AfterDawn: News

Microsoft reveals Halo 3 launch details

Microsoft Corp. has revealed when the third Halo game will be available to purchase for the Xbox 360 console. The highly anticipated title will hit store shelves on September 25 and Microsoft hopes that the launch will be even more successful than that of Halo 2, which brought in $125 million in sales in its first day. Microsoft also expects Halo 3 to spur more sales of the Xbox 360 console.

The first Halo game launched back in November 2001 when Microsoft was a newcomer to the video games industry. The title helped Microsoft to gain a foothold in the market. After Halo 2 was launched, it sold incredibly well, cementing its place among the world's most popular games and ensuring the growth and success of the Xbox Live online service.



"This is going to be a critical holiday for us versus Sony, especially on the console generation side, and they don't really have an answer for 'Halo 3'," Shane Kim, head of Microsoft Game Studios, said. "Given that, I suspect 'Halo 3' to drive a lot of Xbox 360 sales and Xbox Live memberships, I think at those midnight (launch) events, there are going to be a lot of people walking out with an Xbox 360 along with their copies of 'Halo 3'."

The regular edition of Halo 3 will sell for $60, with two limited editions going for $70 and $130. In Europe, the title will go on sale on September 26th, but Microsoft declined to set a date for Japan, the weakest market for Xbox 360.

Source:
Reuters

Written by: James Delahunty @ 16 May 2007 19:01

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• 37 comments

• riplord

  I know I'll be waiting patiently in line for my master chief head. ^__^

  16.5.2007 20:04 #1

• svtstang

  Talk about a console seller, fanboys around the world will line up for this as well as a 360! I never understood the fascination behind Halo, but MS's stock will FOR SURE go up in a couple months.../me buys a couple hundred shares!

  16.5.2007 20:06 #2

• krj15489

  i reserved my copy months ago

  16.5.2007 20:08 #3

• Joshewah

  Quote:Microsoft also expects Halo 3 to spur more sales of the Xbox 360 console.I really hope the X360 is fixed by the time this game is released. The system isn't even 2 years old and it's hardware has a whopping failure rate. Just search google for "ring of death", "red ring of death", "red lights of death", "three red lights of death", etc. You will see what I mean. I feel bad for anyone suckered into buying MS's faulty hardware by the glamor of Halo. I am tempted to buy an x360 myself, but I'll be damned if I'm going to sink money into a machine that lasts about a year and gets so damn hot it's CPUs and GPU lift off the PCB.

  16.5.2007 22:32 #4

• gozilla

  Quote:I never understood the fascination behind Haloi concur, too me it just looked like another generic fps. but hey, each to his own. everyone has there owns tastes and likes and i respect that. just don't get upset when my favorite game isn't the same as your favorite game.

  16.5.2007 23:21 #5

• rihgt682

  Great idea to release the game after school starts. O.o

  16.5.2007 23:24 #6

• 26r0cK

  Yea would anybody like to explain the plot of Halo and its fascination? because it never caught my attention. Agreed that its just sum fps but to others it may be more. And i think MS really needs to fix their console better. Especially the Elite console. You'd think by now they've fixed it all but they havent. I have a friend that works at Walmart and every Elite console purchased was returned back because of overheating (some were still warm when returned :S) and/or others had the 'red-ring of death'. Im sure the Elite is workin wonders for other ppl but not where i live. But regardless MS shouldve fixed this all by now because nobody wants to have to return their Xbox360 while playing Halo 3 cuz of overheating or red-ring of death. If so, then i hope with the loads of money Halo 3 will make, MS will completely fix the 360.

  17.5.2007 03:17 #7

• eiffel65

  Originally posted by svtstang:Talk about a console seller, fanboys around the world will line up for this as well as a 360!
  Expect me too. :P

  17.5.2007 03:45 #8

• NexGen76

  Quote:"This is going to be a critical holiday for us versus Sony, especially on the console generation side, and they don't really have an answer for 'Halo 3'," Shane Kim, head of Microsoft Game StudiosLOL..They say Sony say dumb things Mr.Kim does Metal Gear ring a bell or how about Killzone.Let me know if you want me to name some more.I guess this would be a critical holiday for you when the 360 fan boy rush has hit a stand still for the last 3 months even with the elite setting in store very noticeable & stuck at 10 million console.

  17.5.2007 04:20 #9

• gozilla

  i like how Microsoft still doesn't consider Nintendo a competitor considering they are much closer to Microsoft in units sold compared to Sony.

  17.5.2007 04:40 #10

• ThaJazz

  Quote:[quote]"This is going to be a critical holiday for us versus Sony, especially on the console generation side, and they don't really have an answer for 'Halo 3'," Shane Kim, head of Microsoft Game StudiosLOL..They say Sony say dumb things Mr.Kim does Metal Gear ring a bell or how about Killzone.Let me know if you want me to name some more.I guess this would be a critical holiday for you when the 360 fan boy rush has hit a stand still for the last 3 months even with the elite setting in store very noticeable & stuck at 10 million console.[/quote]

  17.5.2007 05:34 #11

• ThaJazz

  Quote:[quote]"This is going to be a critical holiday for us versus Sony, especially on the console generation side, and they don't really have an answer for 'Halo 3'," Shane Kim, head of Microsoft Game StudiosLOL..They say Sony say dumb things Mr.Kim does Metal Gear ring a bell or how about Killzone.Let me know if you want me to name some more.I guess this would be a critical holiday for you when the 360 fan boy rush has hit a stand still for the last 3 months even with the elite setting in store very noticeable & stuck at 10 million
  
  
  
  
  
  console.[/quot
  you have made your dislike of the 360 very clear in other threads.so what is it that drives you did you buy a bad 360 or you just love the ps line if so that is all fine in dandy but there are people out there that own a problem free 360 and like because it has good games not that BR junk that pumps the price all crazy.

  17.5.2007 05:39 #12

• SProdigy

  I'm sorry, but Metal Gear won't push as many consoles as Halo will. And Killzone is a virtual unknown. It was supposed to be the "Halo Killer" for the PS2 and never lived up to the hype.
  
  I'm don't understand the crack-like addiction to the Halo series either. The multiplayer still is not Goldeneye/Perfect Dark (N64) for me. And I can never figure out why the TimeSplitters isn't more popular than it is.

  17.5.2007 07:22 #13

• 26r0cK

  @ SProdigy
  
  Sorry but i feel that Metal Gear Solid might push more consoles than Halo. IMO. Maybe not in America but worldwide Metal Gear is much bigger. I think most ppl that wanted Halo 3 already own the Xbox360 anyways, where as people would still be waiting for a really good game like MGS to buy a PS3. I would definately wanna see Metal Gear Solid in action on the PS3 and see why Kojima was in need for a Dual Layer Blu Ray Disc for this game.

  17.5.2007 08:59 #14

• jchien

  For those wondering about the craze with Halo...
  
  It's a fun game. Plain and simple, the multiplayer never gets old, and being able to get on and instantly be playing with 15 other people is a lot of fun. It's intense, you have to use strategy, and it continues to blow my mind. I have been playing the game for 2 years now, and it never gets old. That is the "craze" behind halo...

  17.5.2007 09:10 #15

• NexGen76

  Originally posted by ThaJazz:you have made your dislike of the 360 very clear in other threads.so what is it that drives you did you buy a bad 360 or you just love the ps line if so that is all fine in dandy but there are people out there that own a problem free 360 and like because it has good games not that BR junk that pumps the price all crazy.I never even talked about 360 having problem i understand that Nex-gen system are going to have bugs & problems but i don't have any issue with Microsoft but there fan boys think that they are on the same level as Sony & Nintendo, they are not they are the new kids on the block.There is a reason Microsoft console sales in Japan which is one of the biggest market sucks out loud.In my opinion Microsoft hasn't did anything to say hey we do this different & better than Sony or Nintendo.Only thing so far is there online but that don't rub people the right way dropping hard earned dollars on a console then tell them they got to pay for online service on top of a cable bill also.
  
  Originally posted by SProdigy:I'm sorry, but Metal Gear won't push as many consoles as Halo will. And Killzone is a virtual unknown. It was supposed to be the "Halo Killer" for the PS2 and never lived up to the hype.There is no question Metal Gear is a bigger game than HALO.HALO might be big here but its not that Big in other country's like Japan & UK like Metal Gear is.Add the series up im willing to bet that Metal Gear has made more money & sold more copies than the HALO series.

  17.5.2007 12:05 #16

• ThaJazz

  thats because it has been around a lot longer and has many games in the series halo only has 2

  17.5.2007 12:44 #17

• bomber991

  Originally posted by SProdigy:I'm sorry, but Metal Gear won't push as many consoles as Halo will. And Killzone is a virtual unknown. It was supposed to be the "Halo Killer" for the PS2 and never lived up to the hype.
  
  I'm don't understand the crack-like addiction to the Halo series either. The multiplayer still is not Goldeneye/Perfect Dark (N64) for me. And I can never figure out why the TimeSplitters isn't more popular than it is.Yeah, I must agree that Metal Gear won't move many consoles. I found myself playing Metal Gear Solid 2 on the PS2 because everyone said it was so good. I didn't think it was that great. I bought MGS3 for $10 new and I still haven't even opened the game.
  
  Now why is Halo so great? I don't know. It's quick to pick up and play, but you don't become a master at the game in the first 10 minutes either. It's just fun and provides instant gratification, kind of like crack.

  17.5.2007 12:53 #18

• svtstang

  So what do you guys think, with all else being equal, what will sell more consoles, Final Fantasy XIII or Halo 3??
  
  
  Personally, I would buy the ps3 just for that game.
  

  
  
  It is within the forum rules ddp, i swear!! :P

  17.5.2007 14:21 #19

• ChromeMud

  BIG HAIR & BIG SWORDS for the LOSE!

  17.5.2007 14:45 #20

• svtstang

  Lol cant argue that cause it is true, but still an awesome franchise.
  

  
  
  It is within the forum rules ddp, i swear!! :P

  17.5.2007 15:05 #21

• oofRome

  Quote:
  There is no question Metal Gear is a bigger game than HALO.HALO might be big here but its not that Big in other country's like Japan & UK like Metal Gear is.Add the series up im willing to bet that Metal Gear has made more money & sold more copies than the HALO series.No question?
  The last 2 Halo games have sold 13 million. The last 2 MGS iterations have sold 10.7 million. Including the entire series is a bit unfair, as they have been on multiple consoles over multiple generations.
  
  Also note that the release date of MGS4 is November. That is a couple months after Halo3, and with a tentative release date, I wouldn't be surprised if MGS4 was delayed to December.
  
  I think both games could "move consoles", but I think halo will do it to a much larger degree than metal gear. As for killzone 2, I have no doubt it will be an excellent game. I can't find how many software units of the first one were sold, but I'm sure it hardly compares to stronger ps2 high-sellers and Halo.

  17.5.2007 19:06 #22

• borhan9

  Well all consoles need a key game to make them get a foot in the door of the market of consoles, So Halo is Microsoft's one. Personally i don't have a Xbox so i cant make much more of a comment :)

  17.5.2007 19:23 #23

• Unfocused

  Never could get into Halo. Loved the original Unreal Tournament though. Could not stand Quake )I(. Doom still kicks ass after all these years.

  17.5.2007 19:44 #24

• scorpNZ

  Originally posted by borhan9:Well all consoles need a key game to make them get a foot in the door of the market of consoles, So Halo is Microsoft's one. Personally i don't have a Xbox so i cant make much more of a comment :)WTF ! you don't own an xbox not even xbox v1.0 ,scorp rings the boys in white coats to put borhan in a straight jacket and cart him away :p
  
  seriously tho why is Halo 2 such a popular game that's a good question considering i had Halo 2 before i went and bought halo 1 and thought H1 was absolute crap there's nothing special about it,so it's just as well i bought H2 first..lol..,so what makes H2 my favourite game of all time (until H3 arrives),well dual weilding is always a plus,the AI crack me up i hope there's a stack more of that in H3 where the AI taunt you...lol..,being able to play as both alien & human,every fps game should have plasma grenades imo..lol..,would've been nice for the game to have more than one route it's not as tho the the maps are small,the one thing that really stands out is how well the game software runs,it's smooth,crisp and makes a mockery of a lot of new games like Socom3,burnout & any other game that has gliches at every turn or lags even offline, there's a stack of other good points i could bring up about H2 but i'll leave you with this one last statement,the halo tune puts a tingle in your spine & just makes you want to go kick some ass,if you get the opportunity even if your not really into fps games,just give it a go for a week and then tell me if it just don't grow on ya :D

  17.5.2007 19:54 #25

• jchien

  Everyone here is some sort of fanboy of one console or another.. I have no problem saying I am a fanboy of the xbox series. But lets take a look at why I am a fanboy: I did not rush out and buy a next gen system when the PS2, xbox, and Gamecube were released. I had owned a PS but thought that it sucked. I was inclined to buy a gamecube, but it had no DVD or CD player functionality. I played PS2's and many of the games. I thought that in general, it had a lot of games, but those games were crap. Xbox on the other hand had a smaller collection of really good games and a well designed remote (s-remote, of course.) After about 2 years of trying and testing, I bought an xbox and Halo 2, and the game has never gotten old, not even to this day. Thus to say, I have never been able to play a game that long. The thing that has set the xbox apart, in my mind, is the fact that I can get on and in >5 minutes be on playing against of people, not AI. Back to my original point, I am a fanboy not because of hype, but rather trial and error.
  
  BTW, what was this article about, LOL!

  17.5.2007 20:15 #26

• johnblaze

  Quote:
  Also note that the release date of MGS4 is November. That is a couple months after Halo3, and with a tentative release date, I wouldn't be surprised if MGS4 was delayed to December.
  It looks like MGS4 might not come until next year:
  
  http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/14/metal-...lth-until-2008/
  
  I wouldn't be surprised if it goes to the 360 within a year of it's PS3 release either, most companies are interested in making money, and I doubt that Sony has an everlasting exclusivity deal with them.
  
  As for Halo, I think the visuals are pretty good, but not earth shattering like GoW or anything, but that's because it's so fast paced and has to keep up a good framerate. What makes Halo so great though, is the gameplay, it has some of the best AI IMO, a very solid soundtrack, a great story, a good weapons system, and some of the best multiplayer ever done on consoles, and while it might not appeal to everyone or even every culture, what game does?

  17.5.2007 20:46 #27

• krkm120

  I can't wait for H3 it should be cool

  17.5.2007 21:49 #28

• svtstang

  Originally posted by jchien:Everyone here is some sort of fanboy of one console or another.. I have no problem saying I am a fanboy of the xbox series. But lets take a look at why I am a fanboy: I did not rush out and buy a next gen system when the PS2, xbox, and Gamecube were released. I had owned a PS but thought that it sucked. I was inclined to buy a gamecube, but it had no DVD or CD player functionality. I played PS2's and many of the games. I thought that in general, it had a lot of games, but those games were crap. Xbox on the other hand had a smaller collection of really good games and a well designed remote (s-remote, of course.) After about 2 years of trying and testing, I bought an xbox and Halo 2, and the game has never gotten old, not even to this day. Thus to say, I have never been able to play a game that long. The thing that has set the xbox apart, in my mind, is the fact that I can get on and in >5 minutes be on playing against of people, not AI. Back to my original point, I am a fanboy not because of hype, but rather trial and error.
  
  BTW, what was this article about, LOL!I own a cube, ds, ps2, psp, xbox, 360....i hate them all!! Does that make me an anti-fanboy?? Or do I just have a life :P
  

  
  
  It is within the forum rules ddp, i swear!! :P

  17.5.2007 21:55 #29

• colala

  X box...
  
  
  Free Software Download
  http://www.populardownload.net/

  18.5.2007 00:54 #30

• jchien

  Quote:Originally posted by jchien:Everyone here is some sort of fanboy of one console or another.. I have no problem saying I am a fanboy of the xbox series. But lets take a look at why I am a fanboy: I did not rush out and buy a next gen system when the PS2, xbox, and Gamecube were released. I had owned a PS but thought that it sucked. I was inclined to buy a gamecube, but it had no DVD or CD player functionality. I played PS2's and many of the games. I thought that in general, it had a lot of games, but those games were crap. Xbox on the other hand had a smaller collection of really good games and a well designed remote (s-remote, of course.) After about 2 years of trying and testing, I bought an xbox and Halo 2, and the game has never gotten old, not even to this day. Thus to say, I have never been able to play a game that long. The thing that has set the xbox apart, in my mind, is the fact that I can get on and in >5 minutes be on playing against of people, not AI. Back to my original point, I am a fanboy not because of hype, but rather trial and error.
  
  BTW, what was this article about, LOL!I own a cube, ds, ps2, psp, xbox, 360....i hate them all!! Does that make me an anti-fanboy?? Or do I just have a life :PThis makes you really rich or you need to get your priorities right...
  

  "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door will be opened for you" -Matthew 7:7
  
  I asked, and Afterdawn.com was there.
  I sought after a forum sight to end all forum sights and Afterdawn.com found me.
  I knocked on the internet's door, and Afterdawn.com invited me in.

  18.5.2007 15:22 #31

• svtstang

  It is all relative, but seeing as you posted that based on me owning a few consoles (which makes me a baller...er...not) i gurantee you dont know what that means. All those systems cost me around $1200 including mods....i bet that tv in front of you cost a couple g's, am i right? Or that comp you are on was a pretty penny. I spend disposable income on gadgets (and that leech i call my gf), you might spend yours on hookers or paying off a $50,000 benz. To each their own.
  

  
  
  It is within the forum rules ddp, i swear!! :P

  18.5.2007 17:12 #32

• zander47

  the buzz about halo is it just plain fun you have different stratages for diffrent levs not to include the ester eggs like the super jumps that is why i think halo will beat metel gear its plain and simple metal gear is just not as good online and sony as a consale is just not as big online microsoft sales crappy systems thought i have a ring of death and i have not had my system for more than a year ps3 quality is much better but i would buy a console just for Halo 3

  31.5.2007 12:29 #33

• ThaJazz

  i agree i hade my 360 well over a year now no problems so far but if i did i would buy another.for the games that they have not just Halo3.there are many more.to me its all about the games and the 360 got the goods.

  31.5.2007 14:05 #34

• zander47

  what you say is true all ps3 has is no good games yet and the cheapest brand of blueray xbox has a good brand of hd and amazing games halo will kick butt
  

  zander

  1.6.2007 15:50 #35

• GTRKid

  Dude, Halo 3 already has 5 million preorders, thats
  over $300,000,000 in sales if they didnt sell ANY Collectors or Legendary Editions,

  25.6.2007 18:46 #36

• GTRKid

  Oh, yea, and I am buying my Xbox 360 when I pick up Halo 3, I preordered Legendary Edition, I am specifically buying a 360 for Halo 3, I have no other reason to have any console

  25.6.2007 18:48 #37