Xbox Live suffering from major outage. On Christmas weekend. Ouch.

Hard to say whether it's caused or correlated, but just about everyone with an Xbox is probably tying to get online today in order to avoid spending that precious, invaluable quality time with their amazing, loving fam -- problem is Xbox Live has been down for friggin hours, and doesn't seem any closer to getting back online. Anyone able to get on? Or are you still having issues? Shout it out in comments, we feel your pain.

Read - Xbox Live status
Read - Outage on Xbox Live Forums

Update: The site says they're back up and running. Everybody good here?

[Joel I. Johnson @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:31PM]

I turned on the260 and it took longer than normal to sign in. A few minutes later I was kicked out of Live.

- J

[Backlin @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:35PM]

Lol, you must have an outdated system (jk).
This is what happens when the Xbox LIVE crew takes a break.

[Nubaeus @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:39PM]

Yeah, the 260 seems like an unfinished project.

[Joel @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:52PM]

Ha! How did I miss that typo!

[Zach @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:49PM]

i've been playing fine all day and night, but it has kicked me off several times, and some of my friends can't sign in, my friend said it was a TCMP (close enough) error when he tried the troubleshooting program

[mrzbox @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:58PM]

way to go sony you finally find a way for me to turn on my ps3 lol nba live 08 five on five ps3 not bad nahhhhhhhhhhh i ll stay away till the box is back

[CubeGuy @ Dec 22nd 2007 10:13PM]

Zing, Joel. Zing.

[James @ Dec 22nd 2007 10:20PM]

I want my money back, if they expect me to pay for their "Premium service" and It isn't perfect. I don't want to pay for there fucking screw up. Especially when the other 2 systems are free.

[Jon Graft @ Dec 23rd 2007 12:02AM]

James has the "worst rating" for his post, yet it the most true post on here. >__> This site is infested with XBOTs.

[Ben Grimsbo @ Dec 23rd 2007 12:30PM]

I hope James never buys a car.

[blade417 @ Dec 24th 2007 10:17AM]

Same thing with me, it took forever to sign in then it kicked me out. I didn't mind, it finally gave me some motivation to finish the campaign on COD4 (which is frickin awesome btw).

[unkone @ Dec 24th 2007 2:27PM]

You guys pay to play games with XBOX online? ouch

[Joel I. Johnson @ Dec 24th 2007 5:48PM]

You can play online for free, but certain features are only available if you have the higher subscription level (such as voice chat). You only have to pay for the higher level access.

It's a decent system though, you pay a single fee for just about all the xbox games that support online play. I know that Final Fantasy XI (which is available on PS2 with hard drive, Xbox 360, and PC) requires another subscription from square-enix. And there are some other PC games that require fees (World of Warcraft) so the "pay-to-play" scheme is not unusual.

[nerdtalker @ Dec 25th 2007 10:13PM]

For the record I'm happy that engadget covered this story. I literally just got back from tearing my hair out over why I couldn't connect to XBL (it kept failing either the MTU connectivity test or Xbox Live connection).

Glad to know it wasn't me going insane, but rather a screwup on their part... I mean that seriously
.

[nxtiak @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:33PM]

Haven't tried today, but just did now, and yeah, can't login. Logging in on xbox.com is fine though.

[WiFiSpy @ Dec 22nd 2007 11:13PM]

All the Engineers must be on holiday too..

[xbit @ Dec 23rd 2007 7:57AM]

I downloaded Sensible Soccer yesterday so I couldn't care less about XBL now!

[Derry Quinn @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:34PM]

What? Engineers!, Get some investigators to investigate the problem

[Maci @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:35PM]

Sony sabotaged it!!!!!!1

Lets spread rumors!

[Tylar Overturf @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:48PM]

go sony!!

[ToonPac @ Dec 22nd 2007 11:09PM]

I heard the techies were too busy fighting off Apple invaders...

[CraigS @ Dec 23rd 2007 1:14PM]

Updated folding@home finds cure for cancer and also creates a botnet DDOS to xbox HQ.

This is total scientific fact.

[coolant8 @ Dec 23rd 2007 7:19AM]

How inconvenient, it just shows you, never trust MS with your pleasure.

[Supafroman @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:42PM]

Guys i totally got on live and was playin CD4 online, so this isnt affecting me one bit.

[Deluxe @ Dec 23rd 2007 1:46AM]

zomg totally

[Erick @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:40PM]

Yea...that sucks.

[Dom @ Dec 24th 2007 12:35AM]

glad i got that ps3, i have nothing aginst the 360, all of my friends have one and i get jealous sometimes when i can't play with them, but hey, i got URT3 and i will be able to upload custom maps soon, i don't see anything like that being implimented to the 360. Sorry guys, but you pay for your service and don't even get the "premium" out of it.

[TK @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:42PM]

im on! 5:40PM in Oregon!
xXP UnitXX anyone COD4?

[Anthony @ Dec 22nd 2007 9:11PM]

No Live, No love.

[mattrob2 @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:45PM]

i can get on here in pennsylvania no problem

[eatmoreramen @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:48PM]

Same! I'm in Pennsylvania *outside Philly in Delco* and I get online no problem too!

[jbcaro @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:51PM]

roblem is Xbox Live has been down for friggin hours, and doesn't seem any closer to getting back online."

Just out of curiosity, how would you tell if it was any closer to getting back online? If it's down, it's down. If it's up, it's up.

Maybe they have one of those out to lunch door clock things that says, " We will be back in 1 hour."

[computer.dude.28 @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:54PM]

no way, Microsoft isn't that organized!

[Ryan Block @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:59PM]

I say that based on the fact that I've been checking their status all day, and only in the last hour did they finally acknowledge the problem in the link above. Not a good sign for an expeditious fix.

[computer.dude.28 @ Dec 22nd 2007 9:05PM]

I rest my case.

[ScareyJ @ Dec 22nd 2007 11:06PM]

@jbcaro, agreed. The Engadget fanboy (yup, haters are fanboys) is using poor logic. Even funnier to use the word "fact" in a statement saying he's been trying all day ... heck, I think that word alone makes it scientific evidence. Its now settled, we can all now agree theres a "scientific concensus" that Microsoft is causing the Earth to warm. I bet Gates is building a Deathstar! Now where did I park my Millenium iFalcon?

The next time I see the power company put out a "men working" sign, I'm gonna have to stop and offer help, because they're obviously confused and disoriented about they're doing. "Who the hell are you? an electrical engineer?" "No, but I slept at a Holiday Inn and I write funny stuff on a blog."

[Evan @ Dec 22nd 2007 11:26PM]

All I did was restart my 360 two times and presto, Live worked. It makes no sense but hey, from the XBL status it looks they don't even know what the problem is.

[david @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:55PM]

grimace, the purple one, maybe it is him then

[blinkcowz182 @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:53PM]

No go in Ohio here. 8:52 EST.

[DABUCH92 @ Dec 23rd 2007 12:33AM]

yeah im in ohio to and still nothing

[jon @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:53PM]

GRR I CANT PLAY AND I LEAVE FOR ENGLAND TOMORROW :( :(

[Jevanzz @ Dec 23rd 2007 7:30AM]

What's so bad about England? About from the weather... and people.

P.S Don't worry, I'm English, so I can say that. :)

[Jevanzz @ Dec 23rd 2007 7:31AM]

Apart*

[Sam Zebian @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:57PM]

My brother has been playing for hours, he's playing Halo 3 online as we speak, it seems to ave no problems up here in Massachusetts.

[ByronGman @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:55PM]

WHY GOD??? WHY?!?!?

[cereal @ Dec 22nd 2007 9:04PM]

There is no god.

[James @ Dec 22nd 2007 10:23PM]

Unless your Microsoft..
They like to play that game a lot..

[ToonPac @ Dec 22nd 2007 11:13PM]

Well on engadget Jobs is god...

[Darrol @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:57PM]

I just tried and the first time it did not connect so I told it to sign in again and it connected after about 30 seconds.

[Trey @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:58PM]

I can connect after a couple of tries but can't do much past that. My friends list went from 13 on to one playing Oblivion.