Xbox Originals service draws to a close

Microsoft has confirmed that there will be no further releases on its Xbox Originals digital download service.

The retail channel, which arrived in December 2007, offered 360 owners the chance to download full game releases from its Xbox catalogue. The platform holder told IGN that it has finished its portfolio” for the service.

The move comes shortly after Microsoft’s E3 announcement that it is preparing an Xbox 360 full game delivery service that will allow gamers to bypass retail and download titles directly to their machines.

Xbox Originals never quite lived up to its potential. Of the 850 or so games released for Xbox, only 26 ever made it onto the UK arm of the Originals portal.

Whilst hits such as Fable, GTA: San Andreas, Jade Empire, Ninja Gaiden and Halo were a huge plus for Xbox Originals, its reception was dampened by a number of less well-received titles such as Zapper, Gauntlet, Blowout and Raze’s Hell.