Microsoft has decided to discontinue its Xbox 360 console, console boss Phil Spencer announced Wednesday on the Xbox Wire.
“The realities of manufacturing a product over a decade old are starting to creep up on us,” Spencer’s statement read. “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 not the death of the Xbox 360, however, as Microsoft still has a considerable amount of stock to sell and will continue to support the console’s online services. So you can still play games online and use streaming video apps.
The Xbox 360 was a rousing success for Microsoft, moving more than 80 million units in its time even though it never gained a foothold in the PlayStation and Nintendo-dominated Asian market. The 360 kicked off the seventh generation of video game consoles in November 2005, and pioneered the concept of game console as all-in-one entertainment center.
The Xbox 360 currently retails for $200, and you can expect that price to creep down in the coming months, though no price drop was announced Wednesday.
The form of the Xbox 360 has changed dramatically over the years, having received two major makeovers that featured slimmed-down hardware. In 2010, the console was bolstered by the first edition of the Kinect camera, which allowed for gaming controlled by the physical movements of players. The Kinect sold well, but was ultimately a bust as the second version of the peripheral, for Xbox One, never achieved much of a cultural footprint.
Though no more consoles will be produced, there are a handful of games still in the pipeline for the Xbox 360, including “LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in June and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan” in May.