The XBOX 360 helped redefine an entire generation of gaming at Microsoft, and this week Microsoft has said it is to stop manufacturing the XBOX 360 games console, 10 years after it launched. In a blog post, XBOX boss Phil Spencer said gamers had completed more than 78 billion hours of play on the devices. Last year the firm enabled XBOX 360 games to work on its successor, the XBOX ONE.

The Xbox 360 was first shown off in Japan in 2005

Mr Spencer said all remaining XBOX 360 consoles would still be sold, and the platform would continue to be supported for existing users.
Tributes are being paid to the XBOX 360 following the sad news of its demise.

Console fans are consoling each other and swapping fond memories of senseless mass killings, car chases and mowing down drug dealers. As a mark of respect, controllers are being held at half-mast.

Microsoft has led the tributes, saying it’s “incredibly proud” of its offspring and thanked fans for their “continued passion and support” at this difficult time. It’s certainly worth finding a quiet moment to reflect on all the things the 360 has given us in 10 short years.

But of course it will live on through XBOX ONE. Things like Kinect will keep the flame alive, long after the console disappears from the shelves.

“Thanks to the XBOX 360, we evolved XBOX Live from the original XBOX into the thriving online gaming community it is today,” says head of XBOX, Phil Spencer. And with the bombshell announcement still sinking in, he’s reached out to 360 owners.

“You’ll still be able to continue to enjoy available XBOX 360 games through XBOX ONE Backward Compatibility – and you’ll still receive XBOX Live services such as online multiplayer gaming and parties.”

Achievement Unlocked: 10 Years – Thank You, XBOX 360