Xbox Live by the Numbers

Microsoft has released the latest stats on Xbox Live and in sort, Live continues it's success. Xbox Live came online four years ago, a year after the original Xbox release. It has grown to four million members strong and is available in 24 countries across the globe. This fall, Xbox Live will enter into it's 6th generation and if trends continue should grow to be six million players strong by the summer of 2007.

Microsoft believes in its strategy, it's their ace in the hole and their biggest contribution to console gaming. This year both Nintendo and Sony will step up to challenge Live, both have dabbled in Online Gaming in the past with dismal results. But this time they've designed online gaming as a built in feature, not an add-on which should help them get more success.

Here's what the competition is up against

• 4 million members which increases daily . Projections put the Xbox Live network at 6 million gamers by summer of 2007.
• Xbox Live Marketplace is the largest platform for high-definition gaming and entertainment content with over 70 million downloads in the past 11 months.
• 70% of Xbox360 console owners have downloaded content off Xbox Live Marketplace which has more than 2,000 pieces of content
• Xbox Live Arcade has just passed the 12 million downloads mark in only 11 months, Arcade is a huge hit
• Xbox Live Arcade has a trail to purchase conversion rate of 24%, with UNO reaching a record 50% conversion rate
• Since the launch of Xbox Live in Nov 2002, gamers have spent more than 2 billion hours playing games online
• Text and Voice messages on Xbox Live are being generated at a rate of 9 million per week

These are some staggering numbers. It will be interesting to see these numbers and compare them to similar numbers released by Nintendo and Sony this time next year.