- The Xbox 360 digital marketplace is set to be shut down on July 29.
- Ahead of this date, physical Xbox 360 games have seen a price hike.
- These titles also include those that are already available on Game Pass.
The Xbox 360 has yet to be topped by Microsoft. Nearly two decades later, this console stands at the top of Microsoft’s gaming efforts, shining as an example of brilliant hardware that offers an incredible library of games.
Unfortunately, Microsoft is set to shut down the Xbox 360 digital marketplace later this month. Following this closure, retail discs will be the only option for those looking to experience nostalgic gameplay on the console.
However, since many games will soon be unavailable to purchase, the prices for physical games are now going up.
Why it matters: This trend has been seen in the past for various consoles. Once digital storefronts are shut down, physical discs are considered collectible items. This typically causes price hikes.
With many now resorting to physical purchases for Xbox 360 games, current owners have begun to take advantage of the situation.
A report from TheGamer estimates that prices have risen by about 10% across the board. Some games have seen price hikes as high as 34%, while a few others have gone down in price.
However, prices are up on average. The research was conducted with eBay’s Product research tool to analyze the UK prices of these games over the last 90 days, six months, and one year.
A total of 35 games were analyzed, with 30 of them seeing price hikes over the last 12 months. Games like Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, Red Dead Redemption, Saints Row 2, and Soulcalibur 4 saw their prices decrease over that period.
On the other hand, games like Fallout 3 and Dragon Age Origins saw price hikes despite their inclusion in Game Pass as backward-compatible titles.
Overall, this price hike will impact collectors and those who prefer playing games on original hardware the most. Thanks to Xbox’s commendable backward compatibility efforts, much of the Xbox 360’s library is available on the Xbox Series S|X.
Fans want to see these efforts continuing, and Microsoft has even made a dedicated team to ensure backward compatibility is included for the next generation.
Anyhow, this may be the best time to stack up on Xbox 360 games. We expect these prices to rise quite fast once the store is officially shut down. Rumors suggest the PS3 will follow suit later this year, marking the end of the seventh generation of consoles as we know it.
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[News Reporter]
Bawal is an MBBS student by day and a gaming journalist by night. He has been gaming since childhood, growing fond of the creativity and innovation of the industry. His career as a gaming journalist started one year ago, and his journey has allowed him to write reviews, previews, and features for various sites. Bawal has also been cited in reputed websites such as Screenrant, PCGamesN, WCCFTech, GamesRadar, and more.
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