14 DAY TRIAL // Starting with April 15, Xbox Live and the original Xbox console will no longer be compatible. Microsoft made the announcement last Friday, on February 5, and also explained that any games from the original console that were compatible with the current Xbox 360 would also have their support discontinued. Halo 2 is one of the titles that will go down in flames, but the decision was made in order to improve the Live service, thus upgrading many of its features that were held back by the original Xbox compatibility.
Marc Whitten, the general manager for Live, issued a letter addressed to all Xbox Live members explaining this decision. "On April 15 we will discontinue the Xbox LIVE service for original Xbox consoles and games, including Xbox v1 games playable on Xbox 360 and Xbox Originals. I want to start by saying this isn't a decision we made lightly, but after careful consideration, it is clear this will provide the greatest benefit to the Xbox LIVE community."
Whitten further added that, "Seven years ago we laid out our vision for the connected console when we launched Xbox LIVE. We believed then that the power of the Internet to connect people would revolutionize living room entertainment. It started with amazing multiplayer games, and we've since seen that bet pay off again and again with the launches of Xbox 360, Marketplace, Netflix and powerful social features like Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm. None of this would have been possible without the success of LIVE as a multiplayer gaming network."
And while he believes that titles like Halo 2, and most of all its community, have "fundamentally changed the way we play video games," sacrifices must be made for the sake of progress. He explained that, "[As] we look down the road, we'll continue to evolve the service with features and experiences that harness the full power of Xbox 360. To reach our aspiration, we need to make changes to the service that are incompatible with our original Xbox v1 games."
Still, according to the Q&A posted on the Xbox official forums, Xbox Live members that still operate on the original Xbox will be eligible for some sort of compensation, which has not yet been detailed. As such, Whitten suggested that players should keep a close eye on their messages and email addresses for "more details and opportunities," saying that, "We view you as a partner in this process." So, basically, the Xbox gets buried, but there will be some cake and punch at the wake.