Xbox Live snags two-millionth member

Just over a year ago, Microsoft proudly announced that its broadband online gaming service for the Xbox, Xbox Live, had reached the one-million subscriber mark in under two years. Today, the company announced that Xbox Live has reached another milestone: 2 million subscribers. The second million subscribers came in at an even faster pace, at little more than just a year's time, which is the equivalent of adding one Xbox Live subscriber every 30 seconds.

Xbox Live is currently the most successful console-based online gaming service, providing gamers easy access to online multiplayer gaming sessions, real-time voice chat, and instant messaging. An explosion of more than 200 Xbox Live-enabled games, including current Live top dogs Halo 2 and Forza Motorsport, has led the charge.

Microsoft expects the numbers to increase with the launch of the Xbox 360 this holiday season. Each console will come with a free basic Xbox Live service, dubbed "silver," which can be upgraded to "gold" level for a fee. The silver level will have limited features, such as the ability to create a digital identity, use voice chat with other gamers, and access the service's marketplace feature. The gold level will upgrade the service to allow online gaming and video messaging.