AfterDawn: News

Microsoft waiting for Halo 3 sales boost

Microsoft Corp. is looking forward to the launch of Halo 3 and is confident that its success will surpass that of the Halo 2 launch. The third installment of the mega-popular Halo franchise is also expected to spur sales of the Xbox 360 console and strengthen Microsoft's fight against Nintendo and Sony in the console war. "There's a significant number of people just waiting for that one game," Craig Davison, Microsoft's director of marketing said, "and this is the game."

The company gave a sneak peak at Halo 3 on Friday to mixed reviews. "The graphics can use some work ... They're not much different than the previous Halo," said Nicholas Puleo, editor of gaming news Web site Evilavatar.com. "They've got five, six months until release, so they'll add some polish ... When I compare it to other things in the platform, it's not standout."



Microsoft staged previews in New York City and San Francisco on Friday, ahead of the beta of Halo 3 which goes live on Wednesday. Bungie Studios has tried to improve realism in the game by implementing the laws of real world physics more thoroughly. A grenade thrown against snow will stick in place while the same grenade will bounce and roll off a hard surface, bullets ricochet off walls and players can get maimed by the shrapnel effect when standing too close to an exploding grenade.

Of course, at this early stage, the improvements shown in Halo 3 will be followed by much more treats when the game is released. "To get me as a player -- to be vested in real-time game-play -- the realism is critical," said Christopher Peragine. "Once it gets past the Beta, it's going to be a fantastic game." Halo 2 joined the ranks of the world's biggest games, generating $125 million in sales in 24 hours and boosting the uptake of Xbox Live subscriptions.

Source:
Reuters

Written by: James Delahunty @ 13 May 2007 18:00

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• 20 comments

• gozilla

  Quote:"There's a significant number of people just waiting for that one game," and i am sure that those said people most probably already have a 360.

  13.5.2007 18:15 #1

• akaangus

  "There's a significant number of people just waiting for that one game,"
  
  The new Final Fantasy? Grand Theft Auto 4? Super Mario Galaxy? SSB: Melee? Oh, wait, he's talking about Halo 3...
  
  Meh.
  
  EDIT (5/14): I was only posting it to express my dissatisfaction about the torrents of stories on Halo 3 on this site (but mostly others) when really I could think of many games I personally care about more. I didn't mean to offend, but I'm sure there's others feeling the same way. I don't own PS3 or 360, but FF and GTA4 will eventually make its way to PC and I got a Wii on launch day ;)

  13.5.2007 18:22 #2

• ZippyDSM

  akaangus
  FF sucks the IP is the trendwhore gutter GTA is wallowing there as well Super Mario Galaxy and SSB: Melee may or may not be infected with festive STDs like Halo3...trendwhores sleep around yo......

  13.5.2007 20:27 #3

• borhan9

  I remember reading an article Microsoft had brought out earlier stating this. That Halo will boost their sales again. Why do we need to hear about this again.

  13.5.2007 22:51 #4

• theridges

  I Dont See why all the people who previewed the game are making a big deal out of graphics....
  Halo is going to be good either way im not looking for Gears of War Textures....im looking for a Good Halo Game....Most of the people who still play Halo 2 online i have never once heard them say anything about "wow these graphics Suck" Because they could seriously care less...

  13.5.2007 23:33 #5

• Spenman91

  Yeah, I think were not seeing much of a graphics improvement is mainly because the graphics for Halo 2 are already really good.

  14.5.2007 04:41 #6

• ZippyDSM

  seems like there doing a bit more with H3 but if they fail to put in button mapping and some better aim controls they fail least till its on the PC where you can enjoy playing it.
  
  BTW the glitches in Halo are annoying and almost unprofessional (particle gravity and some graphic glitches)
  
  What go me tho was the controls dosent paly like any other fps I have played the aiming style is completely fcked up add generic button layouts and blah I want button mapping its stupid not to have it in this day and age....

  14.5.2007 05:19 #7

• Riotard

  ok Akaangus it means the NEW fps! considering FF well heck is still stuck on ps2 and the new oen is well over 2 years off, GTA4 well heck everyone is waiting for it but liek no one is goign crazy over it, because heck no much with onlien play and well heck GTA is always gonan be the same killing ppl and shiz. The Nintendo game well heck if u've managed to get a wii yes u'd b goign crazy abotu ti, oh yeh cause any game on the wii needs mass crazzyness because well heck it hasn't got much games yet!
  
  Anyway halo good game play, so who cares if u can have tonnes of fun! Buttons get use to it the ps3 fanboy! XD

  14.5.2007 12:13 #8

• eandtc

  "I remember reading an article Microsoft had brought out earlier stating this. That Halo will boost their sales again. Why do we need to hear about this again."
  
  Maybe if they say it enough times, it'll come true. XD

  14.5.2007 13:12 #9

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by eandtc:"I remember reading an article Microsoft had brought out earlier stating this. That Halo will boost their sales again. Why do we need to hear about this again."
  
  Maybe if they say it enough times, it'll come true. XDwell it is true Halo is a cult hit so it will help sale 360s and even vista ,once you take the blinders off its a ok fps enslaved by a horrible pub.

  14.5.2007 15:44 #10

• scorpNZ

  Quote:[quote]
  and i am sure that those said people most probably already have a 360.Actually not at all,i have no intention of getting a 360 anytime soon within the next 3 years,but i'll have the game long before i have the console even tho i'll be dying to play it..lol..it's simply down to cost of a 360 plus the tv to make use of the hardware as well as waiting for a cheaper price the majority of bugs will be worked out of the console,same goes for the PS3 ,i'll get one of them but not for a while yet in the mean time i'll keep an eyer on the games and buy any that i like once they're down in price which does'nt take very long.

  14.5.2007 17:38 #11

• ZippyDSM

  Quote:[quote][quote]
  and i am sure that those said people most probably already have a 360.Actually not at all,i have no intention of getting a 360 anytime soon within the next 3 years,but i'll have the game long before i have the console even tho i'll be dying to play it..lol..it's simply down to cost of a 360 plus the tv to make use of the hardware as well as waiting for a cheaper price the majority of bugs will be worked out of the console,same goes for the PS3 ,i'll get one of them but not for a while yet in the mean time i'll keep an eyer on the games and buy any that i like once they're down in price which does'nt take very long.[/quote]
  ===============================================
  why buy game new when ti halves in price in 6 months?
  I have a crap TV and the 360/PS3 I will be playing on it...if it lasts 1-3 years LOL

  14.5.2007 18:04 #12

• akaangus

  Maybe he wants the helmet ;)

  14.5.2007 18:06 #13

• akaangus

  EDIT: somehow I double posted as a junior member, please delete

  14.5.2007 18:06 #14

• Vios

  im waiting for that one game... lol

  14.5.2007 18:19 #15

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by Vios:im waiting for that one game... lolBioshock trumps Halo 3 :X
  now theres the "one" to wait on :X

  14.5.2007 18:36 #16

• rihgt682

  no lie that i like halo and i'll enjoy Halo 3, But i won't get 360 for one game.

  14.5.2007 22:02 #17

• Unfocused

  If they wanted more realism, how about this: If you die, that’s it, Game Over. No try again, no extra lives.
  
  It is the fantasy aspect of these games that make them fun, not because they look or play like real life.

  15.5.2007 17:04 #18

• BIGnewb

  Halo 3 is gonna flop.watch it'll be worse than Halo 2 just like Halo 2 is worst than the original.it will boost sales because of halo addicts not the 3 version itself.

  15.5.2007 18:00 #19

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by Unfocused:If they wanted more realism, how about this: If you die, that’s it, Game Over. No try again, no extra lives.
  
  It is the fantasy aspect of these games that make them fun, not because they look or play like real life.
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  oh no that would be too easy they would frist water down the weapons and stuff to the point where its so realistic its a pain to play then they would make it gray with dark with a hint of color,gritty realisism FTW baby......*gags*
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  BIGnewb
  Halo 2 didn't flop its online aspect made it while 1 had a stronger Single player aspect 3 seems to be the best of both altho I wouldn't doubt it would be missing something.

  15.5.2007 21:01 #20