Kinect sales reach 24 million

Kinect sales have reached 24 million units worldwide, Microsoft revealed last night during the All Things D: Dive Into Media event. This is 5 million more than the 19 million sold by May last year.

The Kinect--formerly Project Natal--launched in November 2010. The technology currently retails for $99, though refurbished models are presently on sale through the Microsoft store for $70. Kinect units are also available in a range of Xbox 360 bundles.

An updated version of the Kinect is rumored to be at the core of Microsoft's next-generation platform.

In addition, Microsoft reiterated that 76 million Xbox 360 consoles have been sold around the world to date. This is three times the number of original Xbox consoles sold, Microsoft said.

Xbox Live now has 46 million subscribers, the company added, noting this represents 15 percent year-over-year growth. An Xbox Live Gold subscription carries a price tag of about $5 per month, meaning Microsoft generates revenue of around $230,000,000 per month from subscriptions alone.

Microsoft also said 2012 was the "biggest year for entertainment and games usage" through the platform, serving 18 billion hours of "entertainment" during the year, up 10 percent year-on-year. The average Xbox Live Gold subscriber in the United States spends an average of 87 hours a month on the Xbox, also up 10 percent from last year, the company said.

Citing data from the Experian Simmons Spring 2012 Media Survey, Microsoft said 38 percent of the total Xbox Live audience in the United States is female, and 54 percent has at least one child in their household.

The Xbox 360's days may be numbered, as it has been widely speculated that Microsoft will usher in a next-generation platform by the end of the year. This console may even be announced at an Apple-style media briefing in March, perhaps in conjunction with the 2013 Game Developers Conference.