Microsoft Raises Kinect Sales Forecast

Microsoft has increased its sales forecast for the Kinect motion gaming peripheral to 5 million units sold this quarter.

In an interview, Don Mattrick, president of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business, said that after taking into account the consumer interest generated by the product, retail orders and pre-orders, the company is raising its forecast of 3 million unit sold to 5 million in the current quarter.

The company had previously said that it would be investing hundreds of millions of dollars on marketing the Kinect, more than it did for the Xbox 360, treating it as it would a console launch.

Retailers have doubled their efforts to promote the Kinect, spending a small fortune in organising Kinect centric events and midnight openings on launch day to generate a buzz among gamers.

Sony had launched its own motion sensing gaming device, the PlayStation Move back in September, and expects to sell 3 million units by the end of this year.