Halo 3 Nets $170M Launch Day, Surpasses Halo 2

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The numbers for Bungie's North American Halo 3 launch yesterday are in, making the iconic shooter's $170 million in day-one revenues the highest-grossing release in entertainment history, according to Microsoft. The title's U.S. revenues handily surpass the $125 million of the Halo 2 launch.

Though comparing movie and game revenues can be tricky, as seen in the Shack's own feature article on the subject, the title does reclaim the entertainment launch revenue throne for video games. At the time of its release, Halo 2 was also the highest grossing entertainment event, but was since surpassed by last summer's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and again by this summer's Spider-Man 3, with an opening weekend of $151 million.

Though Microsoft didn't say how many copies of the game were sold to retailers in the first 24 hours of launch, the 1.7 million preorders made Halo 3 the fastest pre-selling game as well. In comparison, Halo 2's $125 million launch moved 2.4 million copies of the title within 24 hours of its release.

It's possible Halo 3 actually shipped a comparable or even lesser number of copies than Halo 2, given the $10 premium on both the standard and limited editions of the game for this console generation, in addition to Halo 3's outrageously priced $129.99 Legendary package.

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From The Chatty
  • reply
    September 26, 2007 2:36 PM

    I see halo 4 then. Bungie might not make it, but Microsoft will be hard pressed to know there is another 200 mill waiting out there.

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      September 26, 2007 2:51 PM

      [deleted]

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        September 26, 2007 3:16 PM

        Not another game for several years so they'll actually do something right that time?

        Good.

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      September 26, 2007 2:53 PM

      Bungie has a big enough fan base that their next game doesn't need to be called "Halo 4" for it to be a success.

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        September 26, 2007 2:55 PM

        For sure Bungie has fans, but one big enough for a near-$200 million one-day launch? Doubtful.

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          September 26, 2007 3:00 PM

          If their next game is dubbed "The next masterpiece from the creators of Halo" it will sell just fine.

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            September 26, 2007 4:26 PM

            haha exactly.
            "from the guys that brought you old school and knocked up and superbad and wedding crashers and aliens and die harder with a predator mission impossible star wars on a train with indiana jones sucking off"

            hearing those commercials always give me a laugh.

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      September 26, 2007 2:58 PM

      I'm guessing there will be spin-offs or some such things done by 3rd parties in the future. They've already got Halo Wars brewing. But I wouldn't count on Halo 4 per se.

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        September 26, 2007 5:29 PM

        And don't forget about the movie.

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      September 26, 2007 3:00 PM

      At best I can see them making "Halo Tournament"; i.e. multiplayer only versions

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        September 26, 2007 3:05 PM

        As per Sting Btade's post up there. I could see that, and it would still be fun to play.

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        September 26, 2007 3:43 PM

        This is what I was thinking too.

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        September 26, 2007 4:18 PM

        Halo 3: Arena.

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      September 26, 2007 3:27 PM

      nah, this will probably be the last halo that follows this storyline. like someone said the other day, we could start to see halo games that spin off and follow USMC special forces, other spartans, spaceship sim games, etc...

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      September 26, 2007 3:54 PM

      HALO FOREVER! EOT...

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      September 26, 2007 5:37 PM

      I can't see a halo 4 but a halo 3 expansion is pretty likely

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