Microsoft (MSFT-NASDAQ) has announced that September 25, 2007 will be the release date for its long-awaited video game blockbuster ‘Halo 3.’ Normally a video game release date would be just another day, but the Halo franchise has been such a large seller that it has even been a disruption mechanism to the gaming industry.
The European release will be September 26. Starting today, Microsoft Game Studios will kick off the "Halo 3" multiplayer beta, which provides audiences worldwide with an exclusive, early look at some of the multiplayer elements of "Halo 3" on Xbox LIVE®. Just to show you how large this franchise is, here is the Halo 2 data that will knock your socks off (stat from teh company): In November 2004 the release of "Halo 2" generated a record-setting $125 million in sales within the first 24 hours. That equates to roughly 2 million units.
Starting May 16, the specially marked copies of "Crackdown" will act as a key for gamers to participate in the "Halo 3" multiplayer beta. In addition to giving gamers their first opportunity to get their hands on the new levels, weapons, vehicles and game types, the multiplayer beta will also provide valuable data that Bungie will use in continued development.
What is more interesting is that this actually looks a bit earlier than originally thought. Combine this with an upcoming release around the same of Take-Two Interactive’s (TTWO-NASDAQ) new Grand Theft Auto and you have what may be a 2-game dominated video game sector at the end of calender Q3 and much of Q4. GameStop (GME-NYSE) has been taking pre-orders for some time, but there are conflicting reports on how many units have really been ordered (some are as high as 4 million pre-orders).
The last thing to note is that the Halo 3 profits are supposed to be the tipping edge that actually makes the entire Xbox franchise a net profit to Microsoft after 7 years. If that is the case, then stock traders really needs to change the abbreviated nickname of Microsoft from "Mister Softie" of "Soft" to "Master Chief."
Jon C. Ogg
May 16, 2007
Jon Ogg can be reached at [email protected]; he does not own securities in the companies he covers.
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