Xbox Games Store facts for kids
 |
|
| Developer | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Type | Digital distribution |
| Launch date | November 2005 (Xbox 360) November 2013 (Xbox One) |
| Discontinued | October 2017 (Xbox One) |
| Platform(s) | Xbox 360, Xbox One |
| Status | Active, shutdown planned for July 29, 2024 (Xbox 360) Merged into Microsoft Store (Xbox One) |
| Website | Xbox 360 Marketplace |
The Xbox Games Store was a special online shop for Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Xbox One video game consoles. It was also known as Xbox Live Marketplace before. This store let people download or buy video games, extra content for games (like new levels or characters), and game demos. You could also get fun things like gamer pictures and special themes for your Xbox screen.
The Xbox Games Store was first used on the Xbox One when it launched in 2013. After about five years, it was replaced by the Microsoft Store. The Microsoft Store is now the main online shop for all Windows 10 devices, including the newer Xbox Series X/S consoles.
In 2023, Microsoft announced that the Xbox 360 Store will close on July 29, 2024. But don't worry! Many Xbox 360 games that also work on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S will still be available to buy through the Microsoft Store.
Contents
What the Xbox Games Store Offered
The Xbox Games Store had different sections for various types of games and content.
Xbox Live Arcade
The Xbox Live Arcade (often called XBLA) was a special part of the store. It offered games that you could only download digitally. These included updated versions of classic games and brand-new games made just for the Xbox 360.
Games on Demand
The Games on Demand section let you buy and download full versions of Xbox 360 games. It also had games that were originally made for the very first Xbox console. Sometimes, even extra content for Xbox 360 games that was hard to find elsewhere was included here.
Xbox Live Indie Games
In 2008, Microsoft launched a service called Xbox Live Community Games, which later became Xbox Live Indie Games. This was like Xbox Live Arcade, but it focused on smaller, cheaper games. These games were made by independent game creators and small companies. To make sure the games were good and safe, they had to pass a special review system. This system checked for bad content and made sure the games worked correctly.
A Story About Gift Cards
Besides buying things directly, you could also use Xbox gift cards to get items from the Xbox Games Store. These cards had a special code you could use online or on your Xbox to add money to your account or get specific content.
In 2017, a person working for Microsoft was testing their online shopping systems, which included buying Xbox gift cards. This person found a way to get real Xbox gift card codes without paying for them. They started collecting these codes and selling them to other people for less than their real value. Microsoft eventually found out about the large number of gift cards being used. They traced it back to this person, who was found responsible for the scam.
See also
In Spanish: Xbox Games Store para niños
- Groove Music
- Microsoft Movies & TV
- Xbox (app)
- Xbox network
- Windows Phone Store
- Microsoft Store
