If you’ve been wanting to buy something on your Xbox 360, you’d better act fast, because you may have forgotten that its digital storefront is shutting down tomorrow.
Last year, Microsoft announced it was shutting down its Xbox 360 Marketplace in a move that was unpopular but not particularly surprising. The Wii U and Nintendo 3DS eShops both closed last year, and Sony attempted to shut down its PS3, Vita, and PSP storefronts in 2021, though fan outcry ultimately overturned that decision, even as buying anything on those platforms became painfully easy. Now, the death knell is about to sound for the Xbox 360, the original pseudo-home of the modern indie gaming movement, as its digital marketplace is set to shut down tomorrow, July 29.
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As with the 3DS and Wii U, this is arguably a preservationist’s worst nightmare, at least officially. Last year, VGC published an analysis that found that over 220 digital Xbox 360 games would no longer be available for purchase through official channels once the stores close. This could also affect DLC for certain games, as most DLC is rarely released on disc, outside of certain re-releases of certain games.
Microsoft has done some great work in making a ton of Xbox games backwards compatible with the Xbox Series X/S, but it’s a real shame that not all of them have made the same transition. Granted, not all of them will be remembered as “the best games of all time,” but it’s still nice to be able to play them legally.
Xbox Wire shared its final update on various price cuts in May, which listed games that are currently on sale with price cuts of up to 90 percent, so if you’re in a hurry to pick up some old games, this is always a good option.
