Microsoft's Halo 3 breaks first-day sales records

Microsoft's alien-killer gaming thrill, Halo 3, has broken the U.S. sales record for a new video game by garnering an estimated US$170 million in its first 24-hours on sale, the company said late Wednesday.

The performance beat the previous record setter, predecessor Halo 2, which raked in $125 million within 24-hours after its launch.

That's not all. Halo 3 has beaten other records. More than 1.7 million copies of Halo 3 were preordered in the United States, making it the fastest preselling game in U.S. history, Microsoft said. The game also drew more than 1 million Xbox Live members to play online in the first 20 hours on offer, making it the biggest day for Xbox Live gaming in history.

The video-game industry has enjoyed sizzling sales this summer in the United States, according to the industry researcher, NDP Group. In August, video-game software sales rose nearly 23% year over year to $488 million, while overall industry sales totaled $993 million, including consoles and other hardware.

Sales figures for Halo 3 were collected for the United States only, and the figure will likely stand much higher after Microsoft tallies results from overseas. Halo 3 launched in 37 countries at midnight Sept. 25 and is available in 17 languages. It retails for about $60.

The title could go on to become one of the top international sellers of all time, but it faces stiff competition. The top-selling console game of all time, not originally bundled with a console, is Pokémon Red, Blue and Green, at 20.08 million units, according to figures compiled from the Web site Magic Box's Japan Platinum Game Chart and its U.S. Platinum Videogame Chart.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.