Leap Motion Enters Deal with BestBuy

By Paul Thomson :: 2:17 AM

Leap Motion, makers of a new hands-free motion control system, announced earlier this week that they have entered into a retail partnership with Best Buy to exclusively sell their product in BestBuy stores.

Best Buy  will start taking pre-orders in February and will sell the Leap in its stores this spring. The deal comes just a few weeks after Leap announced that its device would be bundled with some Asus PC models.

Leap’s new technology has spawned a device that is capable of measuring motion with an accuracy down to a hundredth of a millimeter. Through its robust developer network, the company has made more than 12,000 Leaps available, ensuring that it will be able to go to launch with an app store brimming with applications built especially for the new technology. More than 40,000 developers have applied to be part of Leap’s program.

According to contract terms, Best Buy has committed to market the device in all its stores by placing it in prominent locations across its stores along with video displays.

“Finding a major retail partner for our North American launch was a critical component to our strategy, and Best Buy was the obvious choice,” Leap Motion President and COO Andy Miller said. “Best Buy’s market leadership and extensive store distribution network, combined with the product floor space and dedicated marketing promotional plans, represents an incredible opportunity to bring the Leap Motion controller to a massive consumer audience.”