Xbox LIVE GM Marc Whitten addresses LIVE issues

Marc Whitten, General Manager for Xbox LIVE has posted an open letter to address the recent connection issues suffered by LIVE members, pointing to a heavy influx of new members as the possible cause. Here is an excerpt:

“During this past holiday season you helped us break a number of Xbox LIVE records. This included our largest sign-up of new members to Xbox LIVE in our 5 year history…”

The letter goes on to say, “As a result of this massive increase in usage we know that some of you experienced intermittent Xbox LIVE issues over the holiday break. While the service was not completely offline at any given time, we are disappointed in our performance. I would like to take this moment to thank you each and every one of you for your patience and understanding as our team has worked around the clock to return the service to a stable state.”

The letter also mentions that LIVE members will be receiving a free Arcade title as a thank you for loyalty and patience with specific details promised in the coming weeks.

Read the full open letter here.