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'Halo 3' Sells Record $170M in First Day

Explosive debut stands to boost Microsoft's Xbox 360 console

By Will McCahill,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 26, 2007 6:36 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Microsoft's "Halo 3" lived up the hype, the Wall Street Journal reported today, bringing in an estimated $170 million on its first day of release to shatter the record set by its predecessor, "Halo 2." Analysts say the first-person shooter game should be a boon for sales of the Microsoft's Xbox 360, the only console compatible with the game. (Assuming those scratched disk problems remain limited.)

The Xbox 360, in competition with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii, could see a jump in sales from 277,000 in August to as many as 500,000 this month, one analyst said. The game—whose debut the analyst called "overwhelmingly impressive"—was also expected to pump up Microsoft's online service, Xbox Live, which allows players to compete over the internet.

In this photo provided by Microsoft Xbox, after waiting in line for more than 24 hours, Darnell Jefferson, right, and Uchendu Nwachukwu, second from right, react to receiving the first copies of the video game Halo 3 from the game's hero, Master Chief, at Best Buy in Manhattan, at midnight,...
In this photo provided by Microsoft Xbox, after waiting in line for more than 24 hours, Darnell Jefferson, right, and Uchendu Nwachukwu, second from right, react to receiving the first copies of the...   (Associated Press)
One of the first customers to purchase a Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition video game console walks out of a GameStop store in Universal City, Calif. on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2007. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg)
One of the first customers to purchase a Xbox 360 "Halo 3" Special Edition video game console walks out of a GameStop store in Universal City, Calif. on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2007. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg)   (Associated Press)
Stacks of copies of Halo 3 for the Microsoft Corp. Xbox 360 are prepared for the midnight release of the game at the Best Buy store in Bellevue, Wash., on Monday September 24, 2007. Hundreds of fans came out to buy the game when it went on sale just after...
Stacks of copies of Halo 3 for the Microsoft Corp. Xbox 360 are prepared for the midnight release of the game at the Best Buy store in Bellevue, Wash., on Monday September 24, 2007. Hundreds of fans...   (Associated Press)
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Related links

Halo 3 official site
Halo3.com

Wikipedia's Halo 3 entry
Wikipedia

Newspaper gamers test-drive Halo 3
San Jose Mercury News

Microsoft will replace scratched disks
PC Magazine

Halo 3 swamps Xbox Live
PC World

 
Microsoft • Nintendo Wii • Xbox 360 • PlayStation 3 • Halo 3 • Xbox Live

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