If you own the original Xbox, now’s the time to maximize your online gaming because Microsoft has confirmed that as of April 15th, they are discontinuing Xbox Live support for the original Xbox games as well as the original Xbox console.

According to Marc Whitten, Xbox Live General Manager, this was not an easy decision but one that was necessary as “To reach our aspiration, we need to make changes to the service that are incompatible with our original Xbox v1 games.”

The version 1 console did have its time and place but perhaps it is time for users to move up to a newer console? The move to an Xbox 360 will allow gamers to enjoy a richer gaming experience with the latest Xbox 360 games as well as take advantage of new technology that is coming down the road in the form of Project Natal which is Microsoft’s upcoming controller-free gaming experience.

The end of support may also finally mean the end of the limitation which restricted the number of Xbox Live friends to 100, something that was long suspected to be in place due to the version 1 console.

X10 is now under a week away, perhaps today’s news will set the stage for some interesting Xbox 360 announcements next week.

Via: Geek Smack