Xbox Live update

Microsoft has today revealed that more than 350,000 gamers have subscribed to its Xbox Live online gaming service to date--a number that's sure to grow on March 14, when the service gets its official release in Europe and the community will span no less than 11 different countries.

March 14 is also the date when the first additional level for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell will be made available for download. According to a recent Microsoft survey, around 82 percent of existing Xbox Live users identified downloadable content as the most desired feature for the service, a statistic that was backed up when there were more than 172,000 downloads of two new mechs and levels that were made available for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell .

"From day one, our mission has been to give players what they want next," said J Allard, vice president of Xbox at Microsoft. "With the availability of downloadable content now on Xbox Live, we're making a big step toward keeping gaming current and adding an additional element to the industry."

There are currently 14 Xbox Live-enabled games available in North America, and a further 10 are scheduled for release in the next two months. In Europe, there will be six Live-enabled games available at launch, plus a further three that offer downloadable content.