Xbox Gaming in South Africa

After many years of faithful service, the end is near for those gamers wishing to access Xbox LIVE from their original Xbox console, or play Xbox 1 games over Xbox LIVE. Xbox LIVE general manager Marc Whitten announced today via a press release that Microsoft will discontinue the service on 15 April, a decision which will apparently "provide the greatest benefit to the Xbox LIVE community."

This is obviously sad news for those who still get their kicks from Xbox classics like Halo 2, but according to Microsoft this is the way forward if the service is to evolve as planned - one of which will likely be an increased friends cap.

Microsoft has put together a Q&A (via Xbox Forums) to shed some light on the details behind this decision and the impact it will have on Xbox LIVE members.

Q: Why are you discontinuing Xbox LIVE service for the original Xbox?

A: This change will allow us to continue the evolution of Xbox LIVE, delivering features and experiences that fully harness the power of Xbox 360 and the global Xbox LIVE community of more than 20 million members. The best is yet to come, and we look forward to sharing more details in the near future.

Q: What new features? When will these features launch?

A: We don't have any specific features or timing to announce right now, but we look forward to sharing more details in the future.

Q: When will you be cutting off service?

A: Xbox LIVE support for original Xbox consoles and games will end on April 15, 2010. We will turn off auto-renewals for those memberships immediately.

Q: How many people are still using the service – how big a population does this impact?

A: We don't have specific numbers to share.

Q: Is this a global discontinuation?

A: Yes.

Q: Isn't this really just to get customers to upgrade to an Xbox 360?

A: Absolutely not, this is about providing the most benefit to the full Xbox LIVE community.

Q: Does this impact games that are running on an Xbox 360, or just the original Xbox?

A: Xbox LIVE support will end for original Xbox 1 consoles and games, including Xbox 1 games playable on Xbox 360.

Q: If customers have questions, who can they contact?

A: As always, if customers have any questions about Xbox LIVE they can head to www.xbox.com/support, call 1-800-4MY-XBOX, or tweet to us @XboxSupport

Q: Does this have anything to do with Project Natal?

A: While we haven't announced the full details of how "Project Natal" will complement Xbox LIVE, the fully immersive experience, which includes full-body, voice, intuitive and social play, will add a new dimension to social gaming and entertainment on Xbox 360.

Q: Is it true that supporting original Xbox consoles has been responsible for the 100 friends cap? Is it safe to say that will be lifted?

A: We're always listening to user feedback and looking at new ways to enhance the service, and expanding the friends limit is something we're investigating. We don't have any specifics to announce right now, but we look forward to sharing more details in the future.

Q: Don't you think this is a huge blow to the "Halo 2" community?

A: "Halo 2" redefined the multiplayer gaming experience on a console, and we're incredibly grateful to the Halo community for their continued support of the franchise. We are committed to continued LIVE support of popular experiences such as "Halo 3," "Halo Wars," and "Halo 3: ODST" on Xbox 360. We're also moving quickly towards the future of the franchise with the "Halo: Reach" beta on Xbox LIVE just around the corner.

Q: Are you doing anything special for the people affected?

A: Over the coming months we will contact the Xbox LIVE members directly impacted by this change. We view the community as a partner in this process.

Q: What if I already paid for a year of Gold membership?

A: We will provide a pro-rated refund of the amount paid.

Q: Does this mean you plan to shut down Xbox LIVE for Xbox 360 users as well?

A: Absolutely not. Our focus now is continuing the evolution of Xbox LIVE with new features specifically for the Xbox 360 community.