Microsoft has announced that Kinect has sold more than 10 million units worldwide.
As a result the peripheral has been deemed the fastest-selling consumer electronics device ever by Guinness World Records.
Kinect sold an average of 133,333 units per day in its first 60 days between 4th November 2010 and 3rd January 2011, reports Eurogamer.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has suggested that the Xbox 360’s motion-sensing controller Kinect may see PC support in the future.
When asked by the BBC whether PC users might be able to take full advantage of Kinect, Ballmer replied, “We'll support that in a formal way in the right time.”
The modding community has already begun experimenting with Kinect for PC, something that Microsoft has said it endorses.
As we reported on Tuesday, Microsoft has sold 3 million Kinect units since the product’s global launch in November. In response, Sony disseminated a press release yesterday stating that PlayStation Move has sold 4.1 million units since its launch in September.
Today Sony has sought to clarify that figure, saying it meant “shipped” rather than “sold”. Units shipped mean they’ve been bought by retailers to sell on to their customers whereas sales mean they’ve been purchased by the consumer.
A Sony spokesperson told website Joystiq, “While we don’t disclose our exact sell-through number, the key is that our retailers continue to ask for more Move units and are taking every unit we can supply them with based on their sales.”
Both Sony and Microsoft have said that due to high demand there are supply shortages for their new controllers, PlayStation Move and Xbox 360 Kinect.
Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter disagrees, suggesting that both companies are attempting to incite panic among consumers in order to drive up sales.
Speaking with IncGamers, Pachter said, “I think both companies would very much like for consumers to believe that their devices are highly sought after and difficult to obtain. That usually works to spur demand.
Kunect for Xbox 360 launches in Nu Zeelund tomorrow but will not include voice recugnition support as local accents are too hard to understand, says Microsoft.
In a statemunt, Microsoft explains, “Because of the complexity of solving for languages and accents voice support will roll out across the world in waves. In [autumn] 2011, Kinect voice support will be available in Canada (French), France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Australia and New Zealand.”
Stink.
Ollie the Octopus has flipped all eight birds at gaming industry analysts and predicted that PlayStation Move will outsell Microsoft Kinect over the holiday season.
In what will one day become an embarrassing footnote in history books, demand for soothsaying octopi is skyrocketing, and Ollie clearly knows how to play us rubes for a free lunch.
Ollie learned his trade under the tutelage of renowned psychic Paul the Octopus, who correctly predicted all the outcomes of Germany’s matches in the FIFA World Cup. The two were cousins and former tank-mates.
US website adafruit.com have offered a USD $2000 bounty to the first person who can produce open-source software for Microsoft's new Kinect motion sensing hardware;
Anyone around the world can work on this, including Microsoft :) Upload your code, examples and documentation to GitHub. First person / group to get RGB out with distance values being used wins, you’re smart – you know what would be useful for the community out there. All the code needs to be open source and/or public domain. Email us a link to the repository, we and some “other” Kinect for Xbox 360 hackers will check it out – if it’s good to go, you’ll get the $2,000 bounty!
The successful application of an open-source driver for Kinect could breathe new life into the hobbyist robotics industry. Adafruit's Phillip Torrone has commented on the issue to CNET;
The flamboyantly titled director of incubation for Kinect, Alex Kipman, has told website gamesindustry.biz that there are games in development for the Xbox 360 that will use Kinect and the traditional 360 controller simultaneously.
“We'll continue to have controller-only games. We love controller-free games, we love Kinect experiences and we'll continue to grow our set of those as well. What we haven't really talked about, but exist, are hybrid games,” said Kipman in an interview.
Kipman considers hand-held controllers to be a barrier to entry for consumers curious about gaming:
Concerns over Kinect’s ability to be used while seated has been resolved, according to Blitz Games’ Andre Oliver.
When scanning a person, Microsoft’s controller-free motion detection system built the player’s digital “skeleton” with the base of the spine being the primary node. When seated, the system had difficulty distinguishing the base of the spine as knees and thighs obscured it.
But according to Oliver, Kinect’s software has now been updated to build the skeleton with the back of the neck as the primary node.
Kinect Bundle includes:
Kinect brings games and entertainment to life in extraordinary new ways - no controller required. Easy to use and instantly fun, Kinect gets everyone off the couch moving, laughing and cheering. See a ball? Kick it. Control an HD movie with a wave of the hand. Want to join a friend in the fun? Simply jump in. With Kinect technology evaporates, letting the natural magic in all of us shine. And the best part is Kinect works with every Xbox 360.
- Kinect sensor
- Kinect Adventures game
- Demo Disc (1P Launch Titles)
- Wireless Network Adaptor USB Extension Cable
- You are the controller. Kinect provides a whole new way to play. It uses a sensor to track your body movement and recognize your face, even listen to your voice. If you know how to move your hands, shake your hips, or speak, you and your friends will be able to jump instantly into any Kinect experience.
- Full-body play. Kinect provides a new way to play where you use all parts of your body - head, hands, feet and torso. When you're the controller, you don't just control the superhero, you are the superhero. Full-body tracking allows the Kinect sensor to capture your movement, from head to toe, to give players a full-body gaming experience.
- Personalized play. Kinect provides an in-game experience in which the player’s face and voice are recognized. Greet and speak to characters in the game, or simply step into view of the sensor to log into Xbox LIVE and connect with friends. Kinect is smart enough to remember voices and faces. Fun has never been so personalized.
- Off-the-couch play. Kinect provides gameplay that gets you off the couch, on your feet and in the fun. Each Kinect experience is designed to get players moving, laughing, cheering and playing together. Kinect makes social gaming off-the-couch fun.
