Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Escapist logo header image

Xbox One Games Will Still be Playable When Servers Shut Down

This article is over 11 years old and may contain outdated information

Major Nelson assured us that at the end of this generation’s lifecycle, when the Xbox One’s servers shut down permanently, you’ll still be able to play your old games.

In an interview with /r/games, Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb answered some of the most “upvoted” questions from the popular videogaming sub-reddit. Right off the bat, he was asked what would happen after the Xbox One servers are shut down at the end of the new generation. Specifically, he was asked if games would be unplayable after Microsoft pulled the plug. His response was a reassuring one: “That’s certainly something we would not do. That’s not the way the system is designed. It’s designed for flexibility. But let’s get the system out there first.”

Next, Hryb was asked whether players who were banned from Xbox Live would lose access to the single player portion of all of the games they have registered to their account. “Absolutely not,” Hryb replied with confidence.

“Come with us toward the light on an amazing journey, where we can unlock the potential of great gaming experiences.”

Unfortunately, from this point on his replies are more deflections rather than straight answers. When asked why the Xbox One couldn’t use a physical disk as a “failsafe” to bypass the 24 hour check-in policy, Hryb went on to talk about how its not possible because of how awesome the Xbox One’s “family sharing library” is.

Hryb also seems unshaken by Sony’s press conference, which practically devolved into mockery of the Xbox One. “I don’t think we’re going to change anything [after having seen Sony’s conference]. We’re very happy with what we’ve done with Xbox One.”

Major Nelson seemed to keep coming back to the Xbox One’s “flexibility” and “future proofing” as counters to the policies being scrutinized by reddit users. He ended the interview by again bringing up how great the “family sharing library” system will be, and how he wished more people would ask him about it. If nothing else he seems to be pretty damn excited about the system.

Recommended Videos

The Escapist is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission.Ā Learn more about our Affiliate Policy