Halo Wars sells over 1 million copies

By Robert Purchese Published 19 March, 2009

Becomes best-selling console RTS.

Microsoft says Halo Wars has sold over 1 million copies worldwide, making it the most successful console RTS this generation.

The Ensemble-developed Xbox 360 exclusive launched at the end of February and received solid critical applause.

Since then, more than 2.6 million multiplayer matches have taken place, totalling more than 118 years in playtime. On average, 200,000 people face off in Halo Wars multiplayer every day.

Developer Ensemble Studios was closed following the release of Halo Wars. Veterans from the team went on to form Robot Entertainment, which will continue to work with Microsoft in the future, developing and supporting Halo Wars.

These figures put Halo Wars ahead of numerous console RTS outings - most, notably, by EA: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 being the most recent.

Perhaps the search for a console RTS trend-setter has finally ended.

Head over to our Halo Wars review to see what all the fuss is about.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (46) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • uglygamer #1 3 years ago

    Halo: Is it me you're looking for.

    Its okay. In america I assume its doing real well. In UK its on around 115,000 according to chart-track.co.uk
    Edited by 1 at 19/03/09 @ 16:11

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #2 3 years ago

    I personally think its sales are alot to do with the fact its the Halo Brand over the quality of a console RTS.

  • menage #3 3 years ago

    @Gamesprog

    Probably, but for a console RTS it's pretty decent.

  • Vanmunt #4 3 years ago

    I wonder where you are...... and I wonder what your doing'

  • Thunderbolt #5 3 years ago

    Halo War, ugh what is good for!

    (Just to get that Lionel Ritchie song out of my head)

  • onyxbox #6 3 years ago

    Halo: Is it me you're looking for.

    :-)

  • Eraysor #7 3 years ago

    It deserved it, the multiplayer is especially fun.

  • uglygamer #8 3 years ago

    No halo games has ever got below 80 percent on average. On metacritic or gamerankings

  • kangarootoo #9 3 years ago

    I don't really play RTS games, but this has got my interest. I should play the demo I suppose.

    My only concern is that I can't play online without getting utterly owned by everybody I encounter :)

  • stevetuck #10 3 years ago

    i bet Mario Wars on the wii would sell 10x that

  • miiiguel #11 3 years ago

    "My only concern is that I can't play online without getting utterly owned by everybody I encounter :) "

    No way man..., anyone can win in Halo Wars. I win, quite often even, and this was my 1st RTS in many years.
    The campaign is briliant - it doesn't get boring as each mission is completly diferent from each other - and there are sub-objectives very funny and clever.

  • wired009 #12 3 years ago

    If you're used to PC rts, this game won't change your opinion on console rts. However, it's about as good as it gets for the console. Ensemble really put together a solid game. I played throught the campaign on heroic and you can use the same strategy to beat most levels. That really diminshed the strategy part of the game for me. To the game's credit the cut scenes are good and watching your vultures rip apart the enemy with the missle barrage is fun. Haven't tried co-op or multiplayer, but I bet they'd keep your interest a while longer. This game actually makes me long for Starcraft II.

  • sneetch #13 3 years ago

    @xXBrombeerXx

    It's dull and chaotic? I find chaotic things to be far from dull, frustrating maybe but not dull. :)

  • miiiguel #14 3 years ago

    I think it doesn't make much sense to compare Killzone to Halo Wars, no much in common, me thinks.

    Well, they are both video-games, I guess...

    "Just build enough Supply Depots and off you go. And it's 15 missions of (almost) the same: build base with 2 supply depots; turrets; barracks; armory; airport (i didn't even bother with vehicles; just get yourself some vultures and some of the other airships (forgot the name)); upgrade the lot and you are near invincible. It's all too easy. And boring. "

    Huh? There are plenty of missions you don't have any bases... how come it is always the same ? Well, I have the UK version, maybe in your country it has a diferent campaign. You can't do par-times if you build Vultures... heck... forget it, to each its own I guess. You didn't like it, so everything goes to say it's not good.
    Edited by 2 at 19/03/09 @ 17:23

  • AliRay #15 3 years ago

    IT'S NOT "I COULD CARE LESS"

    That's not a saying.

    Sorry dude, nothing personal. I'm just being a grammar-Nazi today.

  • miiiguel #16 3 years ago

    "Chaotic in the sense that you can't quickly get yourself on a map to where you want to be."
    You can... just press down on the D-pad and it cycles through your troops. Press left and it cycles through your bases... and so on.

  • miiiguel #17 3 years ago

    Missions without bases (and I'm only at mission 12):

    Alpha Base (1st mission)
    Relic Interior (the one you first controll 2 Scorpions)
    Cleansing (1st inside Spirit of Fire)
    Edited by 1 at 19/03/09 @ 17:33

  • sneetch #18 3 years ago

    @xXBrombeerXx

    Ah, I see what you mean about chaotic. I like clicking on the mini-map myself (which is kinda tricky without a mouse).

    I'm not sure if they encourage splitting your forces in RTS games these days (apart from games like Supreme Commander), more and more they seem to want you to just zerg (DOW II is a prime example, I've seen a lot of say tac marine blobs vs tyranid blobs, the person who calls in a devastating orbital artillery strike first wins).

    I downloaded the demo when it first came out but never got around to it, I'll have to give it a shot.

  • makeamazing #19 3 years ago

    Good figures, shame MS go and spoil it by closing Essemble Studios :(

    Wonder if there will ever be any more Age of Empires :(

  • miiiguel #20 3 years ago

    "Which you then have to click 2-3 times to get there, but you find that your force has been near eliminated."
    See, I need to be fair and agree with you in that point. It should be possible to go back when cycling through stuff, because sometimes I go one click too far. You're right about that one.
    Edited by 2 at 19/03/09 @ 17:39

  • metalmike25 #21 3 years ago

    @Count Fapula

    Just because he didn't like the game doesn't mean he's bad at it. I don't think halo wars is very good either, its too basic. Command and Conquer on the original playstation managed to include some depth and that was about 15 years ago. My biggest problem with halo wars is that you can't build a base the way you want to which is something that should be featured in all RTS games

  • miiiguel #22 3 years ago

    Yet again I disagree. It's Halo, it has to be fast. It's focus is the huge combats not micro-management. Is that an handicap? I don't think so, it's just what it is.
    Edited by 1 at 19/03/09 @ 17:40

  • des #23 3 years ago

    Its a great game,in fact its the first game in ages that left me surprised,and i was like wtf?is this the end?joke?nooooo...

    That said controls kinda suck,good for consoles,but mouse and keyboard rules for rts.
    I adapted off course,but give me mouse controls!!!

  • miiiguel #24 3 years ago

    I played Civilization Revolution and I didn't notice any micro-management...

    yeah... and I *really* played Civ Rev, please check Achievements ;)
    Edited by 1 at 19/03/09 @ 18:03

  • Rodchenko #25 3 years ago

    Killzone 2 was better. And that coming from my mouth...ouch...

    +1 for self-deprecating humour.

  • metalmike25 #26 3 years ago

    Essentially Halo Wars isn't a bad attempt at a console RTS but its problem is that it leaves out all the things that make RTS games great. I want to be able to build a big kick ass base instead of using a template thats already there. It's also missing any kind of strategy. It looks good though and jumping a tiny little warthog over ramps never gets boring

  • miiiguel #27 3 years ago

    "you shouted you had 1000Gamerpoints "
    Did not... shout. It is socializing, man :) and I think it's kinda stupid to have ppl in the FL's and don't comunicate, like ever. Anyway I try not to be boring, I don't do that often.

    And, if Civ has micro-management, well..., idk, very, very light, innit ?
    Edited by 1 at 19/03/09 @ 18:10

  • miiiguel #28 3 years ago

    ^ Dude... BS! Play it on Legenday, turn Rebel skulls on... you can make the game impossible to finish if you want. Try to save bloody Adam. I mean..., I don't understand ppl who say games are too easy and play them on... "very-ultra easy".

  • miiiguel #29 3 years ago

    @ Broom: I'm going way too of-topic here, but the no-socializing thing wasn't aimed at you, but I have ppl on my FL's who I forgot who they are (and then if I remove them they send msg like "why did you do that?";). You do say something once in a while, and we've played together... UT3, wasn't it? From start to finish in Insane (well... sort of...) ?

  • ronuds #30 3 years ago

    "Halo War, ugh what is good for!

    (Just to get that Lionel Ritchie song out of my head)"

    Huh?

  • TRUTH #31 3 years ago

    RTS always involve the same winning technique - just simply build a large amount of units, then attack with all units - you never lose!

    Endwar is better - esp online.

  • RedSparrows #32 3 years ago

    Halo Wars is excellent. TRUTH, that is not necessarily true (hurr), given my experiences, although I take your point.

    Yes, it's 'RTS-lite'. It doesn't make it bad. Snobbery about this game is retarded in light of its quality. I enjoy Total War and Halo Wars.

  • Yossarian #33 3 years ago

    Sales are deserved. This game is without a doubt the best console RTS I have ever played.

  • Xerx3s #34 3 years ago

    Absolutely deserved. Really loved the SP story (normally I completely shun the SP story in RTS games as they are usually tripe). Kudos to the company that did the story/CG films. The MP really shows it's strengths. It's clear that all that top-notch AoE quality has rubbed off on this.

  • Xerx3s #35 3 years ago

    "RTS always involve the same winning technique - just simply build a large amount of units, then attack with all units - you never lose! "

    Clearly shows that you know fuck all as Ensemble has always used the Paper, Rock & Scissors formula, which is clearly in play in HW. Spam a large army of the heaviest units but not the right kind of unit mix and you will get your ass handed to you.

  • coolbritannia #36 3 years ago

    Halo wars FTW!

  • UncleLou #37 3 years ago

    RTS always involve the same winning technique - just simply build a large amount of units, then attack with all units - you never lose!

    Er, what?

    Please try that in Rise of Nations, or Company of Heroes, or any Total War game, or even Starcraft, and then report back.

    I also offer to play against you in an online match where you do just that, and I don't.

  • Xerx3s #38 3 years ago

    Lol, just lol.

  • Moonprince #39 3 years ago

    Playing through this now and fk me its sht

  • Ryuken #40 3 years ago

    Most console gamers couldn't give a toss about PC games or whathaveyou.

    I could care less about spending hours harvesting resources, that's incredibly tedious in games like CC. I think of all the rts I have played, this dealt with that the best.

    I guess you just have to play some more recent PC RTSs because frankly the basebuilding mechanic has been shelved in most big strategy games.

  • maximusfarticus #41 3 years ago

    Fuck me, you Xbox 360 retards would buy a maggot ridden turd if it had Halo written on it wouldn't you?

  • RedSparrows #42 3 years ago

    The trolling about this is funny.

    CONSOLE RTS MEANS NO SKILLZ LOLZ LOLZ

  • maximusfarticus #43 3 years ago

    Think I've got your style of posting down to a tee as well.

    Xbox loving fuckwit.

  • Rich72 #44 3 years ago

    what the hell has the rather poor KillZone 2 got to do with Halo Wars? chalk and friggin cheese. and i didn't enjoy KillzZone more so horses for courses i guess.

  • matrim83 #45 3 years ago

    "Halo Wars sells over 1 million copies"

    Maybe you shouldnt have closed down Ensemble you fucking bastards.

    Loving the game BTW.
    Edited by 1 at 20/03/09 @ 11:48

  • halowarsstrategy #46 3 years ago

    Halowarsstrategy.com is looking for the best user submitted strategies. If you think you can beat this strategy, submit it to the site. Otherwise, try it in your next match!

    The best leader for a Marine Rush is Captain Cutter. Check out my Halo Wars strategy.

    Captain Cutter Elephant Turtle

    To execute this Halo Wars strategy, your starting build order should be Supply Pad, Supply Pad, Reactor, Turret, Supply Pad, and Turret. While you are building the Supply Pads, a good Halo Wars strategy will require you to move your Warthog to collect supplies, where they can add to your much needed supplies to start your Turtle strategy. Once you have produced your second Turret, a good Halo Wars strategy will require you to build an Elephant for its’ defensive capabilities, and then a Field Armory to upgrade the Turrets. A good Halo Wars strategy will take advantage of Turrets and Elephant, their upgrades, and the infantry producing ability of the Elephant. The goal of this Halo Wars strategy is to sustain an early blow from your opponent, and quickly counter-attack while your opponent is vulnerable. Also, don’t forget to use your Disruption Bomb to fend off a Covenant Leader Rush strategy as part of your UNSC Halo Wars strategy. This Halo Wars strategy will fail if you waste too many of your resources expanding to a new base.

    If you wanna see more stuff about Halo Wars strategy, then you should check out:

    halowarsstrategy.com