Kinect goes on sale in the UK

After all the talk and all the hype, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Kinect is finally on sale in the UK.

Following the arrival of Sony’s Move in the UK in September, the launch of Kinect today means that the motion control revolution started by Nintendo last decade has now finally spread to all corners of the gaming market.

Kinect stock is expected to be tight, with the situation possibly persisting all the way up to Christmas as Microsoft attempts to reach its target of 5m units sales for the device worldwide this holiday.

At the official launch event at London’s Natural History Museum last night, pop group The Wanted and X Factor sensation Leona Lewis were at hand to welcome Kinect’s arrival. Attendees were then free to take to the ice at the museum’s open-air ice rink or play Kinect at one of the many game booths.

At midnight thousands of consumers queued at entertainment retailers and supermarkets to be the first to grab one of the 130 peripherals.

We are delighted to put Kinect into people’s living rooms and turn science fiction into science-fact,” Microsoft’s general manager for the Entertainment and Devices Division in the UK and Ireland Neil Thompson stated.

Kinect transforms games and entertainment experiences, offering an intuitive and simple way that everyone will enjoy.”