by Dan Moren
Adios, Xbox 360
Microsoft is officially ceasing production of the Xbox 360.
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.
It’s fascinating how different the lifecycle of a game console is compared to, say, an iPhone or an iPad. We’re used to replacing those devices every few years, and our computer perhaps every three to five. My circa 2007 Xbox 360 was still in active use up to last year, but has now found itself supplanted by the Xbox One, especially with the recent addition of backwards compatibility for many 360 games.
Still, the Xbox 360 had a great run. It was the first game console I’d owned since the original Nintendo, and it was instrumental in helping me keep in touch with friends, both near and far. And though I’m only a relatively recently convert to the Xbox One, it’s hard not to look forward another decade and imagine the amazing advances we’ll be seeing in gaming then.