Halo 3 is the biggest entertainment launch in history

Published September 28, 2007

More than 10,000 copies of Halo 3 sold in New Zealand on first day of release;
US sales top those for Spider-Man 3 and Harry Potter

Microsoft today announced that Halo 3 has become the biggest entertainment launch in history, garnering an estimated $228 million (US$170 million) in sales in the US alone in the first 24 hours. The Xbox 360 title beat previous records set by blockbuster movie releases such as Spider-Man 3 and novels such as Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows.

Kiwi gamers have also demonstrated their love of the Halo franchise by purchasing the game in their thousands in what is believed to be the biggest launch in New Zealand gaming history.

More than 10,000 copies of Halo 3 (including some 8,200 pre-orders) were sold in New Zealand on the first day of release, equating to more than $1 million.

The Warehouse Limited reported Halo 3 to be the biggest gaming launch in its 25-year history. The Harvey Norman chain experienced record pre-sale results, and Dick Smith Electronics reported their pre-order sales were triple that of the game’s phenomenally successful predecessor Halo 2.

Stores everywhere were packed with Halo fans.

Microsoft New Zealand Entertainment and Devices business director Frazer Scott says, “New Zealand was the first country in the world to receive Halo 3 when it was launched worldwide at 12.01am on Tuesday 25 September.

“Retailers across the country opened their doors at midnight to meet demand from fans – gamers were not going to risk missing out on Halo 3 and wanted to get their hands on it as soon as it hit the shelves.”

Debby Stewart, buyer for Dick Smith Electronics, says, “We’ve never seen anything like it. Our day-one stocks were nearly completely sold out, and Halo 3 has broken DSE day-one launch records for any gaming title.”

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 Xbox LIVE. 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 $167 million (US$125 million) in US sales in its first 24 hours.

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