Halo 3 passes one million pre-orders @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on August 09, 2007

News: That's at least $60,000,000. Dr. Evil would be proud.

Microsoft has announced that Halo 3 has passed the 1 million mark for pre-orders in North America. This is despite the fact that the game's September 25 release date is still almost two months away.

For the record, roughly 7 million Xbox 360 systems have been sold in North America, which means that over 14% of all Xbox 360 owners have already pre-ordered this fall's biggest title.

Those taking the pre-orders are thrilled:

УWhat we've experienced is nothing short of phenomenal,Ф said Bob McKenzie, senior vice president of merchandising at GameStop Corp. УСHalo 3' has eclipsed many previous records and will prove to be one of the must-have items of 2007.Ф

УThe excitement for СHalo 3' is incredible,Ф said Jill Hamburger, vice president of movies and games at Best Buy. УFrom our preorders online and the buzz we're hearing in our stores, we know this release is going to be one of the biggest entertainment events of the year. We're thrilled to be able to bring it to our customers.Ф

And Microsoft believes that the release of Halo 3 will be an event equal to any major movie:

УThis September, СHalo 3' will push video game entertainment into the forefront of mainstream culture,Ф said Chris Di Cesare, director of creative marketing at Microsoft. УTeaming up with some of the world's strongest and most recognizable brands is trailblazing new paths and cementing video games as big entertainment on par with major event films, and is a testament to the excitement and anticipation intrinsically linked to СHalo 3.'Ф

Will it live up to the hype? We'll know when we finish the fight on September 25.