2 million gamers use Xbox 360 to access Facebook

25.11.2009
More than 2 million Live users accessed from their games console in the first week that the service was available.

Microsoft is trumpeting this figure as proof that adding Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm to the Xbox 360's Live hub was a huge success in its ongoing battle with Sony's PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii.

There are currently around 20 million users of the Xbox Live service, and around 500,000 of them created Last.fm accounts in the same seven-day period, listening to 120 million hours of music.

See also: Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite

Numbers of people who used Twitter via their console are harder to come by, which suggests that they may not be as impressive.

Speaking to Gamesindustry.biz, Microsoft's Neil Thompson said of the early success: "It's just about giving people choice and giving them a slightly different experience.

"The Facebook and Twitter applications are bespoke to the service, they do have Xbox Live unique features, such as being able to see which Xbox Live friends are online, et cetera. And over time I'm sure that will evolve as well."

See also: Xbox 360 to smash PS3 in pre-Christmas sales