This latest count indicates growth of about a million users since Microsoft announced that the 7 million mark had been broken in July this year.
“As a gesture of thanks,” Microsoft is giving users a free downloadable Xbox Live Arcade game (Hexic 2 in Korea and Carcassonne in the rest of the world), available for 48 hours from midnight PST, November 15.
For the most loyal supporters of Microsoft’s online gaming and content service, the company is giving 500 Microsoft Points ($6.25) to active users who’ve been signed up since 2002.
The announcement corresponds with Xbox Live’s fifth birthday.