Microsoft may have a hit on its hands with its latest Xbox 360 peripheral, as two of the leading online retailers are already posting unavailability of their pre-order stock for the November 2 launch of Kinect.
We of course have no way of knowing how many Kinect units Microsoft has sent out for launch shipments, and how big a slice of the pie it allocated to Best Buy and Amazon, but it certainly at least suggests a high level of excitement among consumers.
At $150, the Kinect sells almost as much as the Xbox 360 itself, is the same price as a Wii, and more expensive than a DS. Many have looked at it as far too pricey to succeed.
Combine that with the fact that launch titles are pretty much nothing but casual, party game drivel, and Microsoft’s assertion that it could sell more Kinects at launch than any piece of video game hardware ever has seemed laughable. The company expects to sell three million units of the peripheral by the end of the year.
Obviously, the hardcore Xboxers are willing to plop down the money to energize their 4-year-old console. The Xbox 360 Kinect bundles, which include an Xbox 360 console, are still well in stock at all major online retailers.
It’s definitely a good start for Kinect. Microsoft’s massive marketing campaign for the accessory – which it’s poured more money into than it has for any Xbox product ever – seems to be paying off. There will be midnight launches for Kinect all over the country for its November 4 release. Will you be buying one?
