The Zune Marketplace will no longer offer media rentals or sales at the end of the month as part of the abandonment of Microsoft Points.

This change is similar to the shutting down of Games for Windows Live. The Zune store is shutting down, but it's really more of a conversion. You will still be able to access the content you purchased through the Zune marketplace. Xbox Music Pass subscribers and owners of the original Zune Music Pass will not be affected by this change, and will still be able to to stream video and music from the service.

Unspent Microsoft Points in the Zune store, however, must be spent before the conversion takes place. Users are encouraged to switch over to the Xbox Music and Video digital stores as soon as possible.

You can find out more about the changes on Microsoft's FAQ.

[Source: Microsoft via Polygon]

Our Take

The Zune has been struggling for Market Share with the iPod and iTunes since the device's release in 2006. Despite having some interesting features, like the ability to share music wirelessly between devices, it just never caught on. The hardware was retired back in 2011, and now with the Zune Store's departure, it seems like the Zune brand is finally getting retires, too.