Our German colleagues have talked to Oliver Kaitner, Country Manager Entertainment & Devices at Microsoft in Germany about the demand for Kinect as it launches today. Microsoft are experiencing problems satisfying the demands of retails for Kinect.
"The demand is so much bigger than what we could really plan for. Are we talking about delivery problems? Somehow.", says Kaitner when faced with complaints from retailers who wanted 5-6 times more units.He won't mention absolute numbers, but Microsoft has also noted higher demand for the console as a result.
Several online retailers have raised the price of Kinect as a result of the high demand including German Amazon who now charge €180 for Kinect with Kinect Adventures compared to the recommended price of €150. With reports of Kinect selling out in the States as well, it looks like Microsoft will be having supply issues at least up until Christmas.