Bungie Mourns Last Weeks Of 'Halo 2' Support On XBL

Microsoft's decision to end Xbox Live support for first-gen Xbox titles did not go unnoticed behind the walls at Bungie. "Halo 2" will be among those games losing online multiplayer support, and if you count yourself among those wanting to send the game away from the XBL network properly, you won't be alone.

"We're all saddened at the realisation that an era is coming to an end but looking back, we're incredibly fortunate to have had such a great run and such strong support from our fans," a Bungie rep wrote on Bungie.net.

Marking the last full day of playability on Wednesday, April 14, Bungie is encouraging players to sign on for one last round, and though they have a big year ahead of themselves with the launch of "Halo: Reach," they aren't too busy to promote some nostalgic gameplay.

"'Halo 2' has been at or near the top of the Xbox Live charts for original games since it launched over five years ago," the post stated. "We're extremely thankful to everyone who has played, enjoyed and supported 'Halo 2' over Xbox Live. We've had some great fun together, including far too many humpday losses to even recount."

It will be interesting to see if any of these staple titles re-emerge as Arcade titles after April, but I'm sure everyone has other priorities for the near future. Somehow how I doubt that classics like "Halo" and "Halo 2" will remain banished from online play forever, even if they can't be played in their original forms.

Are you going to sign on for a few more rounds of "Halo 2" before April 15th? How do you think "Halo 2" online play stacks up against "Halo 3" and "ODST"? Sound off in the comment section below.

Tags bungie, halo, halo 2, xbox live