Summary
On Monday, the Xbox 360 Marketplace will cease to exist. That’s right, after nearly two decades of existence, the Xbox 360 store will be shutting down.When it does, it’ll join the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops as the next set of past generation marketplaces to get the ax.
In the leadup to the store’s closure, Microsoft is offering a wealth of discounts on games, add-ons and expansions. It’s important to note that the games that are available via Microsoft’s backwards compatibility program will still exist, and that if you happen to have a physical copy of these games, you’ll still be able to play them on your 360.
The closure relates to future purchases. More so, just like with any other store closure, if you happen to already own any of these titles digitally, then you’ll always be able to redownload them.
That said, it’s truly the end of an era when it comes to the 360. When it first launched in 2005, the Xbox 360 represented a truly next generation experience with its online functionality, enhanced graphics and slate of launch titles, which included Perfect Dark Zero and Call of Duty, among others. In particular, the Xbox 360 Marketplace represented a new way for players to obtain games, and for publishers to release them.
Through the Xbox 360 Arcade, all sorts of small and in-depth experiences became available to players. Without it, titles like ‘Splosion Man, Shadow Complex and Castle Crashers, among others, would’ve likely struggled to land an audience.
Discounts Galore Headline The Xbox 360 Store
As mentioned above, there’s a wealth of discounts available to gamers ahead of the store’s closure.Microsoft began discounting games and add-ons ahead of the official closure and slowly added more and more to the list. A full list of official discounts can be foundhere, and it’s worth checking out, particularly if you were curious about a specific title, but never had the means to play or own it.
For example, the Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon has a 50 percent discount via the digital store, and,according to Price Charting, the game is physically averaging about $35 on the secondhand market. It can be had for just $9.99. In other words, there are a lot of gems that cost more physically than they do digitally at the moment.Of course, there are also some Backwards Compatible titles, like Splinter Cell, that are seeing massive discounts and can be carried forward.
And if you’re looking for the most obscure titles to purchase before they cease to exist forever, then Twitter user KaL has been compiling such a list. Some of these titles are not on sale, though they will not be available for purchase after Monday, making them a must-buy. One such title included in the list is Suda51’s obscure baseball game called Diabolical Pitch. That game will simply disappear, so if it’s of interest, then it’s probably worth hopping on.
Either way, what a run for the Xbox 360 Marketplace. Longtime gamers might remember the days when there were Microsoft Points, which was the currency used to purchase games on the store. That eventually transitioned to just dollars, and, of course, who can forget the myriad 48-hour Xbox Live Gold trial cards that would come in the box of new games. Rest easy, Xbox 360, you did a good one.
