Microsoft stops Xbox 360 production; sales of existing stock to continue

Microsoft announced on Xbox.com that they were stopping production of the device after 10 years. In a wistful post looking back at the 10 year production run, Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox outlined some of the achievements of the console."Franchises like Gears of War were born on the 360, and established blockbusters like Halo really came into their own during this console generation. Xbox 360 was also the foundation for industry-leading technical innovation like Kinect, and the start of system updates and dashboard refreshes based on fan feedback. Thanks to the Xbox 360, we evolved Xbox Live from the original Xbox into the thriving online gaming community it is today. And the console became a beloved gaming and entertainment hub with over 78 billion gaming hours played, nearly 486 billion Gamerscore on 27 billion achievements and over 25 billion hours spent in apps over its lifetime." he posted.While the console is no longer going to roll off the factory stores, existing stock will continue to be sold according to the availability in each country. Accessories and games for the console will also continue to be sold. Deals will also continue to be available on Xbox Live. Multiplayer gaming and social features will also continue to be available on Xbox Live. For those who own the Xbox One as well as the Xbox 360, the games for the 360 can be played on the One without any additional cost.Gamespot took the opportunity to republish its 10th anniversary coverage of Xbox 360, it has a blow by blow account of the console's production run.