The Steam gaming network is now the number 2 community for gamers in the world. Sony’s PlayStation Network is on top with 110 million users, followed by Steam with 65 million. Microsoft’s Xbox Live network takes the third spot with 48 million subscribers.

The Steam number is truly impressive because, unlike the other two on the list, Steam has no console on the market yet.

The PC-gaming market and multiplayer software maker expects to launch beta hardware soon, but to take the second position without anything in households yet is quite a feat.

I don’t typically post rumors or leaks, but this stuff is exciting to me, so here it is, for whatever it’s worth to you.

Yusuf Mehdi, Chief Marketing Officer for Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Division:

[…] we will rapidly accelerate the reach of Xbox entertainment from more than 67 million consoles to literally hundreds of millions of devices worldwide. Also this week, we will take our biggest step ever to increase our global reach, extending Xbox entertainment experiences to 222 countries from 35.

Looks good. The only question now is whether it will work as well for me as it did for this well-coiffed engineer. Even if the only thing I get out of this update is the ability to use a phone or tablet keyboard to enter text on my Xbox, it will be the greatest thing that ever happened to the Microsoft console.

Samit Sarkar, reporting at The Verge:

The interactive element of the hub is a live polling system. It will gather impressions from Xbox Live users as they watch live broadcasts of the three scheduled presidential debates between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

It’s not exactly the cross-examination inspired debate format pushed for by Will McAvoy in The Newsroom, but I think it’s a forward-thinking use of the platform.

MG Siegler points out that, despite Apple CEO Tim Cook’s quiet mention of Apple TV, the little box Steve Jobs once called Apple’s hobby has sold more units than the best-selling Xbox 360 gaming console.

Not bad for a hobby.