14 DAY TRIAL // According to sales figures that were compiled by Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu the Kinect motion tracking system, which has managed to sell more than 10 million units all over the world, performed worse than Microsoft expected in the Land of the Rising Sun, moving less than 3,333 in October of this year.
When the device was launched during November 2010 it managed to move 27,880 units to players, with a further 43,200 devices sold during December of last year.
But after that period the drop in sales was pretty acute, with the device doming down to a low of 1,910 during May and then climbing back to just over 3,000 during October.
Microsoft has reported that more than 1.5 million Xbox 360 game consoles have been sold in Japan, showing an attached rate for the Kinect of around 7.6%, while worldwide the rate is closer to 20 percent.
Microsoft has worked very hard to make the Kinect attractive in Japan and has been caught by players using hired crowds in some stores in order to make the device seem more popular than it was.
Sony has reported that the PlayStation Move has outsold the Kinect two to one on the home Japanese market, although it has posted lower levels on a global level.
Some reports have been suggesting lately that the new generation of home consoles from both major developers will incorporate motion tracking systems in the basic design, with players set to use gestures and voice controls to control the interface and gaming experiences.
The video game top ten for the Kinect includes: Kinect Adventures with 114,000, Forza Motorsport 4, selling 24,900, DanceEvolution with 22,400, Kinect Sports – 13,000, You Shape Fitness Evolved – 12,300, Dance Central – 8,690, Kinect Animals – 5,350, New Brain Training – 4,930, Sonic Free Riders – 4,160 and Fighters Uncaged – 3,470.