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Kinect helps Microsoft to record growth

Plus, Xbox Live membership up 30%.

Eight million Kinect sales in the peripheral's first two months on sale helped Microsoft post a very healthy set of financial figures for the last quarter, with revenue in its entertainment division up 55 per cent year-on-year

Total earnings were up five per cent to a record $19.95 billion of which $3.7 billion came from the entertainment division.

The figures also revealed that Xbox 360 sales were up 21 per cent compared to the same period last year, apparently making it "the world's fastest growing game console".

Xbox Live membership has grown by 30 per cent too.

"We are enthusiastic about the consumer response to our holiday lineup of products, including the launch of Kinect. The eight million units of Kinect sensors sold in just 60 days far exceeded our expectations," commented Microsoft CFO Peter Klein.

"The pace of business spending, combined with strong consumer demand, led to another quarter of operating margin expansion and solid earnings per share growth."

This all comes in the wake of some shaky numbers from Nintendo earlier today. Profit was down 74 per cent with sales projections for the Wii and DS both scaled down.

It wasn't all good news for Microsoft though. Its Windows business continues to have a torrid time of it, with revenues down 29.7 per cent to $5 billion and operating profits down by around $2 billion.