Xbox 360 hits 50 million worldwide, Xbox Live users top 30 million

Sure, Kinect is doing dandy, but how about the console it Kinects connects to? Quite well, really, to the tune of 50 million Xbox 360 units shipped worldwide to date. That's according to Microsoft prez Steve Ballmer at tonight's CES 2011 keynote.

Not to let Sony be alone in trumpeting its respective console's online service user numbers, Ballmer just dropped some additional facts and figures on his audience about Xbox Live usage: 30 million people have accounts on XBL, up five million from November 2010. (On November 11 of last year, it was revealed that 25 million accounts had been created overall.)

Hey, Microsoft -- you keep signing 'em up, we'll keep muting 'em.