Microsoft’s Kinect for Xbox 360 appears to be selling at twice the rate of Apple’s iPad. Microsoft said strong demand over the Black Friday weekend propelled retail sales of Kinect for Xbox 360 to more than 2.5 million units worldwide since it launched just 25 days ago.
This means that the games controller that allows gamers to control games with gestures and voice is selling twice as fast as Apple’s tablet computer, the iPad.
The iPad reached the 2-million mark in May, after being launched two months earlier in March.
The success of the Kinect has taken Microsoft by surprise and the company is working hard to keep up with demand.
“We are thrilled about the consumer response to Kinect, and are working hard with our retail and manufacturing partners to expedite production and shipments of Kinect to restock shelves as fast as possible to keep up with demand,” said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft.
“With sales already exceeding two and a half million units in just 25 days, we are on pace to reach our forecast of 5 million units sold to consumers this holiday.”
Top performer
Kinect is now available at more than 60,000 retailers in 38 countries.
“Kinect on Xbox 360 was a top performer at Target this weekend,” said Nik Nayar, vice-president, merchandising, Target.
“We expect Kinect will be a must-have gift this holiday season, so Target will continue to receive consistent shipments of Kinect throughout December.
“The hands-free, active gaming experience that Kinect offers is something that everyone in the family can enjoy,” Navar said.
