Microsoft has previously cautioned that the downtime could last for up to 24 hours, during which time Xbox 360 owners will be unable to play games online, stream or download content from the Xbox Live Marketplace, or post in the official Xbox.com forums.

Though there won't be any new features available immediately upon the return of Xbox Live, the maintenance will help prepare the service for its wealth of upcoming additions, including the avatar marketplace, digital downloads for full Xbox 360 games, Last.fm music streaming and Neflix improvements, plus Facebook and Twitter integration.