Microsoft is known for keeping its paid subscriber stats for Xbox live close to its vest, so when the company said it had topped the 17 million subscriber mark during back-to-back presentations at CES, it was hard to put a financial value on that.

To get the most out of your Xbox 360 console, you really need to be playing online, but sometimes opening up the world of Xbox Live is not that straightforward. This resource rounds up answers to all the questions we regularly get asked, from getting connected to games, membership, points and more.