect large corporations we like from evil neysayers online like we’ve been personally insulted.

Some of you are amazing at it. Xbox will be forever grateful.

@Would_you_kindly but everyone here told me, money isn’t an issue and GPU makes them billions; they can do what they want?

Do you mean to tell me some people here don’t have a clue what they are talking about? An Xbox is a business and not a passion project in the end.

i think the error is they posted it rather than it was wrong it was probably they will back track and change the date but it will happen at a now later date but sooner rather than later

@Stocksy the economies going into recession cutting costs and layoff staff if happening everywhere its the normal reaction to economic downturn just because Microsoft's got tons of money doesnt mean they wont try to run more efficiently

@trev666 not all businesses are laying off ten percent of their workforce.

Try not defending Xbox at all costs and remember these are people with families and this is their livelihood.

@Stocksy

I do not agree with your opinion

@shoeses Looking at the big 360 XGS backwards compatible games on XB1/Series X|S that have online multiplayer but don't have a XB1 or Series X|S specific port/remaster, it looks like Microsoft's probably going to reveal/release the rumoured Gears collection and then shut down the 360 afterwards.

I was ps4 last gen and jumped back to xbox this gen. I have around 70 x360 games in my library. What happens to them?

@themcnoisy
1 - Nothing will happen to them as it's not closing.
2 - If they they are in your Library, you wont lose access to them.
3 - It was the specific 360 marketplace they were referring to, NOT the current store which will still have the relevant backwards compatible 360 titles.

Before blaming Microsoft,

1) The backwards compatible games program ended because there were no more games that the publishers agreed to include. This program was a very expensive and challenging development that took years just to be able to run a single game properly. Microsoft managed to "translate" the code to be run on the current architecture perfectly and then they managed to add improvements on top of that. Meanwhile, Sony launched a paid streaming service with PS3 games on PS4 because they didn't know how to run last-gen games (I say this as a PS4 owner). The backwards compatible program, including "remasters" at 4K 60fps are free for owners of the original games.

2) There are delisted games on the 360 Marketplace and this is because of the publishers, again. There are games that aren't available in certain countries.

3) There are delisted games on the new store and there are games not available in certain countries, again because of the publishers.

4) Microsoft will shut the old store down someday and they will sell the backwards compatible titles on the new store except those that the publisher don't give permission for. It usually is because of licencing issues or because the publisher wants to market a newer edition.

5) The backwards compatible and the new games won't disappear from the current store unless the publisher removes them.

6) Even if the 360 Marketplace stayed open, these issues will still exist in both stores. The closure of the old shop affects people that still play on an Xbox 360 console that won't be able to buy games. It's likely that they will be able to redownload games they own.

Is there a list anywhere of games only available on the 360 store that haven't moved over? I only know of Jet Set Radio and Daytona USA but sure there's many others

This bound to happen sooner rather than later. Funny that they ‘announce’ this and then later do an update to let people know it’s wrong. Feels like it’s been posted by accident but they do plan to do this.

Blood of the Werewolf
Counter-Strike: GO
Daytona USA
Defense Grid
Eets: Chowdown (Not backwards compatible)
Final Fight: Double Impact (FF is available in Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle)
Iron Brigade
Jeremy McGrath's Offroad
Jet Set Radio
Left 4 Dead (Disc Version Available)
Left 4 Dead 2 (Disc Version Available)
Mutant Blobs Attack
Prince of Persia 2008 (Disc Version Available)
R.U.S.E. (Disc Version Available)
Sega Vintage Collection: Alex Kidd & Co.
Skate 2 (Disc Version Available)
Spelunky
The Orange Box (Disc Version Available)

@Kaloudz @NEStalgia Yes, I'm sure that they will close the old shop sooner or later. Xbox 360 owners have had time to buy whatever they want. I don't have an Xbox 360 but if I had one, the only thing that would worry me is being able to redownload games I own. I grew up playing on Nintendo but I don't trust Nintendo. I don't remember if it's possible to redownload games on closed shops such as DSi, Wii, PSP and any other shop that is not up today. Does anybody know?

@Banjo- In PSP it is possible to redownload anything but you have to SCROLL! There is no way to search what you want, they are sorted by purchase time and it even shows PS3 content in the list. It works but it is painful.

In the Wii I also think you can redownload but I have moved my content via system transfewr to the Wii U and I am not so sure.

By the way it seems that there are some Xbox 360 BC games that are not available in all regions like Final Fight.

@belmont Thank you much! I also moved my stuff from Wii to Wii U, and my stuff from DSi to 3DS. I wonder what happened to DSi and the other stores.

@belmont Yes, I had to use a workaround to get some games.

https://www.purexbox.com/guides/how-to-buy-delisted-backwards-compatible-games-on-xbox

Also, Ridge Racer 6 was moved to the new store (US store) but it's not playable here, even if you buy it on another country store. I was granted a refund.

@themightyant Copied from elsewhere of course but happy to help 😊.

@themightyant I'd recommend at least Daytona USA and Jet Set Radio. Both cheap and awesome.

@themightyant I was impacted by the arcade when I was a kid, also by Cyber Cycles but nope, it's not the same experience with a controller.

@Banjo- @Kaloudz Yeah, I think people tend to confuse shutting down a store vs shutting down the archive. USUALLY shutting down the store just means ending new license issuing, but still maintaining the archive for existing licenses. I think there's a reasonable expectation for these companies to maintain the latter "forever" as long as they're in business. Of the 4 I expect Steam will honor "forever" just fine. At least while Gabe's around...who knows what happens after. I also expect MS will. Heck they still have the call-in system to activate Windows 98, so they have a good track record here. Sony is less certain, but I have a fair level of confidence they'll do that as well. Nintendo? All bets are off. They'll cut you off when they feel like it and have no remorse. And it doesn't help that their online services are a hodgepodge of 3rd party contracts, like Wii using Gamespy for its online, and WiiU using some Ubisoft product.

@themightyant "did their AI go rogue"

"DANGIT, TAY, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS SORT OF THING!!!"

Exactly.

@Kaloudz Yep. A mixture of ruthless, arrogant (we're Nintendo, we're beloved, everybody will keep re-buying things when we tell them to.) And a bit of incompetent because they just do not understand a thing about what current industry practices are, and really don't care. They continuously reinvent the wheel and reinterpret their own ideal of how digital things should work as an electronic analog for 80's cartridges.

@themightyant Yeah, I think a lot of us kind of shifted on Switch. I got most everything I could on it at one time because the option of portability was meaningful. Now, I didn't quite opt for steamdeck but opted to get an XSS and phone streaming box to stream from console and buy on XB first for my mobile fix. Switch games that aren't exclusive feel like a terrible long term purchase to me. (XSS works perfectly for a cheap 1080 streamer with fast loading. I have a PS4 set up for my PS library, but the slow loads and standby power consumption make it less ideal, and I don't want to waste wear on my "main" consoles for that with frequent on/off.)

@Kaloudz Heck, modern Nintendo is mild Nintendo. They've mellowed since their 80's iron fist of Yamauchi/Arakawa.

I complain about Sony's way of doing business, but the complaint is primarily that they're becoming more like Nintendo, with Nintendo as the benchmark of how abusive of your own customers you can be.

Nintendo is Nintendo, devs and consumers alike, they don't need to meet you at your level. You'll meet them at their level if you're interested.

@trev666 So they could only get the license for specifically the second game in the Deathspank Trilogy, the second Sonic & Sega Racing but not the first, & not either of the 2 South Park games Published by Microsoft, etc.? Big X to doubt.

@Kaloudz Yeah, as much as I love my Switch, if a game is on Xbox or PlayStation I'll get it there instead because of Achievements/Trophies.

@Kaloudz YEP. Rented FF13-2 from Blockbuster when they existed, never beat it, and now my Gamerscore always ends in a 4 or 9 lmao

@shoeses @Kaloudz See, for me, I just don't "get" trophies/achievements. Like, I not only don't "get" them, but I don't "get" that anybody actually ever would like them. I just don't understand the concept of how anyone could like them. I know, people do, endless debates about it with people, but my mind will not understand it, ever. I laughed at it when they introduced it thinking "yeah like anyone will ever care about THAT!" My mind is blown that some people do, and that people really are THAT into them!

Like, for me, so I'm playing through HZD on PS finally....there's a silver trophy I got for completing the challenge of (essentially) get bronze in all 15 trials. I'm 2 away from completing get silver in all 15 . I may do the other silvers, I may not. There's I'm sure a trophy for getting gold in all 15. I have no intention of doing that because 3 of the trials are annoying, frustrating and not fun. I completed the basic, good enough. That's not even just the trophy but an in game weapon/quest locked behind it. But it's not fun with frustrating AI issues, so just skipping it and going to something fun. Too many good games to play to spend another 2 hours doing something not fun just to get a digital gong and a weapon I'll use twice and never again.

I have one total Platinum which is astrobot, which I figured was small enough to do a Platinum for giggles. So I'm sittingthere playing with my phone out looking up what the hidden trophies are an how to get them thinking "this is so freaking not fun, why am I doing this?" That will be my only platinum ever.

The only time I do kind of enjoy achievements is actually the "rare achievements" on XB, only because it's fun seeing how few people happened to do a thing that I did in the course of play. I got the "rare" achievement for completing the associated quests getting both cabaret girls in Yakuza Kiwama on a date, with under 5% of players doing that, and I'm thinking "yep.......Xbox....."

There was a major sidequest, I forget what one that had only like 48% completion. Basic stuff with 10%. I know GP games get skewed percentages from people just trying it and not liking it, but, it amazes me how MANY people on forums like this are absolutely obsessive over achievements, then you look at the real metrics from them and realize that a VERY tiny player base actually goes for them.

@NEStalgia You know how in older games if you did everything, you'd get a star or something on your profile/save? Achievements/Trophies are basically just the evolution of that - they give some people a reason to either do more than they normally would've without them, and can extend the amount of time someone would get out of a game. Maybe there's a Quest you wouldn't have done originally, a challenge you wouldn't have bothered with otherwise, or they might encourage you to just explore more. Just extra incentive for some that doesn't bother the people who don't care.

@Kaloudz that epiphany never happened for me...I still don't get why anyone cares about them

But yeah it's kinda funny about the rare achievements. I find it's rare that anybody completes past mid game. Really sad in the Yakuza games how many rare achievements you get just doing the main side quests. Though I think ps tracks that too because I often hear talk about now so few xb players ever complete games vs ps. Not just gp games. But I think that's down to the glut of available games cheaply that we're prone to just try more games on xb and check them out or plan to get back to it (and sometimes actually do! 😆). But it's interesting that xb players seem to complete less games.

And I shall forever lol so the statistic that on Xbox, less than 5% of kiwami players completed the quests that, essentially are "sleep with the real world porn star" 😂. You'd think if ever there were a video game quest that would have 50% competition, that would the the stereotypical one ..... Not Xbox players . There are so. Many. Memes. 🤣

@Skedaddle “us” have a day off. I’ll poke fun at anyone that calls Xbox Sony or Nintendo us!!!

Hahaha.

Do you own shares?

I’m a consumer of all three and a top tier subscriber on all three. I’ll criticise all of them.

You are clearly too invested in the brand

@Banjo- just a heads up: if you transferred your games from Wii to Wii U then you can re-download games, but only through the Wii shop app on the Wii menu on the Wii U. Your original Wii is now ‘blank’ and as the game licenses transferred to the Wii U you cannot re-download onto the Wii as well.

Personally I bought a cheap secondhand Wii to mod and very easily had access to all the Virtual Console and Wiiware I wanted (not risking nodding my Wii U as I don’t have a spare and even secondhand Wii Us can be pricy. Wii’s are very cheap).

@Gamecuber Useful information. At least the Wii and PSP shops still allow downloads. I wonder if the other closed shops (DSi?) do as well.

I did the opposite but you did better. After transferring my Wii digital content (not much), I soft-modded my Wii U to run Gamecube games through HDMI, I'm a Gamecube fan like you, so I was also able to build some backup. The Wii U Virtual Console is not as big as the Wii's but all the Wii content is available on Wii U. The thing is that I didn't have much digital Wii content and my Wii U is no longer connected to the internet, just in case, so I have little Wii stuff and all the Wii U stuff I wanted. I also beat the Ocarina of Time unofficial port last year 100% on Wii U and it was the most enjoyable playthrough.

@Banjo- I’m a long time gamer but I’m not particularly tech savvy, but modding the Wii following a guide online was ridiculously easy even for me!

Yes the best I can get out of it is RGB SCART/component but I run it through a CRT tv anyway, so the games look and run pretty authentically. I can’t run the Wii through my 4K tv but they again I wouldn’t want to.

I’m guessing at some point in the future I’ll do the same on my Wii U (or if I find a second hand one for a decent price) as then with the Wii U’s hdmi output I’m future proof for a while. Seeing that the best we are getting on Switch is apps that will one day be shut down Wii/Wii U modding is a pretty solid way forward to hang onto old games.

@Gamecuber Wii and CRT are a good combination. Having a Wii U is pretty cool, HDMI, Virtual Console, Wii Channel with everything Wii, support for Wii and Wii U discs and, if modded, support for Wii and Gamecube discs backup. Much better options than anything that Nintendo offers currently.

@Banjo- amen to that! That’s one of the reasons I’m so pleased that we got Goldeneye on Xbox. With Switch it will be gone in a few years but with Xbox it should last a lot longer, as long as they keep going with the idea that if you own it it’s tied to your Microsoft account ‘forever’.

@Gamecuber The way that Microsoft respects your digital (and even physical!) purchases and the free and enhanced backwards compatibility are the best things about Xbox 👍.

@shoeses So it's good that I basically have?

I've been thinking about this since I read it as someone who grew up playing on Nintendo (SNES, N64, GC...). I have a Wii U that is connected to my TV for my retro needs and I also own a Switch Lite. I have realised in recent years that Nintendo's magic is gone. It's not the nostalgia because there are titles I had not played until now and I think that are great, so yes, there are exceptions that let me know that it's not me but that magic of Nintendo that has disappeared. I'll give some examples:

Super Mario World vs. New Super Mario Bros. 2. The first game is perfect in every possible way. New Super Mario Bros. 2 is the worst Mario game ever.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time vs. Breath of the Wild. The first game is a perfect combination of elements. The most recent game is a combination of Assassin's Creed Light and The Legend of Zelda breakable weaponry with Monster Hunter's cooking guide for beginners and how raining affects your climbing skills on top.

Super Mario 64 and Sunshine vs. Super Mario Odyssey. I replay the old games that are still fun. The last game is the most boring Mario 3D game I've ever played and I've played them all many times.

Mario Kart Double Dash vs. Mario Kart 8. Double Dash is 100% exhilarating and Mario Kart 8 feels almost like a walking simulator to me. I read someone on Nintendo Life that criticised some of the recent tracks that were added because nothing was happening on them and I realised that Mario Kart didn't need those events when the gameplay was fun.

I used to read all the Iwata Asks and I realised that many people had left Nintendo and new people were leading the projects. For instance, New Super Mario Bros. U, which is the best New Super Mario Bros. game, was made by veterans while New Super Mario Bros. 2, which is the worst Mario game ever, was developed by a new team. I also read that they admitted that they wanted to make commercial games since the Wii era and they used to compare New Super Mario Bros. Wii sales vs. Super Mario Galaxy sales. In spite of that, they released Super Mario Galaxy 2 with the content that was not included in the first game.

Nintendo used to be like Disney or Pixar at their best and now they have become totally commercial and uninspired. A factory of daft content with the rare gem every now and then that, most of the times, is not developed by them.

@Banjo- I love the NES and still have it and play it, yet I have no interest in anything newish from Nintendo anymore if that says anything. I think Metroid Prime was the latest game I played on a Nintendo system.

@ZYDIO Gameplay and inspiration have gone downhill.

@Banjo- Is it like a band or an actor that should have retired so they would be remembered as great, but keeps going even though they suck now?

@ZYDIO They're commercially successful but I guess that too much has changed internally. They don't have home and handheld consoles anymore and what original games has Nintendo developed for Switch? Arms? Super Mario Odyssey? Animal Crossing New Horizons (the most boring entry)? Splatoon rehashes? Also because their hardware is so bad, some first-party games run poorly such as the Xenoblade Chronicles titles. They should become third party like Sega so graphics, performance and controllers don't suck so much.

@Banjo- So sad 😢😭. I will be buried with my NES, and my RetroUSB AVS with Everdrive that I now use instead of the actual NES. That's how awesome Nintendo used to be.

@ZYDIO 🤣 My SNES Mini and Wii U satisfy my retro needs. I still have the original SNES (my first console) but it's PAL and that means some technical issues.