Halo 3 brings in over $300 Million in it's first week.

[Melkane]

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Halo 3 Rings In At Over $300 Million Worldwide
First-week sales make Halo 3 one of the biggest entertainment launches of all time.
posted by Alexis Dunham

October 4, 2007 - Interactive entertainment will never be the same, with the launch of one title that has changed the way the world thinks about video games. "Halo 3" has captured the attention of consumers worldwide and has made history as one of the biggest entertainment launches of all time.

Microsoft Corp. today announced that "Halo 3" has officially become a global phenomenon, garnering more than $300 million in sales in the first week alone. The critically acclaimed Xbox 360 exclusive, which was released worldwide on Tuesday, Sept. 25, is the fastest-selling video game ever and already one of the most successful entertainment properties in history.

Initial reports from retailers worldwide show console sales have nearly tripled compared with the weekly average before the launch of "Halo 3." With games such as "Halo 3," "Madden 08" (EA Sports), "Mass Effect" (Microsoft Game Studios) and "Rock Band" (Harmonix), Xbox 360 has the greatest lineup in the history of video games and is the only console where consumers can play all the year's biggest blockbusters.

"'Halo' is truly a cultural phenomenon, and the launch of 'Halo 3' is an important milestone for Xbox 360 and for video games as entertainment and as an art form," said Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft. "'Halo 3' embodies our vision for the future of entertainment, where some of the world's greatest creative minds will deliver a new generation of interactive storytelling."

"Halo 3" is quickly staking its place as the most popular Xbox LIVE game in history with members gathering in record numbers to play on the world's largest online gaming and entertainment network on TV. More than 2.7 million gamers have played "Halo 3" on Xbox LIVE in the first week, representing nearly one-third of the 7 million Xbox LIVE members worldwide. Within the first day of its launch, "Halo 3" players worldwide racked up more than 3.6 million hours of online gameplay, which increased more than elevenfold to 40 million hours by the end of the first week, representing more than 4,500 years of continuous gameplay. Since "Halo 3 launched," gamers have unlocked nearly 30 million achievements. In its first week alone, "Halo 3" drove a record number of Xbox LIVE Gold Memberships as hundreds of thousands of new members gathered online with friends, family members and other gamers around the world to collectively compete and complete the game.

"Halo 3" is the conclusion to the epic trilogy and picks up where "Halo 2" left off, answering questions about 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. The game's online multiplayer and innovative four-player cooperative gameplay for Xbox LIVE Gold users, the much-talked-about Saved Films feature that enables players to capture and save their favorite moments on their hard drives, and Forge, an innovative map editor that enables myriad customization options, are just some of the new features gamers are experiencing.

Developed by Bungie Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios, the "Halo" franchise is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and optimized for the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network. "Halo 3" was released in 37 countries and 17 languages. To date, more than 20 million copies of the games in the "Halo" trilogy have been sold worldwide.

Record week-one sales come on the heels of the previously announced $170 million in sales in the U.S. within the first 24 hours of the game's release, which marked not just the biggest video game launch, but the biggest entertainment launch in history. The Xbox 360 title beat previous U.S. sales records set by blockbuster openings for entertainment events such as the release of "Spider-Man 3" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." In addition, more than 1.7 million copies of "Halo 3" were pre-ordered in the United States, making it the fastest pre-selling game in history, surpassing the previous record-setting pre-sales of "Halo 2."

Melkane Reviewed by Melkane on 10-05-2007. Halo 3 brings in over $300 Million in it's first week. IGN Advertisement Rating: 5

[rebgirl420]

I bought it the day after it came out and I really like it. I'm kinda rusty at it since I haven't played in a while but none the less, it's awsome.

[Melkane]

Yeah I've beaten Heroic mode and well into Legendary mode at the moment. I find it quite fun and I'm eager to see if there is additional ending footage or something at the end of legendary, as I was a bit puzzled or even alarmed at the end of heroic mode about what I think I witnessed.

[rebgirl420]

Ive actually have just been playing capture the flag and online games like that. I'm trying to get as good as I used to be. I really like shoot em' up games like this. I really wish they would put out a new DOOM. Thats my favorite!

[Melkane]

Yeah I prefer Doom style games to Halo myself, mainly because of spooky atmosphere and storyline. Doom 3 was my favorite FPS until Bioshock came out. Have you tried Bioshock out yet? It's got many similarities to Doom 3 in the atmosphere department.

[slipknotpsycho]

doesn't suprise me in the least lol.... the game is a gold mine... probably a good thing too considering all the money MS is having to pay out...

[rebgirl420]

No I've never played bioshock though I have seen cool commercials for it. But your right, the whole atmosphere of zombies and monsters and shit is amazing. When the latest DOOM came out I sat in front of the computer with all the lights out and the volume up high. I've never jumped so high in my entire life haha. I turned this corner and WHAM some mutant was standing there. Thank god no one was home. I think John would have ribbed me forever.

[Melkane]

lol, that's just how I like to play. I turn my surround sound up, make it dark as possible in my room. I lost count how many times I jumped in Doom 3.

Speaking of which if you use screensavers you might like this. Every since I originally played Doom 3 I hunted down this screen saver off the net and have used it ever since. There was other versions but this one was an exact replica. I do believe you will recognize it since you spent time in the Doom 3 world and there were quite a few PCs and Laptops in the complex.

Doom 3 Screensaver

After Download. Just right click and click on install.

[rebgirl420]

Thanks! I have all sorts of DOOM screensavers. When the latest one came out I was completely hooked on it so I would stash away all sorts of screensavers and info from all these sites. I have 3 folders worth of DOOM shit on my computer haha. I just wish you could make wads for the new DOOM like you could with the old school DOOM.

That reminds me. I wonder why they stopped making Wolfstein.

[Reefer Rogue]

give it up for halo 3, lol reb whats ur gamer tag?