Xbox Live Marketplace is booming @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on March 21, 2006

News: More new content coming. Also, a lot of stuff has been downloaded from the Marketplace.

The Xbox Live Marketplace is one of the true innovations that prove the Xbox 360 is "next-gen". And naturally, when it's successful, Microsoft is ready to shout it from the rooftops.

Today's shouting session includes the revelation that 10,000,000 (that's 10 million) pieces of content have been downloaded from the Marketplace. They also said that 85% of Xbox 360 owners have downloaded at least one piece of content.

For the next 10,000,000 Microsoft has announced that several big games will be getting updates very soon. Project Gotham Racing 3 will get new exciting cars and achievements. Perfect Dark Zero will get "additional content" and new multiplayer maps. Kameo's online cooperative multiplayer mode will also go Live soon, in addition to new costumes for Kameo and her warriors.

Finally, Microsoft revealed the next big trio of Live Arcade titles. Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting we already know about. But are you ready for Uno and a free download of Texas Hold 'Em Poker?

Seriously, online Uno, that rawks!

Oh, and once again Microsoft is pledging to increase the number of 360s in the wild with a massive inventory surge. Says the company, "Beginning this week, Microsoft will distribute two to three times the number of Xbox 360 consoles to the retail channel weekly."

We'll see Billy boy, but it should be noted that today was the first time I've ever seen a 360 system actually sitting on a store shelf waiting to be purchased. So we might just be turning a corner.