Halo 3 Hits 1 Million Preorders

Retailers say anticipation for the new game may make it the strongest-selling preorder ever, and a wave of other businesses are also attempting to cash in.

It’s hard to measure the buzz around new games, but if there’s one guaranteed indicator, it’s the number of customers willing to lay down cold hard cash for the game before it even comes out. By that measure, Halo 3 has reached new heights, with a confirmed 1 million preorders in North America alone.

Microsoft announced the numbers Thursday, also claiming that retailers are calling Halo 3 the fastest selling preordered game ever. The game comes in a standard edition for $59.99, limited edition for $69.99 and legendary edition for $129.99. Sales of the most expensive edition have been so strong that Microsoft predicts they will be gone long before the game reaches shelves.

“The excitement for ‘Halo 3’ is incredible,” said Jill Hamburger, vice president of movies and games at Best Buy, in a statement. “From our preorders online and the buzz we’re hearing in our stores, we know this release is going to be one of the biggest entertainment events of the year.”

Other businesses are riding the publicity for Halo as well, with Mountain Dew releasing a co-branded Game Fuel beverage, 7-11 slapping Halo 3 on Slurpee cups, and Pontiac giving away copies of Halo 3 with its new G6 GXP Street. The official release date for Halo 3 is September 25 in North America, with its worldwide release coming a day later.