Record-breaking 1.5m Halo 2 pre-orders News
Xbox News by Tom Bramwell
Microsoft has announced that pre-orders for Xbox-exclusive title Halo 2 have passed 1.5 million in the United States alone, breaking videogame records and guaranteeing first-day revenues higher than any movie in history.
Over 6,500 stores in the USA are planning to open at 12.01 AM on the morning of Tuesday, November 9th, to sell copies of the game, with the first retail copy set to be distributed at midnight in the Toys 'R' Us store in New York's Times Square.
Additionally, 1,125 further retailers worldwide are planning celebration events for the launch of the game - which will take place between November 9th and November 11th in every Xbox territory, covering 27 countries with seven different language versions.
Anticipation for the sequel to the biggest-selling Xbox game ever doesn't appear to have been dulled by the release of a pirate version onto the Internet last week - a move which has mainly been greeted with outrage by fans of the game.
"Halo 2 is expected to be the biggest 24 hours for a video game title in retail history," boasted Microsoft's VP of worldwide publishing and marketing for Xbox, Peter Moore, in a statement this week, "and is projected to bring in more revenue than any day one box office blockbuster movie in the United States."
The original Halo, which was also Xbox-exclusive originally but was later released on PC and Mac platforms, has now sold over five million units worldwide and is still a regular entry in the monthly top ten sales charts in North America.
Want to comment on this article? Log in, or register!
|
Thamuhacha
20/10/04 @ 09:56
0
1.5 million times $60 (RRP in the US I think) = $90,000,000
Is that bigger than any movie in the US? Day one maybe, but the opening weekend will be not much bigger. Either way ... it's not bad. I still think that San Andreas will do more globally ... |
|
Clive Dunn
20/10/04 @ 10:15
0
Yeah, but how many people actually take up their pre-orders, I've got a feeling its only around 30% or so.
|
|
Thamuhacha
20/10/04 @ 10:24
0
>You've never been to a Leicester Square cinema have you?
LOL. I think a very high percentage of the pre-orders will be taken up for this. The timing is also vital. This game will sell Xboxes, increasing install bases for the Christmas season. So I am guessing that there will be enough stock to keep everyone happy too. Expect more MS press releases in the coming weeks ... |
|
Thamuhacha
20/10/04 @ 10:44
0
>Does it break all the records for games?
Not all of them. Bear in mind that the only country where an Xbox title could break any records (other than fastest selling Xbox game) is the US. |
|
Thamuhacha
20/10/04 @ 10:57
0
>Erm... Thamuhacha it HAS broken the records...
Nope. It is the "most pre-ordered game in US sales history" and will almost certainly become the "fastest selling game in US history". In Europe, an unfeasable percentage of all Xbox owners would need to pre-order it to get the same record. |
|
0
I don't think Vice City is anywhere near the biggest selling videogame of all time :/
*checks* 1) Super Mario Bros. (NES) - 40 Million 2) Tetris (Game Boy) - 33 Million 3) Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) 18 Million 4) Super Mario World (SNES) - 17 Million 5) Super Mario Land (Game Boy) - 14 Million 6) Super Mario 64 (N64) - 11 Million 7) The Sims (PC) - 10 Million 8) Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES) - 10 Million 9) Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2) - 8.5 Million 10) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (PS1) - 8 Million 11) GoldenEye (N64) - 8 Million 12) Donkey Kong Country (SNES) - 8 Million 13) Super Mario Kart (SNES) - 8 Million 14) Pokemon Red/Blue (Game Boy) - 8 Million 15) Half-Life (PC) - 8 Million 16) Tomb Raider II (PS1) - 8 Million 17) Final Fantasy VII (PS1) - 7.8 Million 18) Myst (PC) - 7 Million 19) Gran Turismo 3 (PS2) - 7 Million 20) Dragon Warrior VII (PS1) - 6 Million |
|
0
I don't know where the original list comes from, but that one is pasted all over the internet. There are probably a few inaccuracies, for example I know for a fact Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire should be on there, as it sold around 5-6 million in Japan alone. SMB3 is definately the biggest selling non-bundle game ever though.
Halo is around 4 million.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 20/10/04 @ 14:08
|
|
Thamuhacha
20/10/04 @ 13:46
0
>Thamuhacha, Halo 2 costs US $50 for the standard version and US $55 for the metal box one.
Cheers. Those global figures are a little misleading as they don't break it down by full price and budget sales. Or bundles. Also, for example, Half Life figures include the PS2 version and (I think) CS.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 20/10/04 @ 14:49
|
|
0
1) Super Mario Bros. (NES) - 40 Million
2) Tetris (Game Boy) - 33 Million 3) Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) 18 Million 4) Super Mario World (SNES) - 17 Million 5) Super Mario Land (Game Boy) - 14 Million 6) Super Mario 64 (N64) - 11 Million 7) The Sims (PC) - 10 Million 8) Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES) - 10 Million 9) Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2) - 8.5 Million 10) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (PS1) - 8 Million 11) GoldenEye (N64) - 8 Million 12) Donkey Kong Country (SNES) - 8 Million 13) Super Mario Kart (SNES) - 8 Million 14) Pokemon Red/Blue (Game Boy) - 8 Million 15) Half-Life (PC) - 8 Million 16) Tomb Raider II (PS1) - 8 Million 17) Final Fantasy VII (PS1) - 7.8 Million 18) Myst (PC) - 7 Million 19) Gran Turismo 3 (PS2) - 7 Million 20) Dragon Warrior VII (PS1) - 6 Million Thats dated since Rockstar recently announced that sales of GTA 3 and GTA:VC were 10.5M and 11.5M respectively. So vice city places mmuch higher than that position. |
|
Thamuhacha
20/10/04 @ 15:33
0
>Does that include Xbox sales though, because if you use multi-formats then the chart would be radically different in areas.
Yeah ... I have some doubts about a few things here. Specifically, there should be more Pokemon titles in that list, and I know for a fact that more titles than that have broken 6 mill ... And the sims is a joke since it is really about 10 titles. Unless that 10mill figure is just the main game ... which is unlikely.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 20/10/04 @ 16:36
|
|
deathgibbon
20/10/04 @ 16:30
0
Pre-ordered it myself. At the local indie. Unfortunately he doesn't know whether it'll be standard or special edition I'll be getting. Depends on stock. I'm on fucking tenderhooks.
|
|
0
i will be ordering the game alebeit the special edition. Just to make sure that i get it i will most likely buy from HMV or GAME. at least that way i do not have to worry about my copy getting lost in the post or anything. so I have to pay maybe £6 extra but what price can you put on a game such as HALO2. I will gladly pay the extra for the luxury of owning HALO2. the stress of the Royal Mail is too much. plus with GAME i can get my double bonus points or a free HALO2 poster so I read.
|
Want to comment on this article? Log in, or register!
