Microsoft: Kinect sells 1 million units in 10 days

Microsoft has a hit on its hands with Kinect, the motion capture device that lets players act as the controller for the Xbox 360. The company says it has sold more than 1 million units in the first 10 days of availability.

That’s a significantly stronger start than Sony’s PlayStation Move – which shipped 1 million units in its first month of availability, but did not sell that many. It also underscores the “must have” status of Kinect as the company gears up for the holiday shopping season.

Microsoft did not offer a breakdown of how many standalone Kinect devices have sold versus how many were bundled with an Xbox 360, so it’s impossible to say how significant a revenue boost this has been for the company. The standalone devices retail for $150, while the bundles range from $300 to $400.

Microsoft has been expecting big sales for Kinect for some time, though. Immediately before the system’s launch, the company bumped up its sales forecast from 3 million to 5 million units before the end of the calendar year.

Microsoft is hoping to broaden the Xbox 360’s audience with Kinect, making it more attractive to the casual gamer – a niche Nintendo has been particularly successful in luring this console generation.