“Halo 3” smashes entertainment sales records

Published September 28, 2007

Sales of over $6m in just 24 hours propels Xbox 360 title to the top of the chart.

Microsoft today announced that the groundbreaking “Halo® 3”, available exclusively for the Xbox 360TM video game and entertainment system, has broken all existing entertainment launch records for first day sales in Australia.

In the lead-up to launch on 25 September, pre-orders for “Halo 3” had soared, making it the fastest pre-selling game in history. By the close of the first day, more than 50,000 copies had been sold, as Australian consumers spent more than AU$6m in just 24 hours, making the “Halo 3” debut the biggest first-day digital entertainment release ever in Australia.

Only hours later the incredible success was repeated overseas, with “Halo 3” officially the biggest entertainment launch in US history, garnering an estimated $195 million (US$170 million) in sales in the US alone in the first 24 hours. It beat previous records set by blockbuster movie releases like Spider-Man 3 and novels such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Stores everywhere were packed with Halo fans.

David McLean, Xbox Director, says, “We are thrilled with the success of ‘Halo 3’ in Australia, and with the fact that a quarter of all Xbox 360 owners rushed out to buy ‘Halo 3’ on day one. Along with the recent price drop, we hope the success of ‘Halo 3’ will consolidate the Xbox 360’s market leading position.”

Retailers have also expressed their excitement about the biggest gaming launch in history.

Tony Pagano, Commercial Director for GAME says, “The buzz in stores for ‘Halo 3’ has been phenomenal and we’re thrilled to be a part of the biggest entertainment release of the year.”

“Halo 3” is the conclusion to the epic trilogy and picks up where “Halo 2” left off, answering questions around the fates of the beloved protagonist Master Chief and his artificial intelligence sidekick Cortana as they struggle to save humankind from destruction at the hands of the alien coalition known as the Covenant. In addition to the rich storyline, “Halo 3” continues the franchise’s grand tradition of delivering innovative online multiplayer experiences via Xbox LIVE®.

More Halo 3 Stats
One million gamers connected to the Xbox LIVE online gaming service in the first day, making it the most active day in Xbox LIVE history. “Halo 2” logged 690,000 multiplayer games on day one – “Halo 3” logged 2.4 million games on day one. There were 2.5 million campaign levels played around the world in the first 24 hours.

“Halo 3” first set records in May this year, when gamers got a chance to experience an early beta version of the game online via the Xbox LIVE online gaming service. More than 820,000 unique participants racked up more than 12 million hours of online gameplay in its short test period - equivalent to more than 1,400 years of continuous play by one person.

The “Halo 3” beta became the single most downloaded content on the service and surpassed the “Halo 2” record of the highest total number of people playing concurrently on one title over Xbox LIVE. Throughout its 26-day test period, more than 350 terabytes of data was downloaded from Xbox LIVE, equivalent to more than 82 million digital music downloads from the Internet.*

“Halo” and “Halo 2” have sold nearly 15 million copies worldwide (Xbox and PC versions). It’s expected that by the end of the year fans will have spent more than $1.35 billion (US$1 billion) on the Halo franchise. The “Halo 2” release on November 9, 2004, set entertainment history by generating US$125 million in US sales in its first 24 hours.

“Halo 3” presents “Red v Blue” – an epic battle for a good cause

Published September 27, 2007

To celebrate the launch of the record breaking game“Halo® 3” on Xbox 360,  Microsoft today announced “Red v Blue” to raise funds for two worthy Australian charities: Mission Australia and Make-A-Wish Australia.

Inspired by the game “Halo 3”, the Red v Blue charity campaign features a number of challenges between high profile sports, TV, music, and fashion celebrities.  Every challenge will feature a Red team representing Mission Australia and a Blue team representing Make-A-Wish Australia, with Xbox 360 donating prize money to the winning team.

The campaign kicked off last night with a performance of FACE IT, the latest single by Phrase featuring Ian Kenny (Karnivool/Birds of Tokyo). The track was inspired by Halo 3, and will be used in aspects of Halo 3’s marketing campaign. For more information on Phrase and to check out video for the Halo 3 track FACE IT go to www.getmusic.com.au/phrase.

Starting 2 October 2007, 15 Red and 15 Blue one-of-a-kind airbrushed Xbox 360’s individually signed by celebrities including Justin Timberlake, Rhianna, Pussycat Dolls, Matchbox 20, Snoop Dogg and Kanye West will be auctioned off with all monies raised going to the red or blue charity. Each Xbox 360 has been uniquely sprayed with one of the faces of the mega stars.  Pictures of the collectable consoles and a full list of all the stars involved with the dates their consoles are up for auction can be found at www.redvblue.com.au.

In addition, the first sporting challenge kicks off today on www.redvblue.com.au  where sporting greats battle out for a good cause. Sports stars include Matthew Lloyd, Rick Kelly, Willie Mason and Anthony Mundine to name but a few.

Fans can not only follow all of this and more action on the website but can also take part in the epic battle by playing the online flash game. Xbox will be donating $15,000 towards the two charities but the fans involvement will determine which colour and therefore which charity will ultimately benefit.

David McLean, Director of Xbox, says, “Xbox Australia is proud to support the Red Vs Blue charity campaign.  There will be a lot of great content on the Red v Blue website from today, and I am especially looking forward to seeing the Blue Team’s Lote Tuqiri battle out the Red Team’s George Smith on ‘Hand Wars.’”

Sandy Brattstrom, CEO of Make-A-Wish Australia, says, “Make-A-Wish Australia is proud to be associated with Xbox 360 & “Halo 3” and their Red v Blue charity campaign.  The money raised will go a long way towards making many more spectacular wishes come true for children with life threatening illnesses.”

Toby Hall, CEO of Mission Australia, says, “Not only is this a great fun campaign to be involved with, but it enables us to help the nation’s most disadvantaged individuals and communities get back on their feet.”

For more information about “Red v Blue” go to www.redvblue.com.au.

Master Chief Invades Madame Tussauds

Published September 10, 2007

Las Vegas —Madame Tussauds Las Vegas honored the Xbox 360™ franchise Halo® by immortalizing Master Chief as the first videogame character to be enshrined in the world famous attraction's 250-year history. The impressively life-sized figure of Halo's Master Chief was revealed to the world by song writer and bass player Pete Wentz of 2007 Teen Choice Award Winner and Grammy-nominated band Fall Out Boy at an official unveiling ceremony Saturday afternoon.

Master Chief comes alive.

"For me, the launch of Halo 3 will be the entertainment event of the year. It will be as big as or bigger than any of the summer's movie blockbusters," said Wentz. "Master Chief is as much of a hero today as characters like Spider-Man, Frodo, and Luke Skywalker were for previous generations." Read more ...

Halo 3 Released to Manufacturing

Published August 29, 2007

The wait is almost over. Halo® 3, the final chapter in the groundbreaking Halo trilogy and the most anticipated game release of 2007, has been released to manufacturing.

Three years in the making by renowned developer Bungie Studios, Halo 3 is now finished and will begin its journey to store shelves around the world in less than four weeks. Halo 3, which has already set new records as the fastest pre-ordered game in history, has exceeded one million presales in North America alone. The title is set to shatter day-one entertainment sales records when it is released worldwide beginning Tuesday, September 25.

"This is a huge milestone for us and a big cause for celebration at Bungie and Microsoft Game Studios," said Harold Ryan, Studio Head at Bungie Studios. "This is the game we've always wanted to make and certainly the best game our studio has developed. We can't wait for gamers to get their hands on it on September 25."

In November 2004, the world's view of video games changed forever with the release of Halo 2, which generated a record-setting $125 million (U.S.) in sales within the first 24 hours and changed the way people think about interactive entertainment. Three years later, it remains the most-played game on Microsoft's Xbox LIVE® online gaming and entertainment network, with nearly 1 billion hours of online gaming logged to date.

And now, Halo 3 is at the manufacturing plant. Get ready folks, it's on its way!

Halo 3 Preorders Pass One Million Mark

Published August 9, 2007

Redmond, Washington—As the countdown continues for the entertainment event of the year—the launch of Halo® 3—the video game continues to set records and establish new precedents for an entertainment launch. Today, Microsoft announced that preorders in North America for the exclusive Xbox 360™ title have exceeded the one-million milestone.

In addition, Microsoft unveiled the first exciting details of upcoming promotions from leading consumer brands, including Mountain Dew, 7-Eleven, Pontiac, Comcast, and Burger King Corp.

Master Chief is ready to shatter sales records.

Retailers around the world have begun taking preorders, giving you the opportunity to make sure you get your hands on one of the three versions of Halo 3—Standard Edition, Limited Edition, or the ultra-collectible Legendary Edition.

Presale Records
In fact, demand has been so strong for the Legendary Edition of the game that it is expected to be sold out by the time the game launches on September 25. Retailers have also noted that the presales for Halo 3 are the fastest in videogame history.

"What we've experienced is nothing short of phenomenal," said Bob McKenzie, senior vice president of merchandising at GameStop Corp. "Halo 3 has eclipsed many previous records and will prove to be one of the must-have items of 2007."

"The excitement for Halo 3 is incredible," said Jill Hamburger, vice president of movies and games at Best Buy. "From our preorders online and the buzz we're hearing in our stores, we know this release is going to be one of the biggest entertainment events of the year. We're thrilled to be able to bring it to our customers."

"Finish the Fight" on September 25.

For the first time in videogame history and on par with the scope of major movie releases, some of the world's biggest companies have aligned to support the launch. Many plan to offer a variety of promotions that give you the opportunity to obtain unique Halo 3 products and prizes and participate in one-of-a-kind Halo 3-themed events.

"This September, Halo 3 will push videogame entertainment into the forefront of mainstream culture," said Chris Di Cesare, director of creative marketing at Microsoft. "Teaming up with some of the world's strongest and most recognizable brands is trailblazing new paths and cementing video games as big entertainment on par with major event films, and is a testament to the excitement and anticipation intrinsically linked to Halo 3."

Halo 3 Console Announced

Published July 10, 2007

In anticipation of this year's largest blockbuster game launch, Microsoft will offer the Xbox 360™ Halo® 3 Special Edition Console in September 2007. The console features an exclusive "Spartan green and gold" finish and comes bundled with a matching Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, 20GB Hard Drive, Headset, Play & Charge Kit, and exclusive Halo 3 Gamer Pics and Theme (available via Xbox LIVE® download). 

Join the Halo Nation with the Special Edition Console.

Look for this new console in September. This new Special Edition contains these components:

• Halo 3 Special Edition Console
• Halo 3 Special Edition Wireless Controller
• Halo 3 Special Edition 20GB Hard Drive
• Halo 3 Special Edition Wired Headset
• Halo 3 Special Edition Gamer Pics and Theme (Exclusive download via Xbox LIVE)
• Component HD AV Cable
• Ethernet Cable
• HDMI Port
• Play & Charge Kit
• Xbox LIVE Silver Membership
• One-month Lbox LIVE Gold Membership
• Halo 3 game not included—sold separately