Earlier this week, Microsoft enticed gamers across the Indian terrain with its new motion-sensing gear namely Kinect. Before the product cruised into the country, it was released in Japan to charm enthusiasts on the Eastern shore. According to Media Create’s estimations, 26,000 units of the controller-free system have been cleared off Japanese store shelves during its weekend launch.
Translated by 1Up, a post on the Media Create website reveals that the projected figure includes sales for both stand-alone as well as bundled units. Reportedly, the current sales chart for the Kinect is ‘about half’ of Sony’s Move motion controller. However, in comparison with Microsoft’s previous performances, this can be considered as its new step for carving out a larger slice. Supposedly, Xbox 360 sales amounted to approximately 7,000 units in the aforementioned week, rising from 2,000 units in previous weeks.
Apparently, none of the Kinect games managed to penetrate into the top 20 titles of that week in the country. In addition, reports indicate that the top selling Kinect title, DanceMasters, sold 6,000 copies. As opposed to the Move, these numbers may sound a little disappointing as four titles compatible to the controller earned a seat in the top 20 chart within the first week of its release.
A stronghold of Sony and Nintendo, the Japanese market has been plugged as a jagged path for Microsoft. Whether the company can start a new chapter in this fierce competitive zone or not is yet to be seen. Till then, we can only wait and watch as these companies kick off the next battle in the motion-sensing arena.