Microsoft Connects with Consumers Through Xbox Kinect

Kinect for Xbox opened a door to a larger market for Microsoft. The motion-activated controller freed consumers from the button-mashing stereotype with which video gamers are associated. The Wii may have started the trend, but Microsoft perfected it with the Kinect.

Today Microsoft released the sales figures at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The Xbox Kinect sold more than 8 million sensors since its release Nov. 4: a 60 percent increase from the original 5 million that Microsoft forecast. The Kinect release to Xbox 360 consumers hit the market perfectly for the holiday season, selling 8 million units in just 60 days.

David Dennis, group public relations manager, stated the close out of 2010 capped the "biggest year ever" for Xbox. Console sales for Xbox 360 hit 50 million in 2010. The Xbox was the number one selling console in North America over the last six months, while the Xbox LIVE community continues to grow by a new member every two seconds. Xbox LIVE is currently 30 million-plus members strong.

All of this adds up to new Kinect-enabled experiences through Xbox LIVE titles, signaling the momentum from the holiday season is yet to wane. David Dennis explains the reason why Kinect and Xbox make such a good combination.

"It used to be you would go buy this piece of plastic and put it under your TV, and five years later it's the exact same thing that you bought at the store," he said. "I think Microsoft has shown the ability to innovate and bring new experiences like Kinect as well as Netflix, Hulu, and ESPN, all leveraging Xbox LIVE, to continue to reinvent what you think of as the Xbox. You turn it on, and we continue to update it, keep it fresh, and bring new features."

Through several CES announcements, Microsoft showed how Kinect's controller-free experience will take consumers beyond gaming and into entertainment. The Kinect for Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers can control Netflix through voice and/or gestures. Microsoft also announced partnerships with Hulu Plus, which will use the Kinect's controller-free motion and voice capabilities. It seems that Microsoft has once more connected to their consumers and tapped into what drives people, freedom.

Las Vegas. Microsoft Corporation. "Xbox Momentum Rolls On: Xbox, Kinect Help Microsoft Connect with Consumers" Press Release. 6 Jan, 2011 http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/Features/2011/jan11/01-06CESXbox.mspx