Microsoft Kinect Sets Guinness World Record

Microsoft has announced that its Kinect Xbox 360 add-on has surpassed the 10 million unit sales mark. According to Guinness World Records, that makes it officially the fastest-selling electronics device in history.

Microsoft's Kinect is a hands-free gaming device that attaches to the company's Xbox 360 video game console. It sells for $150 independently, or $399.99 bundled with the Xbox 360 Elite. The console is required for it to work.

Kinect Officially the "Fastest-Selling Consumer Electronics Device"

The considerable cost involved in purchasing a Kinect bundle apparently hasn't stopped tech fans the world over from jumping on board -- even amidst a global recession.

Microsoft says that since the device's launch in November 2010, 10 million Kinect units have sold. It's an incredible sales record that has caught the attention of Guinness World Records, which now says Kinect holds the title for "Fastest-Selling Consumer Electronics Device". (Source: cnet.com)

To put these sales and this record in context, Guinness has compared the Kinect to several popular Apple devices.

"The sales figures outstrip both the iPhone and the iPad for the equivalent periods after launch," the record-keepers said in a recent blog post. (Source: pcmag.com)

Sony PlayStation Move, Wii Hurt by Kinect Success

Unfortunately for Sony, which released the somewhat similar PlayStation Move about two months before Kinect, consumers have shown a clear preference for Microsoft's device. Analysts report that Sony has sold somewhere in the area of 3 million Moves, or less than one for every three Kinects shipped.

Nintendo has also been hurt by the Kinect, with Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter noting that there's been a "sagging demand" for the company's Wii console in recent months. Pachter says this decline could "continue at least through March."

Microsoft Kinect Technology to be Used on PCs

Next up for Microsoft's Kinect may be connectivity with PC. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer hinted at just such a possibility earlier this year in an interview with BBC, saying "We'll support [Kinect on PCs] in a formal way in the right time, and when we've got an announcement to make we'll make it." (Source: pcmag.com)