Microsoft Sells 1 Million Kinect Units In Just 10 Days

A million. That's a lot. A whole lot when you consider just how crowded the gaming market it, and even more when you consider just how limited the Kinect is in terms of a buyer pool. The Kinect motion accessory requires a good deal of space in front of the television, and many gamers who are cramped in studio apartments don't even have the room for it. But that hasn't stopped one million Kinect units from flying off of store shelves in just 10 days.

Microsoft's entry into the motion gaming craze is definitely taking off in a big way, with the company announcing that it has sold 1 million units worldwide already. And this is before Black Friday, where lots and lots are sure to fly off of store shelves. And also, the unit doesn't have too many titles to take advantage of it yet. Next year, if a killer AAA title launches with Kinect support, those numbers could skyrocket.

It's kind of crazy to think that Kinect is already a massive hit. Many gamers probably already have a taste for motion gaming courtesy of the Wii, but maybe the controller-free method really does have a serious future. Either way, congratulations to Microsoft, and hopefully developers will begin to take the unit seriously and develop new games for it. Particularly the next Call of Duty.

Kinect for Xbox 360 Hits Million Mark in Just 10 Days
Early customer demand for controller-free entertainment solidifies biggest year in Xbox history.

REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Microsoft Corp. today announced it has sold 1 million Kinect for Xbox 360 units worldwide in 10 days and is on pace to hit 5 million by the end of the year. The announcement comes a week before the biggest selling day of the year, Black Friday, and in the wake of increasing momentum for Xbox 360, which led U.S. video game console sales for the past four months.(1)

"We are appreciative of the response we have seen from consumers that has culminated in sales of more than 1 million units in the first 10 days on the market for Kinect for Xbox 360," said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. "This is a great start to the holiday season, and we will continue to work with our retailer partners to keep pace with high demand and deliver against our plan to sell more than 5 million Kinect sensors worldwide by the end of this year."

Before the Kinect launch, Microsoft raised its worldwide sales forecast from 3 million to 5 million sensors sold by year-end. Kinect launched in North America on Nov. 4, followed by Europe on Nov. 10, and will land next in Asia (Nov. 18) and Japan (Nov. 20). By this holiday, controller-free games and entertainment will reach more than 60,000 retailers in 38 countries with up to 17 Kinect games available.

"We have seen tremendous excitement from customers for Kinect for Xbox 360," said Chris Homeister, senior vice president and general manager of the home entertainment group at Best Buy. "There were lines of customers at our stores all over the country on the night of the Kinect launch, and thousands more are trying it for themselves in our stores every day. It's no surprise Microsoft has already surpassed 1 million units sold, and we expect Kinect to be one of the must-have gifts at Best Buy this holiday."