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Microsoft annouced today that the Xbox Live service will be discontinued for original Xbox consoles and all original Xbox games (even those playable on the Xbox 360), as of April 15, 2010.

From MajorNelson.com:

“On April 15, 2010 Microsoft will discontinue Xbox LIVE service for original Xbox consoles and games, including Xbox 1 games playable on Xbox 360. Our first step in this process will be to turn off auto-renewals for those members who only use Xbox LIVE on a v1 Xbox. While I can’t comment on the specifics, this change will allow us to continue evolving the LIVE service with new features and experiences that fully harness the power of Xbox 360 and the Xbox LIVE community. We did not make this decision lightly, but after careful consideration and review we realize that this decision will allow us unprecedented flexibility for future features.“

While I understand some of the limitations imposed by keeping all original Xbox games active on Live (the 100 friend limit on the friend’s list, for example), I’m sure this decision will not go over well with some gamers.  Particularly, those who still prefer Halo 2′s multiplayer over Halo 3′s. 

For further details about this change, you can read a letter with more details from Marc Whitten – Xbox Live General Manager, HERE. 

Game on!