Xbox Live hits 4 million users

Online service for Microsoft's consoles reaches new milestone; population expected to grow to 6 million by mid-2007.

Next month won't just ring in the one-year anniversary of Microsoft's Xbox 360; it will also be the four-year anniversary of Xbox Live. To tout the online gaming service, Microsoft announced the latest stats and figures and revealed a new milestone.

Xbox Live has surpassed 4 million members worldwide, just shy of its sixth iteration, which launches "this fall." The service, which Microsoft describes as "the first and only unified online games and entertainment network," is available in 24 countries, and the company expects it to surpass 6 million members by the summer of 2007.

Other items of note include:

--More than 70 million pieces of content downloaded in Xbox Live Marketplace's first 11 months.

--More than 12 million Xbox Live Arcade downloads in that same period, with a trial-to-purchase ratio of 24 percent (Uno leads all Arcade titles with a 50 percent trial-to-purchase ratio)

--Time logged on Xbox Live playing games has surpassed 2 billion hours

--More than 9 million text and voice messages are sent over Xbox Live each week

A fall dashboard update for the Xbox 360 is expected sometime soon.

248 Comments

  • rulo_rezn0r

    Posted Nov 1, 2006 9:13 am PT

    they are very few (live users) compared to the amount of xboxes and 360s out there in the ppls houses.
    i think the number is like 30 million or something?
    we can say that is not that huge succes (xbox live), i guess mainly because of the price and stuff

  • _Sam_

    Posted Oct 21, 2006 11:23 pm PT

    --Time logged on Xbox Live playing games has surpassed 2 billion hours

    WOW. I wouldn't have guessed that

  • chrdmau

    Posted Oct 20, 2006 1:30 pm PT

    Lol..4 million for the whole thing..its not just 360. have they even sold 4 milion 360s? its for first x box too..Microsoft licks My BA!@S

  • lord-azrael

    Posted Oct 20, 2006 11:57 am PT

    that alot but I would have guessed a higher number

  • Pugberto3122

    Posted Oct 20, 2006 11:42 am PT

    Yeah but does is it mean the in use accounts becauase they could be including banned and expired ones for all we know.

  • buzzguy

    Posted Oct 20, 2006 9:39 am PT

    Yeah, Live really is awesome...just the way it's even integrated into single-player is great. Nice job Microsoft!

  • aashkii

    Posted Oct 20, 2006 9:16 am PT

    Xbox 360 has 4 million users?! That's twice as much as Nintendo Wi-Fi users on their network! This is more interesting than the PS3's online plan.

  • anamnawshad

    Posted Oct 20, 2006 9:04 am PT

    Sweet!
    XBL pwns!

  • chiefmegadeth

    Posted Oct 20, 2006 8:52 am PT

    I love my xbox live and ps3 will love there second rate rip off
    if its anything like the ps2 free live service there ganna be pissed

  • cardiac_cat

    Posted Oct 20, 2006 8:25 am PT

    wow, how long did that take. cmon out PS3 and end the suffering of the 360.

  • Sanguis_Malus

    Posted Oct 20, 2006 8:12 am PT

    XBOX LIVE - LONG MAY IT LIVE !

  • PoopTete

    Posted Oct 20, 2006 7:26 am PT

    sweet. now theres 4 million people i get to own in gears of war next month. ill never be out of a game thats for sure. U-S-A U-S-A!

  • lovermanxxx

    Posted Oct 20, 2006 7:11 am PT

    holy crap. do the math! $50x4million = $200m in revenue !!!!
    what about payed content DL - 12m x $8 (an average?) = $96m / 24% = approx $24m.

    what kind of crazy $ony fanboy would you have to be to believe that $ony (who let's be honest, are some of the biggest money grabbers going!) would turn down the chance to earn $224m upwards?!?!

    if you believe that $ony will offer a true rival service to XBL for free then you are crazy. If $ony did do that, then they would also have to be crazy. they need to recoup money ASAP after slashing profit forecast etc. have you read about further loss of confidence by financial analysts? No. and there would be loads of them screaming if $ony were going to pass up this chance of earning so much money.

    get real.

  • Ced_Quijote

    Posted Oct 20, 2006 5:12 am PT

    well said, masterbeef.

    can't wait for all that GoW, TeamFortress2 and Halo3 goodness.

  • OMasterBeefO

    Posted Oct 20, 2006 4:14 am PT

    Live is MSoft's main weapon in this new console war. And for good reason: it got it right from the beginning.

    Sony made the mistake of relying on the publishers to set up their own online components, which most can't be bothered doing (or financing). By giving them everything they need to get their game online, Microsoft has cemented its place at the forefront of online gaming, and is obviously committed to staying there. Well done MS, all the best for the future. =)

  • payback_56

    Posted Oct 20, 2006 2:26 am PT

    nice to see there will be many other to play against with all the new games coming out, see u out there

  • ZugZug4

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 11:46 pm PT

    MSoft should give a nice gift to the 4 millionth user. ^__^

  • kai88

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 11:33 pm PT

    itz all about the box ps3 sux

  • Monkey316

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 10:47 pm PT

    Dashboard update oh yeah

  • iebubu

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 9:11 pm PT

    This is the main reason i'm getting the x360

  • hemakm3

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 8:51 pm PT

    Wow.

  • n00bslayer

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 7:55 pm PT

    XBOX LIVE is the BEST! A simple must for any 360 owner.

  • MaverickVll

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 7:43 pm PT

    Heh, my friend just got live on the 17th. He must be close to being that 4th million subscriber.

  • Ghost_Warrior

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 7:38 pm PT

    Xbox Live is simply the best, been a member since 2003 and I'll continue to be one for a long time.

  • ecno13

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 7:07 pm PT

    Nice. Lets see that free content Xbl Is sex in my hand....... lol

  • joe1218

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 6:46 pm PT

    you think free service is going to be better than a measly 50 bucks a year. i spend more than that on lunch a week,only sony fanboys would think that free is going to be better, i have xbl its worth every penny the online service and content is second to none.

  • go-divis99

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 6:35 pm PT

    PS3's Online Cant match with Xbox Live!

  • fanboy999

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 6:22 pm PT

    Xbox Live rules!! I love it.

  • DarkSoldier56

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 5:43 pm PT

    I can glady say that I was around before even 1 million people had a Live Account, I guess I'm old in Xbox Live standards

    Congards Microsoft

  • Frankazami

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 4:57 pm PT

    Good for them. Even though I'm a Sony fanboy, I'll admit that both Sony and Nintendo's online service probably won't even compare to this. Sony's will be second best and as for Nintendo's........hmmm..........friend codes......lol

  • RyuHayabusaX

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 4:43 pm PT

    Wow, even with 2/3 of its people having Xbox Live, Sony guys still can't accept ownage.

  • pXxJoSexXp

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 4:21 pm PT

    jofy
    xbox live include xbox 1 and xbox360,only 4 milllions, wait until you see the online service from sony that will be free.The 360 will be terminated at the end of the year,nov 17.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    the sony online service will be free, yeah, but the videos demos, and other things you'll have to pay for them lol and XBL service owns everything and I can't wait for the 100GB HDD w00t

  • awarriorofgamin

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 4:02 pm PT

    cromwargod way to pwn the sony fanboys mad black points for u and damn thats alot of time logged in

  • cromwargod

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 3:55 pm PT

    "jofy
    xbox live include xbox 1 and xbox360,only 4 milllions, wait until you see the online service from sony that will be free.The 360 will be terminated at the end of the year,nov 17.

    LinkisBack
    Sony Ps3 will incorprate X-fire which has over 5 million user so sony and pc will be able to interact as well just though all you sony bashers would like to know and MS fanboys.

    Me on the other hand enjoy all types of gaming.

    EXACTLY "

    He,he,he... X-fire is only for 1 game fanboy, and 2 PS3 online is free only because Sony is doing the same thing as pn the PS2. All publishers will host their own servers and thus have the option to charge. Have you ever had anything free that was better then another version of it that you payed?

    CROM

  • Lucifer007

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 3:51 pm PT

    with a 100 gigharddrive that cuts dowwn on loading almost like 4 times(guess)

  • JLCrogue

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 3:32 pm PT

    xbox_gamer1
    "100 GB Hard Drive coming March 2007 for the 360,just for you who havent heard yet.GO MICROSOFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

    I really hope you're right, because my Hard Drive has been full for way too long. I'm tired of deleting old crap to make way for the new crap. lol

    Anyway, wasn't it just about a year ago when Xbox Live only had 2 million users? That's pretty fast.

  • Sydwynder

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 3:24 pm PT

    When you consider that Gold for a year is about the same price as a game, it really should be a no brainer. The value that Live Gold adds to each title is seemingly immeasurable. So you can buy some crap game like Tony Hawk or Bomberman or you can subscribe to Live Gold and play sweet sweet multiplayer games all day and all night. No brainer.

  • xbox_gamer1

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 2:38 pm PT

    100 GB Hard Drive coming March 2007 for the 360,just for you who havent heard yet.GO MICROSOFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • xbox_gamer1

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 2:32 pm PT

    The people that say XBL is too much are a bunch of idiots,you can afford a $400 dollar console but you cant afford $50 a year WTF!!!! Anyways XBL is the only way to go & it will keep getting better & better,Microsoft wont let Sony surpass them they just wont.GO MICROSOFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • s3lFc0nTr0l

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 2:29 pm PT

    I love XBL

  • himuru

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 2:22 pm PT

    jofy just cant afford 50 $s a year im only 15 and i wanted xbox live so bad i pay the monthly cost of comcast all on my own

  • brad_d

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 2:04 pm PT

    Considering the fact there are only 6 or so million 360s purchased, 4 mill is a pretty good showing. I would like to know how many pay for Gold though (I am one).

    A few posters complain about the juveniles on Xbox Live. It is true, and I wish parents would do their jobs and prevent their little foul-mouthed brats from playing M-rated games. At least don't buy the game for them. I think PDZ rating should be changed to a max 17 rating because the avg player is 9 yrs old lol.

    Live is good so far and the content has been comiong at a steady pace these past few months. Almost every game has a demo release and there are many HD offerings (seeing Jessica Simpson in HD was pretty cool haha).

    If Sony manages to keep their service free (which I am 90% confident won't happen), then MS has no choice but to run it for free. I suspect Sony will offer XBL Silver like features and then have free online game days. Notice how Sony has not confirmed that the service will ALWAYS be free. That company is smoke and mirrors. I remember how the PS2 was supposed to have "movie-like graphics" and I also remember how it took a class-action lawsuit to get them to repair their garbage-made PS2. MS at least has refunded all 360-related repairs on launch units.

  • Mister_Griffin

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 2:03 pm PT

    jofy said:
    "LinkisBack
    Sony Ps3 will incorprate X-fire which has over 5 million user so sony and pc will be able to interact as well just though all you sony bashers would like to know and MS fanboys."

    yea xfire is ok i guess but all it does is track hours online, it might change for the ps3 idk, XBL offers so much demos, arcade, video, trailers, and 1 account for all games u want to play online, and also 5 million profiles i bet ofer half of those dont ever login so who cars, the most loged in people now is about 200,000 not alot

  • Agent_HEADSHOT

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 2:02 pm PT

    xbox lives is the best. the ps3's online service is gonna suck compered to xbl. it may be free but sony even said game publishers have a choice to charge money for their account so basically u get a free sony account but if u want to play some game lets say warhawk (not saying they will charge money just an example) u will have to pay them in order to play their service. Do u kno wat this mean............. ps3's online will fail and xbl will live on

  • pacerfan1231

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 1:55 pm PT

    GOLD IS WORTH IT!

  • vaejas

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 1:32 pm PT

    Ain't paying for Gold.

  • CyphenX

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 1:28 pm PT

    Heh, I've been a member of Xbox Live since before it launched (I was lucky enough to be a beta test it) and can personally vouch for how great it is. And that's really REALLY great.

  • PolishPunisher

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 1:18 pm PT

    Good Job, I can't wait to join those ranks

  • rgp_md

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 1:15 pm PT

    jofy
    "xbox live include xbox 1 and xbox360,only 4 milllions, wait until you see the online service from sony that will be free.The 360 will be terminated at the end of the year,sept 17"

    Do you know how many consoles have been successful in maintaining an online enviroment for no charge? On the off chance that Sony pulls it off AND MS does go down, how long do you think Sony would stay free? This is the company that makes you pay extra to plug four controllers in your console. Think before you post.

  • Sorensenator

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 1:12 pm PT

    The world is populated with 6.7 billion people... compare 4 million to that and you have a very insignificant number. I have XBL on my Xbox 360 and it's pretty cool I guess, I just never use my Xbox 360 in general... so both were a waste of money (console and online subscription).

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