Microsoft have officially begun the mysterious Xbox LIVE Rewards Pilot program, and will be awarding selected participants Microsoft Points for numerous online actions - such as signing up for or keeping their Gold memberships, or subscribing to Netflix - every month.
On July 29, 2024, Xbox will stop supporting the ability to purchase new games, DLC, and other entertainment content from the Xbox 360 Store on the console and the Xbox 360 Marketplace. This change will not affect your ability to play Xbox 360 games or DLC you have already purchased.
Curious to see if people will put the same energy reacting to this move as they did when Sony tried to close the PS3 / Vita stores.
I just hope this doesn't encourage Jim to try the same thing again any time soon.
Yeah I hope Sony keeps theirs up regardless.
And to be honest, who does it hurt? I don't keep track of Xbox, but I know PSN makes a ton of money hand over fist. It doesn't hurt them to leave the store up.
One way to stop that from happening is to keep buying old games from their store. If the demand is there they won't close it.
I hope so it's not a great move shutting the store I understand limiting payments on old systems but Microsoft has the technical ability and know how to at least keep the website running securely they don't really have an excuse as to why this needs to happen.
Where things are better than the PS3 store shutting in this case you can still buy backwards compatible games however that means Microsoft is now officially unlikely to ever resurrect the BC program again
I doubt it, since you are still going to be able to buy Xbox 360 games / DLC via the Xbox One.
NO way near the same, you can play most of the 360 games on multiple gens of consoles and even find the disks etc real cheap and play those too.
With PS3 is was such a fuss as at the time you could not play ps3 games on PS4/5 and still cant unless its via streaming which is rubbish.
They are not even in the same league with regards to being the same issue, PS3 games is emulated on PC very well now and sony still have not allowed PS5 games to play ps3 games..
So many great games on PS3 and no way to play without streaming, vita is a little different.
Thank god for emulators and being pc gaming.
I dont feel any company should be shutting down the servers as devalues digital purchases.. all digital games should be available for download as we purchased those games and need to be able to download when needed.
Streaming ps3 games weren't bad for me. I played through xcom enemy within with no issues
Not really the same situation. Either way I don't think these stores should ever be taken offline.
The problem with ps3 and Vista was the games on those 2 systems are only playable on those systems. So they're forever gone if your system dies. For me personally thats what I had problems with.
Its still bs either way but atleast xbox has backwards compatibility with that era.
1) it’s far from the same problem simply because MS ( like Nintendo) is warning you almost a year ahead of store closure unlike Sony that basically tried to shut down the store in a less then 3
Month window.
2) also a big chunk of the games still sold on the 360 store can be purchase via BC on the xbox1 store for example Red Dead Redemption.
Still this will be the end of an era and more importantly the real risk of permanent closure for a system like the 360.
Now you will still be able to access past games but for how long?
@Vegeance difference between the two is MS still allows you to purchase majority of 360 games on the current store .. whilst PS had a very select few and closing down that store your losing way more because there’s no way to access that same content on the newer consoles ..
End of an era...
I still use my 360 as it has several games installed that aren't available to get on the modern systems. Outrun online, afterburner climax, renegade ops, the tmnt games... too many to just unplug it.
Everything else that is bc on newer I already downloaded to my 4tb external.
to be fair afterburner climax has been pulled from all stores years ago. So if you didn't already buy it you're out of luck
@Ashunder
if you already had the game you will still have it. But nobody else can purchase it now
Same here i also own After Burner Climax and all the TMNT games on xbox 360. I also own Eternal Sonata digital on my xbox 360
Renegade Ops! Now you’re talking. Still waiting on a new Strike series game to come out.
And with that news sonic 06 just became the most valuable game in my collection
Really sad day for gamers and game preservation. Bozo Jim Ryan tried to pull a fast one on us like this back in 2021 and we kept the PS3 store up. It's a shame that with MS' move that many digital only titles, DLC packs, themes, avatars, etc. will be lost to time. There are a lot of great 360 games that did not make it to the backwards compatibility program and are not playable on Series consoles. Hopefully preservationists will get busy and help store this content for future retention. Time to hop on the 360 store and grab some games before they are gone forever.
Physical 360/PS3 discs are a wise investment in 2023. I imagine certain 360 games will spike on this news.
If you are interested in helping the preservation of games, I recommend checking out https://www.preservegames.o... ( https://discord.gg/NFhbdwEY... or r/OnlinePreservation over on Reddit. There are many other preservation projects out there as well.
Yeah 360 games in general have maintained a higher value than PS3 games due to the BC program so I've managed to rebuy my favourite PS3 games for it's inevitable shuttering for around 1 dollar per game while 360 still cost up to 20 dollars for some games and if they make it to the BC service they may aswell be priced like new with some rare finds like blood on the sand getting more expensive than when new
Remember when people were up in arms over Sony attempting this?
Pepperidge Farm remembers.
Remember when Sony enabled PS3 BC on PS4/PS5?
... Oh right.
Nevermind that Nintendo shut the 2012 Wii U store in early 2023 (which so far seems completely forgotten already), let's play whataboutisms!
Oh that’s right, I forgot you can play every game on the Xbox 360 Store BC on the Xbox Series X.
Silly me. 🤦♂️
@Tacoboto
Correct because I play them all on PC that supports much more older games than Xbox could ever.
Tell me, with owning a PC and playing their games on PC why would I need a Xbox?
Ah so you're in an Xbox-related article for no reason but to stir crap that doesn't impact you. K
You sound like a typical Xbox fanboy who is quick to assume before knowing any facts.
But go off, king. 😘
Please educate me how this doesn’t impact me since you know everything about me.
I'm sure you have an Xbox 360 now, just for this comment thread. Just like you're sure I'm a typical Xbox fan (which is totally why I got my PS4 and 5 before I got a One or Series).
But nah, queens first, Flakey
@Tacoboto
Don't waste your effort on this clown.
Guy is full of nothing but hot air and petty insults. Can't hold a constructive debate and types like a fourteen year old. He typically gives up and abandons a discussion when he's met with facts too, pointless trying to talk with him. He's really flying the team blue flag hard tonight. 😂
One thing the idiot said to you that struck me was, "You sound like a typical Xbox fanboy who is quick to assume before knowing any facts."
Literally an hour ago he made some wild assumption about me only playing on Xbox, guy is the biggest hypocrite on the site, sheer delusion.
@Myers
Spot on. I laughed when he said "It’s typical fake outcry" in the Diablo article. Who would know better, right?
@olmyerslo
Aw, you came in here to cry some more?
I love you too, cutie.
@Tacoboto
What’s your discord? Just recently picked me up a Xbox 360, GameCube, Wii, PS3, and OG Xbox. I’ll gladly prove you wrong. Who cares if you got a PS4/5 before the One S or Series. What does that prove? You came in here with ignorance and I’m deflecting back at you.
You two are cute. Keep it up. ❤️
Gamingtruth.com's Greg Bargas goes hands on with Alan Wake's American Nightmare at CES 2012!
Over the years, the Xbox 360 has seen a few revamps for their dashboard. Here's a look at how much has changed over the six years.
It really is amazing how MS transformed the dash from the old (and aged) blades to what we have now. The new dash is by far the best one I have used.
All the new features and apps, wasn't something I expected when I jumped on the Xbox 360 platform way back when.
Yes the new dash is definitely an improvement. Now it's much easier to navigate and find things.
It didn't evolve at all. It only got worse over time. The first dashboard with the blades was the best one as it was easy & quick to navigate and you had 1 ad tops (which at the time was usually for games or game events like playing the mystery gamer). Now it's hard to find anything but ads on the thing.
you can only find ads now on the dash?
Well maybe thats true to a point. I find ads for movies and tv shows on sale and games on sale or new demos available.
Even the doritos superbowl promo is worth checking out.
The ads of things unrelated to xbox are in a tiny box to the bottom right of the screen, seriously stop crying...
A LOT of people still prefer the blade dashboard IDK why. I preferably liked the one before our current one.
Same here, preferred the last dash over the current one. As someone who rarely connects to Live, the new dash just wastes so much space. When offline the main panel is mostly a giant 'connect to xbox live' button, with the rest of the space taken up by network troubleshooting and a beginners set up. An ability to customise the layout of the dash would be greatly appreciated, but customisation has never been MS' style.
i thought that when i started using it, the old blades were the best, they were simple and easy to use, the new dash just looks confused.
I got 9 dissagrees? are you guys serious? Look at the words across the top of your Dashboard. listed in a row from left to right, this is a rip off of XMB.
Facts are facts.
wait. so they will be giving points to people randomly. well thats stupid
yet again microsoft shafts the rest of the world.
i hate the word NETFLIX,its all i bloody here from there mouths
boasting how good it is and stuff yet on the US can get it
This program is all smoke and mirrors and most people involved will probably be able to gather up to 200 points maximum :
- I'm betting not everybody involved will have to renew their subscription in the next six months.
- Most people involved have probably already purchased something from the Marketplace and will not be able to get the 100 points reward for that.
- The maximum purchase reward of 5% is not granted and will probably only apply to micotransactions (wallpapers, avatar cloths, etc.) I bet 800 points games & up will probably only get you 1 or 2% reward. And even if the 5% applied to a 800 points purchase, it's only a 40 points reward.
- The token have an expiration date to June 30, 2010, people will either have to fork out more points (money) in order to be able to use their earned points or let them go down the drain.
In clear, if you want to enjoy 1 free game, you'll have to spend way more than you first intended.
just like their corny live card that was useless which just faded away