Halo 3 Preorders Top 1 Million, Marketing Begins

Gamespot reports that Halo 3 has broken the all-time record for videogame preorders in North America. There are now more than 1 million copies of the title reserved across the continent. "The figure means that the Halo 3 launch could potentially be bigger than that of Halo 2. The then-Xbox-exclusive sold 2.38 million units in the US and Canada in the 24 hours after went on sale on November 16, 2004, generating an estimated $125 million. Halo 3 preorder customers' passion for the game is such that cost is apparently no object. As part of today's announcement, Microsoft warned that, despite its premium price point, the collectible Halo 3: Legendary Edition is on track to sell out before the game launches. The bundle, which includes a miniaturized version of the Master Chief's helmet, retails for $129.99 in the US, but is already sold out at several online retailers in the UK."

Comments

Halo - When Marketing Substitutes Worth

[Anonymous Coward]

It is shocking to most true gamers to see how a very medicore fps franchise can be forced out into the market just by brute force marketing money.

Halo 3 has been panned for its poor almost last gen looking graphics and poor networking compared to other big online games that have dedicated servers and large player counts, Halo 3 only supports p2p networking and 16 player games.

In the end the same people who bought Halo for the Xbox will buy Halo 3 for the 360 and for the rest of the gaming world that didn't give a damn about the franchise last gen will go right on doing so this gen. But it will be saddening to see the bought and paid for reviews pour in for the game as gamers where most of us still like to believe that the games market is a place where you live or die on actual game worth and not how many millions a company has to throw at reviews and the press.

Re:Why preorder

[scot4875]

You know what happens if you can't get your band-new toy the very first minute it becomes available? You realize that your life isn't so empty that your happiness can be dictated by how fast you get to play some super cool new game right away.

Or maybe your life really is that empty -- in that case, my condolences. Enjoy being a consumer whore.

--Jeremy