Microsoft Working to Restore Xbox DLC - UPDATED

[Andy Chalk]

Microsoft Working to Restore Xbox DLC - UPDATED

Microsoft [http://www.microsoft.com] is working to restore the downloadable content for original Xbox games, saying that its early removal from Xbox Live was a mistake.

In response to the news that Xbox Live support for the original Xbox console and games would be Halo 2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/98069-Microsoft-Dropping-Online-Support-for-Original-Xbox-Games], which remains a popular online shooter despite being more than five years old. Bit of a snag, however: In order to play online, gamers must have all the Halo 2 DLC, but Microsoft had already removed all that content. If you didn't happen to have it installed on your system, you weren't going to be able to take part.

But it's starting to look like there may be good news on the horizon: Microsoft has acknowledged that it jumped the gun and that pulling the DLC so quickly was actually an error. "We are aware that Xbox v1 users are currently unable to access downloadable content via Xbox LIVE, both for the original console and Xbox Originals on Xbox 360," a company rep told Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/10/microsoft-actively-working-to-restore-original-xbox-dlc/]. "The team is actively working on resolving this issue so that the Xbox v1 community can continue downloading content until April 15."

It's great news, not just for Halo fans but for everyone else who happens to have a favorite classic Xbox game too. Halo 2 is the big one but all the removed DLC is expected to be brought back, giving gamers one last shot at extra content for their old-school game of choice. No time frame for the restoration was given, but I would expect things to happen fairly quickly, so keep your eyes open and feel free to let us know when it happens.

UPDATE: Major Nelson reports, via Twitter [http://twitter.com/majornelson/status/8965762388], that DLC for original Xbox games is back online. Go get it!


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[Onyx Oblivion]

If it wasn't for Bungie's "Halo 2 last hurrah", they wouldn't have cared.

 

[Jared]

Well, at least they took note of it and are correcting it...

But yeah, as above...without Halo 2 thing no one would have done anything

 

[duchaked]

yeah hahaha pretty much with what ya'll said

it's kind of sad, but oh well what can you do

things change, and nothing you can do about it (cough Facebook)

 

[Irridium]

If it wasn't for Bungie's "Halo 2 last hurrah", they wouldn't have cared.

This.

Although I only expected Halo 2's DLC to be back, not every game's...

I'll just add this as 1 more reason why I love Bungie.

 

[Falru]

Generally you don't fix an unforeseen problem until someone complains about it...

That's like complaining that the employee's at Wendy's won't fix your mistaken order until you say something about it.

 

[CyberKnight]

If it wasn't for Bungie's "Halo 2 last hurrah", they wouldn't have cared.

This.

Although I only expected Halo 2's DLC to be back, not every game's...

I'll just add this as 1 more reason why I love Bungie.

I second your "this", and "this" you as well.

Still seems pretty boneheaded that they would take the content down two months early in the first place.

And it still doesn't change the fact that some people paid for some of that content that they took away (and are still taking away on 15 April), and if you don't get before then (or you want to move it to a new console, or have to have your console replaced, etc.), you won't be getting it back... But hey, all's right with the world for the next 60+ days, right?

 

[Worgen]

this is why pc rules, its much easier to play old games any way you want, after microsoft pulls xbox 1 support then no more halo or halo 2 online

 

[Andronicus]

I know it's slightly off topic, but I didn't even know there was DLC for original XBox games. Was the DLC only so you could play certain games, like Halo 2, online on the 360? Or did it actually include extra content like maps and weapons and so forth?

 

[Fire Daemon]

I know it's slightly off topic, but I didn't even know there was DLC for original XBox games. Was the DLC only so you could play certain games, like Halo 2, online on the 360? Or did it actually include extra content like maps and weapons and so forth?

Extra maps for Halo 2, it could be played on the 360 (along with Halo:CE) right out of the box. Some games like Fable had extra quests you could buy but as far as I know most DLC was for popular online titles. It wasn't as popular as DLC is now though.