Kinect Hits Europe November 10

It's already been announced that Microsoft's Kinect will launch in the U.S. on November 4, and now the new full-body motion-sensing device for Xbox 360 has received an official launch date for Europe, the Middle East and Africa: It'll hit those regions November 10. The news came during Gamescom in Cologne, Germany; Chris Lewis, VP for Microsoft Europe's Interactive Entertainment Business, explains: "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’re committed to investing in Europe and the critical role it plays in Xbox’s global success." "When Kinect launches on November 10, it’s not just transformative for our business but its set to change how you use entertainment," enthused Lewis, who also said that the company's seeing big anticipation for the device in Europe, linking the 250GB Xbox 360's "all-time record weekly market share" to expectations for Kinect's launch. During Gamescom, Microsoft showed off Kinect's launch lineup as it did at E3 earlier this year in Los Angeles, giving Europeans a look at Kinect Joy Ride, Kinectimals, Kinect Adventures and Kinect Sports. Kinect will sell as a stand-alone in Europe for £129.99/€149.99 euros. The company has already announced several pricing options and bundles for Kinect in the U.S., but no such options have yet been officially confirmed for European audiences. The company sees the device's launch as part of an overall brand expansion, which includes its just-announced Windows Phone 7 games lineup and a number of PC initiatives, like the unveiling of Age of Empires Online and a new flight simulator, which along with the PC edition of Fable III, will integrate the Games For Windows Live online service for multiplayer and social features.