It was only a few weeks ago that Major Nelson informed the Xbox community that as of April 15th the original Xbox LIVE, the one that started it all would finally be put to rest beside its console counterpart. But what exactly was the motivation for this decision and what repercussions will this have on the future of Xbox LIVE and the LIVE community?
Lets begin by assessing the reasons why? From a business and brand perspective it makes sense to shut down Xbox LIVE Sr. You want the customer and the gaming community focussed on the Xbox 360, by shutting down Xbox LIVE Sr. you are forever closing the chapter on the original Xbox. If I was a betting man I would bet that shutting down the original Xbox LIVE is also going to save Microsoft a few dollars since they don’t make any money from the purchase of DLC or add-ons from the multiplayer games still played on the first Xbox. This of course is because the demand for such content has long since passed.
In addition this will likely push those few stragglers into buying a next gen system so that they can continue to enjoy multiplayer gameplay. To be honest the fact that they kept the original LIVE going for this many years after they killed off the first Xbox is a little surprising and this move to shut down the original LIVE was more of when will they do it, then a will they do it.
“Come on kid, get in. One last ride… for old times sake.”However what’s most important is that by shutting down Xbox LIVE Sr. they no longer have to worry about the current LIVE being compatible with the older software. This will most likely mean that the oft-rumored reason for the friend list cap being a result of Halo 2 will finally be rectified and will increase the number of friends we can have on our lists.
How much the original Xbox LIVE hindered the development and expansion of the current LIVE is the next question that comes up but isn’t completely evident right now. I believe that this year’s E3 will be the place to see what the LIVE team can do without the shackles of having to worry if a new feature is going to disrupt the original LIVE service. This sentiment is also echoed by Major Nelson while he was addressing his readers on the decision.
“While I can’t comment on the specifics, this change will allow us to continue evolving the LIVE service with new features and experiences that fully harness the power of Xbox 360 and the Xbox LIVE community.”
From a gamers perspective I believe most will be excited at the possibilities this will bring. There was a general agreement that a laundry list of features that myself and the Xbox community were dying for couldn’t be implemented because of the original LIVE, but now the sky’s the limit.
If there is a serious issue with the shutdown of Xbox LIVE Sr. it’s that there is no more multiplayer or marketplace for the original Xbox games. I am sure there is still a small community of die hard gamers who still only play Halo 2 or Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, who are, for lack of using a vulgar word, a little miffed at this decision. They however don’t make up a number large enough to be the worthy victim of this move by the big M. My belief is that most hardcore multiplayer gamers have moved onto bigger and better systems and the death of LIVE Sr. isn’t going to disrupt their gaming habits.
He just found out, let him be, he’s just upset…However there is one true victim in this and that victim is the owners of the Xbox Original titles. This takes a huge chunk out of the appeal of the Xbox Originals that you can purchased from the 360 marketplace. What motivation does a consumer have now to repurchase Halo 2 or Crimson Skies, when they know that the multiplayer doesn’t exist anymore. Even the offline multiplayer modes are essentially useless as a result of these being downloaded versions.
My take on this matter is that it was going to happen and this shouldn’t be seen as negative but a sign that something big may be coming to the current version of LIVE. For now though we can only wait and speculate on what the future of everyone’s favourite online service will be. One thing is for sure and that’s that I’ll be on Live April 14th to enjoy the last games of Halo 2 with the community that made online console multiplayer such a must have feature.
