Bloomberg is reporting that Microsoft now expects sales of its new motion-controlling device Kinect to reach five million units this quarter, up from its previous forecast of three million.
Don Mattrick, president of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business, says pre-sales, retail orders and consumer interest are the reasons for the company’s surge in optimism.
Kinect costs $149.99 as a standalone peripheral. It launches tonight at midnight and will compete directly with the Nintendo Wii and Sony Move, which Wedbush Securities Inc. analyst Michael Pachter predicts will sell about three million units by the end of the year.
Mattrick doesn’t seem too concerned by the competition, however, and thinks this holiday season will be Microsoft’s biggest holiday ever.
