Microsoft has announced today that Zune Marketplace will not support rental and purchase of content from November 22nd, 2013. Browsing the Marketplace for movies or TV shows is off the cards as well. This move is part and parcel of the Fall 2013 update through which Microsoft Points are also retired. Those who have remaining Microsoft Points balance can transition it to local currency by initiating a purchase or redeeming a Microsoft Points card or code on Xbox 360 or the Xbox Music and Video apps on Windows 8.1.
With Zune Marketplace gone, what remains of Microsoft’s once popular music project is the Zune hardware that’s still out there and the Zune desktop software. In a recent related announcement, Microsoft announced that users will no longer be able to play Xbox Video content that they own on Zune devices, Zune PC client or Windows Phone 7 devices. Video content already purchased through Zune Marketplace will be available to users in Xbox Video, whether they access it through the web, Xbox 360, Windows 8.1 or RT tablets and PCs or through the Windows Phone 8 app which Microsoft says is likely to be released around the holiday season. So that’s that, the Zune project gets yet another nail in its coffin.