In some versions of the Microsoft Store, the bizarre occurrence has marked a good number of previously delisted Xbox 360 titles as ‘Coming Soon’ in bizarre fashion. This wacky twist is causing quite a discussion in the Xbox community because many of these titles have not been available for digital purchase for years. The return of the “Em Breve” tag to these product pages now poses very interesting questions for digital preservationists and the long-time loyalists of the platform.
The strange listings originated from the Portuguese storefront, where the cryptic status was displayed under the key art of around eighteen titles (including one original Xbox game). The game lineup stars some favorites that have virtually disappeared from the digital world such as Valve’s original co-op shooters Left 4 Dead 1 & 2, and Warner Bros.’ prequel to the Batman series, Arkham Origins. While some of the games identified, such as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Deadly Premonition, may still be purchased elsewhere, most of them are titles that can currently only be played on modern Xbox consoles via physical discs and backward compatibility. Notably, the timing of these listings takes place right after the announcement by Microsoft concerning the planned closure of the dedicated Xbox 360 digital marketplace in July 2024.
Speculations on what might have caused this unusual labeling are divided at present. The more cautious analysis put in place is that this would simply be a technical mistake, perhaps a backend glitch from the changes that are slowly happening to the system with the impending sunset of the Xbox 360 store. However, a more optimistic theory among fans would be that this might very well indicate a planned digital release sometime soon. With the ever-growing industry attention directed at the preservation of classic games, many are hoping that these titles may soon once again enjoy legitimate digital purchase, perhaps linked to some celebration for the console’s 20th anniversary in 2025.
Regardless of which theory turns out to be true, this incident certainly underlines that there is an ongoing demand for the legitimate access to older console software that has lapsed rights. Whether the ‘Coming Soon’ status simply bedazzles itself into a legitimate digital resurrection or dissipates into some minor correction, the ordeal has helped bring attention to a very crucial segment of the massive Xbox 360 game library—over 2000 titles—that has remained inaccessible to new players. The gaming world is now waiting for Microsoft to issue an official statement to clear up what really happened regarding this odd occurrence in the store.
