If you’re like me and scoffed at Microsoft’s prediction that they would sell five million Kinect units before the end of 2010, you’re likely eating your hat after watching their CES Conference. Not only did they top those expectations but they annihilated them. Microsoft announced that they have sold eight million Kinect units in the first 60 days of the device’s life. To be fair, 60 days from its launch date does extend a few days past the end of 2010, but still, those numbers are crazy impressive.
Slightly less impressive were their Xbox Live user figures. The total number of subscribers has now reached 30 million. With Xbox Live expanding its reach even further onto PC’s, and Windows phones for the first time, it’s likely that figure will start growing at an even faster pace.
UPDATE: It seems that, once again, the term ‘sold’ has been used rather loosely. A Microsoft spokesperson has now clarified that Kinect has shipped eight million units.
Source: Kotaku
Gaztee
Well they had 7 million units ready for launch day, so just another million on top!! Not really surprised at its success. I did hear that the kinect was actually out selling the Wii over Xmas! I still haven’t gotten around to playing one, but I can’t see it replicating the feedback you get from a move or a wiimote!
TSBonyman
In last months Edge magazine they spoke to a store manager of one of the main retailers (who wished to stay anon but they did publish a picture of a GAME store in the article) and the retailer said ” [My company] is putting a lot of effort into Kinect, not so much into Move. We were getting hammered about deposits for Kinect before launch. Although we did a pre-order campaign for Move, it was nowhere near the size of Kinect with regard point-of-sale”.
I bet the profit margin per unit for the retailer was much higher with Kinect than Move.