A number of sources are insisting that while Microsoft is talking up the Kinect launch and how well they expect it to sell, retailers outside of North America are singing a different tune. Apparently, if the whispers that we hear are true, if you live outside of North America and don’t already have a pre-order in for Kinect, you might not get one launch day; as retailers are expecting to be sold out.

Sources tell us that there isn’t going to be any Kinect stock to sell to the general public on launch day in the U.K. The same sources are insisting that they will definitely be sold out by November 10th and they expect the rest of Europe to also be feeling the tight supply pinch for the entire holiday season.

Of course, we have done some additional checking and it seems a number of mixed messages are being communicated; but the bottom line seems to be that some retailers outside North America believe that they have not even been sent enough units to fill all of their pre-orders. However, this is being contested by other sources, who say that enough inventory will be available outside North America to fill retailer orders.

Some whispers suggest that this might be nothing more than retailers outside of North America hoping to ramp up the fever to help drive Kinect sales. It could also be that retailers outside North America have simply not ordered enough inventory from Microsoft and are only now realizing their mistake.

If you live outside North America and want a Kinect unit for the holidays, you might want to check with your local retailer as to whether or not you need to book a pre-order, and if they believe they will have enough units to fill their pre-orders. It might be just idle talk; but if it isn’t…this could be good news for Microsoft, as they appear to have generated enough interest to move some units outside of North America.