Kinect marketing to hit $500 million

Microsoft will reportedly fork out $500 million marketing Kinect.

That will top the sum it spent to promote the original Xbox when it
launched in July 2000, according to the New York Post.

The platform holder is said to be preparing to roll out a "major
movie-style marketing blitz" in an effort to win over consumers this
Christmas.

Advertising will span television, magazines and the internet, while
Kinect marketing will feature on products including Burger King, Pepsi
and 60 million Kellogg's cereal boxes.

Steven Spielberg arrantly helped launch the planning phase of the
Kinect marketing campaign 18 months ago.

In the US, around 7,000 retailers are expected to hold midnight launch
events on November 4.

"Kinect is the largest, most integrated marketing initiative in Xbox
history, bigger than its launch," said Robert Matthews, general
manager of global marketing communications for Xbox. "We are going to
be spending millions to launch this globally."

Microsoft has said it expects Kinect sales to "blow away" the iPad by
shifting three million units this holiday season.