Microsoft on Friday said it would shut down access to Xbox Live for the original platform. The move disables the online component altogether for both the first Xbox itself and for games that depend on the original functionality, including Xbox Originals ports like Halo 2. The changeover to Xbox 360-only service is expected to take place April 15th.
In justifying the cutoff, Microsoft’s Marc Whitten explained that the company wants to make changes to Xbox Live that "harness the full power" of the newer console but which aren’t compatible with the original approach. What these are hasn’t been said, but it’s most likely to revolve around the 100-person friends limit, which isn’t technically required on the Xbox 360 but was kept to let Xbox and Xbox 360 users share the same service as well as preserve multiplayer support for Xbox Originals.
Whitten also doesn’t say whether those still using the original Xbox Live will have an incentive to move to the Xbox 360, but he alludes to "details and opportunities" being sent to those gamers in advance of the change.
