With Xbox 360 console sales more than doubling and nearly 3 million gamers playing online via XBL, Halo 3 has official become a global phenomenon. Microsoft announced today that Halo 3 raked in $300 million in the first week and became one of the fastest selling video games ever.

Compared with the weekly average before the launch of Halo 3, Xbox 360 sales have doubled giving Microsoft bragging rights as having, quote: “The greatest lineup in the history of video games and the only console where consumers can play all the year’s biggest blockbusters”. These blockbusters that Microsoft are talking about are - of course - Halo 3 along with Madden 08, Mass Effect and Rock Band.

I am unsure as to why they are saying that the Xbox 360 is the only console where you can play these games; granted Mass Effect and Halo 3 are exclusives, but you can play Rock Band on the PS3 and Madden 08 on the GameCube, DS, PC, and the PS3. So that comment is without merit and I think someone either got a little confused or mouthed off before they fully finished the thought process.

Bill Gates had this to say about the $300 million that was pulled in: “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. 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.”

With XBL members gathering in record numbers to play Halo 3, is not unfounded that the latest installment in the franchise is quickly staking its place as the most popular Xbox LIVE game in history. More than 2.7 million gamers played it in the first week, which represents nearly one-third of the 7 million XBL members worldwide. Within the first day of its launch, Halo 3 players worldwide racked up an unprecedented 3.6 million hours of online gameplay, which increased more than elevenfold to 40 million hours by the end of the first week. That adds up to more than 4,500 years of continuous gameplay. Gamers have also unlocked nearly 30 million achievements and during the first week and hundreds of thousands of new members bought a record number fo XBL Gold Memberships.

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 and this news comes on the heels of the original first day combined sales of estimated at $170 million.Looks like Bill Gates will finally be able to purchase his own country, or at the very least his own island paradise.

Via: Press Release

Full Press Release:

Xbox 360 console sales more than doubled; nearly 3 million gamers play online via Xbox LIVE.
REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 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 more than doubled 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.”

Xbox.com managed to pull Halo® 3 lead writer Frank O’Connor away from his busy (multiplayer) schedule to answer a few questions about the game.

Xbox.com: Other than the obvious improvements in visuals and audio that designing the game for Xbox 360™ allows, what will gamers find most different about Halo 3 from earlier games in the series?

O’Connor: I hope that the main thing players take away is how much Halo 3 is their game. That is to say, it’s a game that lets them play it the way they want to, whether that means joining three friends for co-op, or hooking up with eight friends to build a new Multiplayer variant in Forge, or simply share screenshots and movies with their own subset of the Xbox LIVE® community. We really have gone all out to make sure this game has more initial impact, and way more replay value than any other Bungie title to date.

Xbox.com: We’ve seen a lot of additional detail in the single-player levels, such as foliage and dramatic lighting effects, that wasn’t there for the Multiplayer Beta. Can you talk about the additional effects and details that gamers will encounter in the single-player game?

O’Connor: Well Campaign, by its very nature, is always going to be the visually more dense experience. Some of the levels feature stuff we haven’t shown yet, in terms of effects, atmospherics and design, but the main thing to expect from Campaign mode is scale. There will be large battles, huge vistas and more importantly, some enormous places for the player to explore, alone, on foot, in vehicles or with company. We want the Campaign mode to be challenging, but we also wanted to build some very cool spaces and environments for people to explore.

Xbox.com: The Campaign MetaGame is more than just a chance to experience Halo 3 with friends. What are some of the elements that make the MetaGame experience different?

O’Connor: The MetaGame, or Campaign Scoring, is just what it sounds like—a game within a game. At its basic level, players are simply competing for scores. Think of it as a kind of multiplayer pinball, where each of four players is racing to kill bad guys and bring down vehicles and installations with the most style, for the highest point tally. Players are rewarded for pulling off difficult maneuvers, like boarding vehicles, or meleeing opponents. Within that however, it’s vital that players continue to cooperate, since there are built-in penalties for not looking out for your teammates. It should lead to some interesting games.

Xbox.com: We saw the Scarab from Halo 2 come alive and interact with us in a deadly way during our single-player preview. Any other fan-favorite enemies or vehicles from the earlier games that we’ll see enhanced in Halo 3?

O’Connor: Most of the Halo vehicles are returning in some fashion, but there are some novelties too—such as a passenger-only variant of the Hog. Sounds kind of bland, but a popular strategy is to fill it up with A.I. marines that you (by a series of weapon trades) equip with heavy artillery. Rocket launchers, snipers and so on, can make very quick work of an otherwise terrifying battlefield. Using old vehicles strategically is cool, but we’ll certainly throw in a few new ones too.

Xbox.com: The Forge mode, where you can customize levels with friends, is a blast. Any fun Forge stories from the game’s development?

O’Connor: There’s one that comes to mind that we mentioned in a recent Bungie Weekly Update. A tester found that filling an Elephant (the HUGE, lumbering multiplayer vehicle) with Fusion Cores and Plasma Batteries set to respawn at certain intervals, would launch it skyward when detonated, and the continually respawning cores would set off a chain reaction that kept this thousand-ton behemoth tumbling dangerously around the map. It still works as of right this second, but we might have to take a look at how dangerous that gets …

Xbox.com: There was an impressive variety of dialog in the single-player missions we’ve seen. How much audio was recorded for the game?

O’Connor: A lot. Obviously there’s Marty’s cinematic score, which is literally dozens of pieces of music working in tandem with our tech to make seamless transitions when the player moves, for example, from a stealth moment to a frenetic battle. Then there’s combat dialog—literally tens of thousands of lines, with a ton of actors voicing the parts. Our 5.1 surround sound is easily the best we’ve ever done, with Foley and effects carpet-bombing the Halo universe with incredible sound schemes. And of course the script itself. Can’t say too much about that, but the poignancy might be more important than the sheer volume of dialog in that one.

Xbox.com: If someone hasn’t played the first two games in the series, how can they best prepare for Halo 3?

O’Connor: Halo 3 is designed so that anyone can pick it up during this chapter. It would be horribly egotistical to assume everyone has already played, or “gets” Halo, so as ever, we’ve made it approachable from a gameplay perspective, with settings to suit any player, of any skill level. We’ve also tried to ensure that the new players don’t need to read up on Halo lore to get the fiction. This is the final chapter in the trilogy, yes, but as such, it’s a big picture painted with broad strokes. A hero trying to save an imperiled galaxy. But fiction fans don’t need to worry—we’ve layered in more answers than they perhaps expect.

Xbox.com: Is Bungie considering any single-player downloadable content after Halo 3’s release, or will the game bring Master Chief’s story to a close?

O’Connor: We’re simply concentrating on Halo 3 right now. Our plans for the future will remain opaque until we’re ready to talk. However, we are building some interesting downloadable multiplayer content. Fans will be happy.

Xbox.com: What’s the most creative usage anyone from Bungie has come up with for the helmet included with the Legendary Edition?

O’Connor:We have warned the staff not to try and put it on a cat, or use it as a fake carpool buddy, but right now my Legendary edition is actually housing my Halo 1 and 2 discs, until I get one with the actual game inside.

Interview by Denny Atkin

Source

Halo3Trio.com

Official Press Release: 

Bungie and Microsoft forge new long-term relationship.

KIRKLAND, Wash. — Oct. 5, 2007 — Bungie and Microsoft Corp. today announced a plan for Bungie Studios, the developers of Microsoft’s “Halo” franchise, to become a privately held independent company, Bungie, LLC, in which Microsoft will hold a minority equity interest. As part of this transaction, Bungie and Microsoft have forged a deep and long-term development and publishing relationship focused on the continued success of the “Halo” franchise. It is also the intent of both parties to expand their partnership to include new IP created and owned by Bungie.

Bungie’s critically acclaimed Xbox 360^® exclusive “Halo 3” achieved $300 million in global sales in its first week. Released on Tuesday, Sept. 25, “Halo 3” is the fastest-selling video game ever and already one of the most successful entertainment properties in history.

“This exciting evolution of our relationship with Microsoft will enable us to expand both creatively and organizationally in our mission to create world-class games,” said Harold Ryan, studio head for Bungie. “We will continue to develop with our primary focus on Microsoft’s platforms; we greatly value our mutually prosperous relationship with our publisher, Microsoft Game Studios, and we look forward to continuing that affiliation through ‘Halo’ and beyond.”

“Working with Microsoft was great for us, it allowed us to grow as a team and make the ambitious, blockbuster games we all wanted to work on.  And they will continue to be a great partner.  But Bungie is like a shark.  We have to keep moving to survive.  We have to continually test ourselves, or we might as well be dolphins.  Or manatees,” said Jason Jones, Bungie founder and partner.

Bungie’s management retained the services of Don Leeds, senior managing director of B-Hive Global, LLC, to assist in the structuring of the deal and negotiating on their behalf. Bungie will remain in Kirkland, Washington, and is always looking to hire excellent talent.

About Bungie

Bungie was founded in 1991 with two goals: to develop games that combine brilliant technology, beautiful art, intelligent stories and deep gameplay, and to sell enough of those games to achieve its real goal of total world domination. Over the past 10 years it has produced games such as the “Marathon” trilogy and the first two “Myth” games, hailed as classics by critics and gamers around the world. Bungie’s “Halo” franchise is an international award-winning action title that has grown into a global entertainment phenomenon, selling more than 18 million units worldwide, logging billions of hours of multiplayer action on Xbox LIVE^®, and spawning action figures, books, graphic novels, soundtracks, apparel and more. The critically acclaimed “Halo 3”, released on Tuesday, Sept. 25^th 2007, is the fastest-selling video game ever, achieving $300 million in global sales its first week,  making it one of the most successful entertainment properties in history. More information on Bungie can be found at

Source:  Bungie.net