When the Microsoft Kinect first emerged on the scene, it wowed the masses with its ability to operate without controllers. And, the $150 price was reasonable considering the retail price for other game systems that required more effort. According to a DVICE piece, the world has collectively purchased 10 million Kinects since its launch.

Of course, it was impressive enough that eight million devices were sold within the first 60 days. Now, according to Guinness World Records, its camera motion sensor for the Xbox 360 is officially the fastest-selling consumer device in history.

In fact, the Kinect is even hotter than the iPad, which claimed the fastest-selling gadget record back in October.

Some may wonder if this means that there are 10 million gamers that actually bought it for gaming, but that is difficult to report. After all, hackers have already been attracted to the device in droves as a result of non-gaming capabilities.

Still, 10 million Kinects with 10 million Kinect games is a big number. Does the device have staying power? That is really the question now as technology innovation and evolution appears to be the name of the game.

So far, Microsoft (News - Alert) has yet to demonstrate that Kinect offers any games for the hardcore gamer, which could be an indication that the company has something up its sleeve to penetrate the market even further. The software giant doesn’t appear to be talking, however, so those who are waiting for Gears of War or Halo for the Kinect may just have to wait and see.

In January, TMCnet reported that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer (News - Alert) told BBC that the Windows-based PC platform will at some point receive formal Kinect support. And, according to WinRumors, that time may be approaching soon. Microsoft is reportedly working on an official software development kit (SDK) and a set of drivers for a Windows version of Kinect.

In October, TMCnet’s Jaclyn Allard reported that the company’s $500 million marketing campaign for the Xbox Kinect was already showing signs of success. Allard wrote that Microsoft was hoping to sell three million by the year’s end – it appears their wish was granted, and then some.