Redmond, Wash. – Sales of
Kinect system for the Xbox 360 console surpassed forecasts for 2010 by a wide
margin, according to a report from
.
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.
