Halo 3 Release Date Announced - Sept. 25
Submitted by Mintz on Tue, 05/15/2007 - 11:17pm.
It's confirmed: Halo 3 will be released on September 25.
From Xbox.com:
Los Angeles, California—In a year when Hollywood is launching its biggest blockbusters ever, a video game is set to conquer them all. Halo® 3, the final chapter in the groundbreaking Halo trilogy, is set to shatter day-one entertainment sales records when it is released worldwide beginning Tuesday, September 25.
Created by legendary developer Bungie Studios and exclusive to Xbox 360™, Halo 3 sets a new standard for interactive storytelling and social gaming by engaging players worldwide in Master Chief's epic battle to save humankind. Halo 3 will be available to audiences around the world starting September 25 and will release in Europe on September 26.
Entertainment Event of the Year
"Halo 3 is much more than a video game release—it's the biggest entertainment event of the year," said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business. "On September 25, we intend to deliver a finale that will go down in entertainment history and leave people around the world with an experience that will be shared and enjoyed for years to come."
Fueling the early buzz around Halo 3, Microsoft unveiled the Halo 3 multiplayer beta on the eve of its release at a star-studded event in Hollywood. Beginning May 16, Microsoft Game Studios kicks off the multiplayer beta, which provides audiences worldwide with an exclusive, early look at some of the multiplayer elements of Halo 3 on Xbox LIVE®.
New Halo Zune Player
Adding to the excitement, Microsoft also announced a special edition Zune™ digital media player, inspired by the hugely successful Halo franchise.
The special-edition Zune is loaded with Halo content.
On shelves in June, the Zune - Halo 3 Edition comes loaded with a collection of Halo content, including videos, soundtracks, trailers, ads, and artwork.
In November 2004, video games changed forever with the release of Halo 2, which generated a record-setting $125 million in sales within the first 24 hours and changed the way people think about interactive entertainment. Three years later, it remains the most-played game on Xbox LIVE, with nearly one billion hours of online gaming logged to date.
Multiplayer Beta
The unveiling of the Halo 3 launch date comes on the eve of the release of the Halo 3 multiplayer beta, which debuts to audiences worldwide via Xbox LIVE on May 16 at 5:00 A.M. PDT and runs through June 6 at 11:59 P.M. PDT.*
To experience the multiplayer beta of Halo 3, purchase the critically acclaimed, Xbox 360-exclusive title Crackdown™ , which was launched in February. The specially marked copies of Crackdown acts as a key to participate in the beta. In addition to giving you the first opportunity to get your 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.
Halo Franchise
The Halo franchise has expanded beyond video games into The New York Times' best-selling books, graphic novels, collectible merchandise, and now the new, special edition Zune digital media player. Encased in collectible packaging, the Zune - Halo 3 Edition digital media player comes pre-loaded with artwork, trailers, and music from all three Halo games, as well as an exclusive new episode of Red vs. Blue from the fan-adored machinima creator Rooster Teeth Productions LLC. The Zune - Halo 3 Edition (estimated retail price $249) will be available exclusively at GameStop starting June 15.
*To play the Halo 3 multiplayer beta, you need an Xbox 360 console equipped with a hard drive as well as an Xbox LIVE Gold Membership.
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Sept. 25th?
I wonder what's coming out at the end of the year around the holiday season.
Glad it's coming out sooner than later. I guess H3 is close to being finished.
This is bad news in my opinion. I have a feeling this game is going to be rushed with a September release.
Prediction: Microsoft will not give the 360 a price cut until after Halo 3 releases, possibly sometime in November.
They pretty much have to announce a cut sometime this year. It's been 2 years with no cuts, they are already making about $80 profit on each 360 sold, and the new chips that are supposed to come out in the Fall will further reduce costs. They've held off this long because of the PS3's high price, but they can't get away with that forever. Many people are holding out on a 360 until Halo 3 releases, and Microsoft will want to make as much money off of those people as possible. Pushing Halo's release forward and holding a price cut back a little longer will allow them to make a massive amount of money on the 25th of September. I don't think Microsoft can resist that kind of cash.
While you may be right, Halo 3's beta seems pretty much complete in its current state. Since the game is a whole four months away, that seems like plenty of time to add polish. I'm not worried about it being rushed, but I can definitely see the scenario you're describing come true.
Ah, I was hoping it was going to be July 7th, 2007. 07/07/07. ;D
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