Following the release of Grand Theft Auto IV, UK ISP PlusNet reported that the amount of gamers using the multiplayer online function the day after were the highest ever in the history of online gaming.

Selling almost one million copies in its first week the Microsoft Xbox 360 console uses peer-to-peer methods to manage the multiplayer features of the game, allowing users to play along with fellow Grand Theft Auto gamers the world over.

PlusNet confirmed that in the early hours of the morning (4am to 7am) after the release an increase in gaming traffic was noticed between 15% and 35% compared to the same day the week before. Later in the morning the biggest increase was noted with up to 65% more gaming traffic per hour. This lowered to around 30-40% later in the day.

PlusNet reported that up to 90,000 of its customers were using their broadband service for gaming purposes the day after Grand Theft Auto IV’s release. However, the effect on traffic management was kept to minimum disruption as the ISP prepared for the game’s popularity in advance.

Source: Community from PlusNet

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