Microsoft’s Halo 3 video game for the Xbox 360 has racked up more than $300 million in sales during its first week of availability, according to the Redmond company, setting a new record for one-week video game sales. Previously Microsoft said Halo 3 did $170 million in business on its first day of availability—in no small part to due the massive number of pre-orders customers filed. Microsoft also says more than 2.7 milion Xbox 360 gamers have played Halo 3 online via Xbox Live. Microsoft also says Halo 3 is responsible for “hundreds of thousands” of new Xbox Live Gold memberships.
“Halo is truly a cultural phenomenon, and the launch of Halo 3 is an important milestone for Xbox 360 and for video games as entertainment and as an art form,” said Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, in a statement. “Halo 3 embodies our vision for the future of entertainment, where some of the world’s greatest creative minds will deliver a new generation of interactive storytelling.”
Reports of Halo 3’s initial success come as rumors circulate that Microsoft and it’s Halo-creating game studio Bungie may be parting ways. Although Halo 3 represents the conclusion of the Halo game trilogy, Microsoft does plan to expand the Halo universe with new games and products—and has even put money into the development of a Halo feature film. The completion of the initial game trilogy might be a suitable time for Bungie to take its leave of the franchise, but the loss of the creative team which developed Halo may fundamentally change the nature and quality of the franchise.
Reviews of Halo 3 have generally been very positive, with critics praising the game’s design, production, and playability.
