A record number of gaming broadband users flocked to use Microsoft's Xbox Live service this week, it has been announced.

The platform has broken its user record as over two million people connected to the service at once earlier this week, thanks largely to the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Few games have created such anticipation among gamers in recent years and it is likely that players have organised events online to challenge their friends on the new shooter.

The imminent launch of platforms including Facebook and Last.fm on Xbox Live could boost its popularity further, although people who are not on special gaming broadband deals should consider moving to ensure their connection is ready for the online experience.

Broadband providers including Be and TalkTalk offer packages suited to gamers, while the latter has recently launched its new high-performance Pro deal.

The deal offers speeds of up to 24Mb to subscribers.