Major Nelson has blogged news that Microsoft will terminate the Xbox Live service for the original Xbox console, and for all its games too.

The decision wasn't made "lightly," he said but will provide "unprecedented flexibility" for future projects and features. It's Xbox 360 or bust.

"...on April 15, 2010 Microsoft will discontinue Xbox LIVE service for original Xbox consoles and games, including Xbox 1 games playable on Xbox 360," blogged Nelson.

"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."

There you have it, no more Xbox Live goodness for the old Xbox. Don't forget this also means no more online game support for its catalogue as well, even if played on the Xbox 360. Xbox Live has over 23 million subscribers to date.

Will this shutdown hit some of your favourite Xbox oldies?