RIP Xbox 360 :'(

10 years: That’s how long Xbox 360 has been around.

It’s always sad when a console ends it’s run. Be it a long lived romp like the Playstation 2, or a short defeat like the Dreamcast. Seeing something that’s meant to bring joy to your life fade into obscurity is always a bummer.

That’s exactly what is happening to Xbox 360…

After a decade (and some change), Microsoft is finally stopping production of the Xbox 360. No lies, that\’s a large chunk of life to have something you enjoy almost every day disappear! It’s not surprising, with the rumored announcement of a new iteration of Xbox One in the future; but alas, feelings are still strong here. Halo, Red Dead Redemption, Bioshock, and so many other great titles that stole a thousand hours of my prime years lived on this system; and I’m sure the sentiment is shared.

Xbox head, Phil Spencer, took to the official xbox blog to announce the end is nigh for the box that brought many of us into adulthood. In the post, Spencer made sure to iterate that owners of the console will still be able to enjoy the same online multiplayer, Xbox store features, and will continue to receive updates. You can also be sure that the console will continue to live on through pre-owned centric retail venues like Gamestop.

The Xbox had a long, colorful (mostly green), and sometimes rocky history. Let’s take a ride in my time machine and check out Elijah Wood tell everyone how Perfect Dark Zero would change the world! (…It didn’t, but that’s a different story)

Released in late 2005, the 360 became a speedy success story. It released before its major competitors (Nintendo and Sony) would drop their newest boxes. This gave it an early lead in the market, which it ultimately wouldn’t need. Partly because its rivals: Playstation 3 was more expensive, and the Wii would release to an audience that perceived it as underpowered and childish; but mostly, it succeeded because it had a large library of action heavy titles. Adrenaline pumping games like Call of Duty and Need for Speed would quickly cement the early identity of the Xbox 360 as something of a Bro-centric console. That persona would definitely fade over time, especially as the system tightened its grip on the market.

That’s not to say the Xbox 360 didn’t run into some nasty trouble, either. Early iterations of the 360 were plagued by overheating issues. Causing the GPU to melt, or even the notorious “Red Ring of Death” which would cease the console to function completely. Microsoft would ultimately own up to the drama caused by the failure and extend the warranty of early adopters to three years to make things right. These issues would be solved by the release of newer, slimmer versions of the system.
$\"xbox360-rrod\"$ (no one wanted to see this nightmare)

Newer iterations would introduce features like built in HDMI ports, internal wifi, and a large capacity hard drive. These features would ultimately become standards of the industry. The console would also become the first successful multi media console, boasting features like custom soundtracks, and netflix streaming. This machine truly was an all-in-one package that was worth your money.
$\"Xbox-360-Consoles-Infobox\"$ (better, faster, stronger)

I can look back fondly at the experiences it gave. Allowing me to be a gunslinging cowboy, an apocalypse survivor, a super human robot man defending the earth from the perils of aliens. What about you? Do you have fond memories of the Xbox 360? We’d love to hear your stories!

Also.. I’m terribly sorry, I’m not a video editor. I would love to have made a sick sizzle reel for you to feast your eyes on. But I’ll do the best I can. I’m about to bombard you with a hefty batch of my favorite games in youtube form. You know… a suitable memorial to the fond days that are about to die.

Need for Speed Underground