Halo 3 hits one million pre-orders
Smashes all records
Halo 3 has reached one million pre-orders in North America alone, making it the fastest selling pre-ordered game in history. Over a month before it's set to hit shelves, the eagerly-awaited title has set a new precedent for the video games market, according to Microsoft.
"What we've experienced is nothing short of phenomenal," said Bob McKenzie, senior vice president of merchandising at games retailer GameStop, in Microsoft's press release. "Halo 3 has eclipsed many previous records and will prove to be one of the must-have items of 2007."
Originally intended for a PC launch, the first Halo game went on to be the showpiece title for Microsoft's Xbox console, and the series has continued to be a keystone title on the Xbox ever since. The third Halo game from Bungie Studios is expected to hold the same key place on the Xbox 360 console.
After some minimal online and "guerrilla" marketing, Microsoft is now lining up large mainstream campaigns to push the game even further both in North America and Europe. In order to promote the game in the US Microsoft is making deals with large brands such as Burger King, 7-Eleven, and Mountain Dew.
"This September, Halo 3 will push video game entertainment into the forefront of mainstream culture," said Chris Di Cesare, Microsoft's director of creative marketing. "Teaming up with some of the world's strongest and most recognisable 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."
The game is to be released in three editions; standard, limited, and "legendary" - the extra edition coming with extras such as artwork and behind-the-scenes documentaries, and even a figure of the main character's head. Halo 3 is due on 26 September in Europe and a day earlier in the US.
© 2007 ENN
COMMENTS
Re: Imagine if they had a Wii Version?
Woudn't work as halo 3 will be very graphics intense and the Wii wouldn't be able to handle it. Maybe the next nintendo console might but for now a game like halo 3 wont ever get on it.
@ Ivan Headache
Ivan, let me give you a valid "pre" - how about pre-pubescent? Such are your comments that really add nothing to the debate...
Anyway, I'm kind of with the rest of you - nothing more it seems than massive hype to generate interest in a dull and monotonous product. If Microsoft are saying that 1m pre-orders is pushing "video game entertainment into the forefront of mainstream culture" then it really says something bad about mainstream culture as at last count there were something like 7bn people in the world and most of them get on fine without the slightest interest in Bungie, Halo or this continuous crap spewed out from MS.
My guess is that it's a desperate attempt to generate interest in a product that will pass out of the spotlight just as soon as it arrived - leaving all but the most hardened, desensitized morons disappointed that once again the hype has outweighed the actual product.
Pizza
"Ivan, your comparison is flawed. Your pizza you ordered for Christmas delivery wasn't pre-ordered, it was ordered."
I know, I said it was ordered.
The next bit doesn't make sense. If the restaurant has been built yet, how can I pre-order my pizza?
Unless of course the restaurant is pre-built.
cheers
Ivan
Halo 2 isn't outdated
Sure, Halo 2 came out on the XBox years ago but the PC version isn't just a port; I was under the impression they redid all the graphics as well as some other things?
Halo 2 on PC
Will install on XP, it doesn't need DX10 to play. If you want multiplayer however, thats where you will need Vista. But there are plenty of other, better multiplayer games on the PC anyway so I don't know why you'd bother anyway.
