The Xbox Live online service for Microsoft"s Xbox 360 console continues to gain new members at a record pace. Computer and Video Games, in a chat with Xbox Live product marketing manager Robin Burrowes, claims that the total number of Xbox Live members now totals over 35 million members worldwide. Microsoft has never announced how many of its Xbox Live members have signed on to the paid Xbox Live Gold subscribers service. Burrowes also stated that the last 12 months have been the biggest for Microsoft for bringing in new Xbox Live members
Burrowes, who is the Xbox Live marketing manager for the European, Middle East and African territories, said the increase in Xbox Live membership ties in with sales of the Xbox 360"s Kinect motion controller camera. He adds, " ... we"re actually forecasting the next 12 months to be even bigger. We"ve certainly got aspirations in the console space to be the No.1 in terms of market share. Those aspirations are clear. We"re exceptionally confident that the 12 months ahead will spark [Xbox Live"s] growth."
In terms of the future, Burrowes said that future Kinect supported titles will have Xbox Live features including multiplayer and co-op modes in games like Kinect Sports 2 and Dance Central 2. Later this fall, Microsoft will have a "whole bunch" of announcements related to adding new Xbox Live entertainment options. At E3 2011 last June, Microsoft announced that YouTube support would be added to Xbox Live sometime this Fall as well as some kind of live TV service.