Gaming consoles with sensors for interpreting hand gestures seems to be the newest trend in the tech realm. Microsoft’s Kinect for Xbox 360 has officially hit the 1 million sale mark in just 10 days of its launch and is believed to be on the run to reach 5 million units by the end of this year.
Just before rolling out the Kinect, the company raised its worldwide sales target from 3 million to 5 million sensors by the end of the year. November is the launch month of the sensor since it is anticipated to arrive in Asia and Japan on November 18 and 20, respectively. Microsoft plans to make the device available to more than 60,000 retailers in 38 countries with up to 17 Kinect games during this holiday season.
“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. 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,†shared Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft.
For those unaware, the Kinect offers an intuitive method to access and interact with the Xbox 360. Every command for the console can now be carried out by speaking to the sensor or waving users’ hands for different gestures. Moreover, users can purchase the sensor as a stand-alone unit which includes the device and Kinect Adventures.
The stand-alone Kinect for Xbox 360 is priced at $149.99 (approx Rs. 6,777), while owners can purchase the Xbox 360 4GB console with Kinect for $299.99 (approx Rs. 13,555). Another option for hardcore gamers would be the Xbox 360 250GB console with the Kinect sensor which can be snapped up for $399.99 (approx Rs. 18,000).
