Microsoft Sees Big Win For Kinect

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 2/28/2011

Redmond, Wash. - Sales of Microsoft's Kinect system for the Xbox 360 console surpassed forecasts for 2010 by a wide margin, according to a report from IHS iSuppli.

The report said the Kinect system, which brings motion-sensing game play to the platform, was lifted by heavy marketing investment, differentiated technology and a willing user base.

Kinect sales also outperformed the cheaper PlayStation Move system that brought similar benefits to the PlayStation3 platform.

Kinect retail channel sell-in volumes reach 8 million units by Jan. 4, after Microsoft had initially forecasted 5 million units.

Sell-through numbers for Kinect hit 6.36 million units at the end of 2010, IHS iSuppli said. 

In comparison, Sony posted sell-through figures of 5.23 million Move controllers by the end of 2010 in three types: stand-alone, a starter kit with a camera, and as part of a console bundle.

IHS said it estimates the sell-through enabled 4.26 million PS3s to play Move content on a worldwide basis, as more than one Move controller can be used by a single console.

Sony's marketing investment in Move was dwarfed by Microsoft's, IHS iSuppli said.

Although the cheapest stand-alone Move controller was $100 lower than Kinect, Sony's marketing investment showed in sales. Move went on sale more than a month earlier than Kinect.