Double Fine offers Kinect Party free codes as Xbox 360 digital store closure nears

The team at Double Fine is offering Xbox 360 owners free digital codes for Kinect Party - the sequel to its eccentric title Happy Action Theater - ahead of the console's digital store closure later this month.

As a reminder, Microsoft is set to close its Xbox 360 digital store on 29th July, as announced last year. In addition, the Microsoft Movies & TV app on the Xbox 360 will no longer function. Following this date, users will still be able to play Xbox 360 games on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles via backward compatibility.

To prepare for this closure, developer Double Fine - which is also known for the likes of Psychonauts and Brütal Legend - has asked its Xbox 360 players to make sure they download any games ahead of time, "just to be sure" they can retain access to them after 29th July.

It also noted that while "most" of its games will still be available digitally on Xbox One and upwards, one specific title will not be: Kinect Party - as the Xbox 360 Kinect is not supported by later Xbox hardware.

"Alas, digital preservation evangelists are again proven correct," Double Fine wrote.

In light of this, the studio is offering anyone interested in giving the game a whirl for themselves a Kinect Party code. Codes are limited, Double Fine said, but if you are one such Xbox 360 Kinect player ("It's one of them wavy arm games!") who fancies a shot, you can email support@doublefine.com to ask for one.

Other Xbox 360 games, including the Kinect's My Self Defence Coach, are currently discounted on the console's digital store. Once more, the digital store is set to close down next week, on 29th July.

Earlier this year, it was reported Xbox had established a new team dedicated to video game preservation and forward compatibility.

Back in April, Xbox president Sarah Bond wrote an email to staff to reaffirm the company's commitment to hardware development and its plan to "future-proof" Xbox's digital libraries to "build on Xbox's strong history of delivering backward compatibility".

For more on game preservation, be sure to read Donlan's feature: Qrth-Phyl and rethinking how we remember video games.