Kinect sales boost Microsoft E&D profits



Last year’s worldwide launch of Xbox 360′s Kinect has led Microsoft to record profits.

The giant’s Entertainment & Devices Division saw a year-on-year revenue jump of 55%, the company has said in its fiscal second quarter earnings report, as the motion sensor’s quick start in November also boosted sales of consoles, software and Live subscriptions.

The device’s sales “far exceeded our expectations,” CFO Peter Klein says. “The pace of business spending, combined with strong consumer demand, led to another quarter of operating margin expansion and solid earnings per share growth.”

As revealed at CES earlier in the month, Kinect sold through 8 million units in its first 60 days on the market.