Halo 3 to dwarf sales of previous two games

There was never any doubt that Halo 3 would rewrite video game history, at least not in Microsoft’s mind. Microsoft is so confident of Halo 3’s potential success that it is training its eyes on a few records set by previous games in this haloed series.

The cumulative sales figure of Halo 1 and Halo 2 is an impressive 11 million copies sold, and Microsoft expects Halo 3 to single-gamedly better the combined sale of the two games. Microsoft’s Chris Di Cesare said they were well ahead of where they were with Halo 2, and on course to outsell the previous two games.

At first it might appear a tall order, if not impossible, but it is not expecting too much from the most pre-ordered video game in history. Microsoft has poured millions into advertising and marketing, making the launch of Halo 3 appear like a space mission that just discovered extra terrestrial life forms.

It has ensured that 10,000 stores across the U.S stay open at midnight, when the game launches-something that is commonplace at a console launch but a rarity when it comes to game launches.Also, the Halo “Believe” TV campaign-a costly $10 million promotion-is all set to further woo gamers before the game’s September 25th launch.

All the expectation, anticipation and hype surrounding Halo 3 might just combine to take its sales beyond the 11 million mark.

Read [Brandweek] via [Gamepro]