I wanted to let you know that 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.

Xbox LIVE general manager Marc Whitten (Gamertag Notwen) has posted this letter to the community which provides additional context.

The best is yet to come, and we look forward to sharing more details in the near future. — Major Nelson

As you can see, Microsoft is discontinuing Xbox Live service for original Xbox 1 consoles and games, including Xbox 1 games playable on Xbox 360. So no more Halo 2, for those of you out there still messing around with it. Same goes for tons and tons of other original Xbox online games that a lot of people out there still enjoying.

All DLC for Original Xbox games have been removed as well.

Xbox LIVE support for original Xbox consoles and games will end on April 15, 2010. The Xbox team will be turning off auto-renewals for those memberships immediately.

As for refunds, those of you who have already paid for a year of Gold membership will be provided a pro-rated refund of the amount paid.

More information will be announced when the time comes. For now, how about talking with your original Xbox buddies and setting up a few game dates before April 15, 2010 and enjoy the service while it lasts.

This article was written by Michael Young