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Xbox Live surpasses 50 million downloads

Microsoft has announced that its "first and only unified online games and entertainment network" has surpassed the 50 million downloads milestone. Just three weeks ago Microsoft was celebrating 25 million downloads, now with the help of Madden NFL 07 and Texas Hold 'em the online network has provided high-definition content for Live users for more than 2 billion hours.

Madden NFL 07, released on August 22, in its first week reached 600,000 achievements and over 2 million hours of Xbox Live hosted online play. Another big hit made the record for the most downloaded item in the first 24 hours in the history of Xbox Live Marketplace, Texas Hold 'em dropped bombshell with more than 140,000 downloads, 100 downloads per minute.



Xbox Live has offered latest game demos, trailers, music videos, Xbox Live Arcade games and online gaming for almost 4 years from its launch in November 2002. More than 60 percent of Xbox 360 owners have connected to Xbox Live and 1,3 million voice and text messages are sent every day via Live, and a huge boost is expected as the Xbox Live Vision camera will debut in three weeks. Microsoft has sold more than 2 billion points and after the launch of Xbox 360, Live users have downloaded Live content a total of 8 million times.

Source: Press release

Written by: Matti Robinson @ 31 Aug 2006 22:48

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• 27 comments

• amitguru

  Whoa, great work M'Soft!

  31.8.2006 23:25 #1

• ofolion

  I don't find these statistics shocking at all. It seems low if you ask me!

  31.8.2006 23:27 #2

• MasterRE

  To ofolion, what would a high number be to you? Considering howmany people said Microsoft would fail in the games market, and that the X-box, X-box 360 system's would not sell well, I see it as a large number.

  1.9.2006 00:05 #3

• johnodd4

  hey if you think these numbers are low
  
  wait untill the ps3 comes up downloads on the ps3 will set a alltime low at 9.95 per download

  1.9.2006 01:28 #4

• ofolion

  Meh i suppose its not low, but i would say it was shockingly high, i would of thought more than 60% used live?

  1.9.2006 01:56 #5

• ZippyDSM

  ofolion
  you have a point it would seem more reasonable that they would have more,I mean if most users have boardband and down load 2-6 thigns a day its been a year or so since it been out ...oh shit.....I just added this uo
  
  2 downloads a day at 365 days times 10K users = 73mill
  
  someone tell me I am wrong becuse at that figure it seems hellshly low 0-o

  1.9.2006 03:17 #6

• damo_red

  yep ur maths sounds fine.
  
  only thing to take into account is that some people just play online and dont downloads 2 or 3 things a day

  1.9.2006 03:25 #7

• AIM2Shame

  To true.... theres so many people out there that dont download anything.
  
  What ever way you want to look at it, its still 50 million more then PS3.

  1.9.2006 03:27 #8

• ZippyDSM

  damo_red
  well thats with a constant 2 a day you can mix and match the numbers or days to downloads and ,14 a week even half that then double the 360 to 20k...it still seems weak for a console that went world wide.
  
  
  AIM2Shame
  I'd rather spend 700 on a budget PS3 games and acc that will last for a few years over the buggy and half arsed 360 that will be repalced by the Xbx2 in 2-3 years :P
  *L*
  meh forget that I'd rather spend 400 on a WII and have some qauilty gameing LOL
  
  the Xbox and the PS3 will be something like the DC vrs the PS2 albeit a more powerfull DC minus the qauilty that made the DC hell sega anit even worthy of the DC name now >>
  I just dont see the 360 makeing it thru a whole 5 years.

  1.9.2006 03:34 #9

• borhan9

  This is is intresting news and I am not a big fan of MS gaming machines but thats not too say i will not give it a look or congrats it for a job well done so far.

  1.9.2006 05:01 #10

• ZippyDSM

  borhan9
  I dont see it as big but at the same time its not bad,they are doing ok roling along as they are.

  1.9.2006 05:03 #11

• borhan9

  @Zippy,
  
  I have nothing against MS I personally don't see them going to make a dent on Sony's stranglehold of the niche. Nor is their atempt with their portable media player "Zune" Going to make a diffrence to how many more Ipods are going to be sold. I just say its great that they are presistent. But really should stick to OS and things like that.

  1.9.2006 05:13 #12

• Anrkist

  @borhan9
  
  So your reasoning is "If you can't win, don't even try."?

  1.9.2006 05:20 #13

• Cinnjerm

  "I personally don't see them going to make a dent on Sony's stranglehold of the niche."-
  
  Sorry, but they kinda already have. I mean, look at the online gaming market. Sony has practically no share in that at all. Don't know if you people have been to a college campus in the last few years, but no one plays PS2 anymore. I've been saying this and everyone here knows it's the truth. Everywhere you look, places where a PS2 use to reside you'll find an Xbox; believe it or not.

  1.9.2006 06:10 #14

• ZippyDSM

  borhan9
  the Xbox had tis owen nich mind you the Ps3 and 360 are even is most graphics for now the 360 will have a nice core but your right the PS-X(insert number here) is a monster.
  
  the Zune will only work if it can do better than the best MP3 players.
  
  MS dose need to focus on thigns a bit they didnt focus on the 360 its launch was bad ,vista is anthing thing...altho the up side no focus on perfecting the DRM is a good thing *L*.
  
  Cinnjerm
  and if MS pt effort into the 360 it would be 2 or 3 times the system it is.
  like I said the 360 has its place but the PS3 is jsut a monster and will shadow it.

  1.9.2006 06:26 #15

• mystic

  you'd think that numbers like this would be great .... but if I was microsoft Id shut up because this type of notice to the world on how well they are doing only means the TAX MAN comith and they now cant use the lack of downloads as a write off at the end of the year..... impressive online downloads considering the lackluster sales on the units they reported durning the first quarter of this year... maybe most people are tired of waiting for the PS3 and have dropped those of mighty dollars into the hands of Bill Gates
  

  1.9.2006 09:56 #16

• oofRome

  Quote:and they now cant use the lack of downloads as a write off at the end of the yearI don't think they could write that off anyways. Besides, that's just silly business management. The downloading sales will result in sales revenue, which means that on the other side of the balance sheet, stockholders equity will have to rise. What do you think is more important with a public company?
  Quote:Meh i suppose its not low, but i would say it was shockingly high, i would of thought more than 60% used live?This isn't like downloading music from itunes. These are content downloads with a system that isn't geared towards online sales (with the exception of subscription sales).
  Also, another thing to look at is that just 3 weeks ago it was 25 million. That means there is a HUGE increase in downloads, which means that this could very quickly turn out to be a huge asset for the company.
  Plot them on a graph, and you get what looks like an exponential growth graph.

  1.9.2006 14:21 #17

• ZippyDSM

  oofRome
  
  Ah good points 25 mill in 3 weeks not bad ,probly means people r bored of the games and gettign demos and exploreing the online content and what not,not bad not bad at all,now if it can just bring out the new hardware revisions and fix BWC I could stand the system :P

  1.9.2006 14:26 #18

• borhan9

  Quote:So your reasoning is "If you can't win, don't even try."?No that is not what I ment. I just think when u get something good at it why dont you just stick to it rather than taking the risk of going into a market that they have been in. Micrsoft has games in the past but nothing like Sony. But it has improved.

  1.9.2006 14:44 #19

• ZippyDSM

  borhan9
  ..in soem ways MS is doing liek sega iffy systems iffy qauilty its there but its hard to find,its jsut so darn iffy and the fact that they thouhgt DOH we sale 360 with crappy BWC pll wil buy 360 over Xbox.....morons.....

  1.9.2006 14:50 #20

• borhan9

  Well MS is making a good attempt. And don't compare it to Sega cause Sega was good mate it was great and it was better than Nintendo in its day. I was a Sega lover from the Master System 2. and then the newer Mega Drive 2. They were great machines Can u tell me any other system that had an inbuilt game, like Alex Kidd. That was a great lil game.

  1.9.2006 15:05 #21

• ZippyDSM

  borhan9
  My thought was Sega like in reverse they might make it t when sega was king or at least qauilty but at they are now they hit the sega CD-32X days starting at the DC days.
  Sega aint sega anymore so meh.....*L*

  1.9.2006 15:09 #22

• borhan9

  I agree Sega is not Sega anymore. RIP Sega was great in their time :)

  1.9.2006 15:11 #23

• ZippyDSM

  borhan9
  RIP so soon? *digs grave and tries to rip the Phansty Star remakes from thier dead boney hands*
  >>
  
  FCK PSO/PSU...I want my remakes dmant..and wheres shining force 4/remakes?

  1.9.2006 15:14 #24

• DamonDash

  Quote:Sorry, but they kinda already have. I mean, look at the online gaming market. Sony has practically no share in that at all. Don't know if you people have been to a college campus in the last few years, but no one plays PS2 anymore. I've been saying this and everyone here knows it's the truth. Everywhere you look, places where a PS2 use to reside you'll find an Xbox; believe it or not.I dont know what campus you be on because I've been to alot of Black collage campus and you cant find a XBOX.

  5.9.2006 04:18 #25

• chatny101

  can somebody tell me the controls for the XBOX because i am going to participate in the Madden Challenge and i play for PS2 but i have to learn to play for XBOX(not 360). i will try to adjust my PS2 controls as much as i can to make it like the XBOX controls. If any of you guys can tell me the controlls on the XBOX S Controller that would be a huge help, like what does RT and LT do, what do the white buttons do, how do you do a DL shift and LB shift before the snap........I would REALLY REALLY REALLY appreciate it if any one can help me on this, Thanks

  11.9.2006 12:23 #26

• ZippyDSM

  DamonDash
  he has a point collage lans focus on 2 things PC and Xbox because the Xbox has better online/lan support ,that doesn't mean the PS2 doesn't hvae lan/online games they are just kinda far and few between.
  you want the most for you buck you go Xbox/PC.
  
  chatny101 not a cue,I know the controller's are simauier design but the Xbox's left analog is a swapped with the digital pad,for 20$ you can get a PS2 pad to Xbx/GC/PC pad converter ^^

  11.9.2006 18:50 #27