Xbox sells 150K Live Kits in one week

Xbox Live launched in the US on November 14th, and amassed 150,000 registered users within its first week on sale. Microsoft estimates that thanks to the guest account feature, more than 200,000 people have already played online. Merely passing the 100,000 subscriber milestone makes Xbox Live the most popular subscription-based broadband service in existence, so Microsoft are understandably chuffed!

"Virtually every" Starter Kit ($49.99) was sold in its first week of availability in the US and Canada, according to Microsoft's official figures. Sales of Xbox Live-enabled games have also been very strong thus far (shooting up 120 per cent once the service launched), on the whole it's been a very successful launch.

"More people played Xbox Live in its first week than attended the last two Super Bowls," said J Allard, beginning the onslaught of amusing comparisons and statistics. Some of our favourites so far:

more than five million games have been completed, approximately 500 per minute

more than 114 years worth of straight gameplay in just one week

more games played than in the history of the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB combined

Xbox Live is due to launch in its 'Test Drive' phase (in France, Germany and the UK) on November 30th, with a full retail rollout on the console's first anniversary, March 14th 2003, covering Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden in addition. The Japanese launch is set for January 16th.