Microsoft Corp. plans to officially launch the Kinect motion sensor for Xbox 360 game console on the 10th of November in Europe, Middle-East and Africa (EMEA), the company said on Monday at the Gamescon trade-show. Meanwhile, an analyst tracking Microsoft's video game business said that the company may ship more Kinect products than originally expected.

"We are bringing the Kinect experience to Europe for the first time at Gamescom because this is the biggest show in the region and we are committed to investing in Europe and the critical role it plays in Xbox's global success. When Kinect launches on November 10, it is not just transformative for our business but its set to change how you use entertainment. We are already seeing a high level of anticipation in Europe with sales of the Kinect-ready Xbox 360 250GB creating an all-time record weekly market share," said Chris Lewis, vice president of interactive entertainment business at Microsoft Europe.

Microsoft Kinect motion sensor (previously known as code-named Natal) will be more expensive in Europe than it is in the U.S.: the recommended price for Euro zone is €149.99 ($191), whereas the official price-tag for the U.K. is £129 ($202, €156). In the USA the device will cost $149.

Analyst Colin Sebastian from Lazard Capital Markets said that Microsoft could sell more than three million Kinect devices in the Q4 2010 as a result of more aggressive production ramp and promotion.

"Based on updated channel checks, we believe that production quantities of Microsoft’s Kinect motion sensor could exceed our original expectations — suggesting to us potentially more aggressive launch plans for the device. Specifically, our checks indicate that the Kinect build is on a pace of ~2M units per month, and we now believe that the mix of Xbox 360 shipments for the holidays will be more heavily weighted toward the Kinect bundle," Mr. Sebastian wrote in a note for investors, reports Edge Magazine.

Tags: Microsoft, Kinect, Xbox