Microsoft apparently is getting some support from within the industry analyst community; with several analysts we spoke with confirming that they are upping the initial estimates for Kinect holiday sales to an estimated 4 million units worldwide.
The latest estimate is double what we initially heard analysts that we spoke with predict for this holiday season. The apparent aggressive nature of the launch plans for the unit, combined with a very aggressive campaign, are expected to pay dividends for Kinect in the form of additional sales.
Despite continued worries about the price, it is believed that Microsoft is doing a lot to target early adopters who own Xbox 360s. “If Microsoft can only get a small fraction of those owners to buy into Kinect, they will have no problem at all moving 4 million units,” one analyst told us. It is believed that the console bundle with Kinect will outsell the add-on Kinect package out of the gate, with many current owners waiting to see more from the add-on before buying.
We are also now hearing that Microsoft is cranking up the initial production run numbers, and our sources tell us that those wanting Kinect should be able to buy it; but we will see if this actually rings true when push comes to shove in the heat of the holiday season.
Double from last analyst estimates
David Stellmack
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