Xbox Live turns 5 as membership soars past eight million
posted 14/11/07
Please help us out, share this article
SYDNEY 14 November – This week, Microsoft celebrates the global fifth anniversary of the Xbox LIVE service as the latest membership figures show that more than eight million people all around the world are now actively engaged in the most popular online entertainment network on console.
As a gesture of thanks to the LIVE community, all eight million members will have the opportunity to download a complimentary Xbox LIVE Arcade game between 7:01 p.m. EST on 15 November and 6:59 p.m. EST on 17 November.
In addition, starting on 4 December, all Xbox LIVE members will receive a system update with a host of new features and enhancements. Included in this update will be the launch of the "Xbox Originals", which – for the first time ever – will enable consumers to purchase, download and own full Xbox games directly to their Xbox 360 console.
This new service will launch with an array of blockbuster titles spanning the most popular genres from action-adventure to classic role-playing games. Titles in the pipeline include greats like "Halo", "Psychonauts", "Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge" and "Fable".
With no disc necessary, and at just 1200 Microsoft Points per game, Xbox LIVE members can easily rediscover favourite titles or check out a hit game they missed the first time around. This launch line-up is only the beginning as Xbox 360 owners can expect to see a growing catalogue of Xbox games for download to own over the coming year.
Andrew Jenkins, Xbox Product Marketing Manager, says, "Since its pioneering launch, Xbox LIVE has consistently lead the way in terms of innovative features and quality content. New services such as the ‘Xbox Originals' demonstrate precisely why Xbox LIVE is – and will remain – the premiere online destination for console gamers."
Xbox LIVE has grown from a small community of gamers in two countries, playing a handful of games online with their friends, to a worldwide social network encompassing a wide range of digital entertainment. As friends across 26 countries and nine languages have connected on Xbox LIVE, it is their feedback and active participation that has guided the service to become what Wired magazine recently called "The king of the online arena".
