USA: To much fanfare, the widely anticipated Halo 3 game is released in the United States

Hundreds of video game players are waiting in long lines to snatch a copy of the latest sensation: Halo 3. Microsoft's Chairman Bill Gates was on hand at one New York store -- being greeted like a rock star and signing copies for excited fans. It's been a very exciting 24 hours for die-hard video game fans. The first copies of the much anticipated Halo 3 went on sale at midnight and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates signed copies as hundreds of fans cheered and waited in massive lines. Microsoft's Halo 3 is the final installment of the successful trilogy of games for the company's XBox game player. Global pre-orders for Halo 3 passed the 1.25 million mark, according to the technology firm. Microsoft expects its first week of revenue from Halo 3 sales worldwide to outstrip that of blockbuster films such as Spider-Man 3 and Harry Potter. The first two chapters of the trilogy have sold more than 14.5 million units worldwide. The hugely successful Halo trilogy is a key selling point for Microsoft in the console wars against rivals Nintendo and Sony. Microsoft is also hosting a series of film-style premieres across European cities for the game's debut. The plot of Halo 3 is set at a time when a mankind is on the brink of extinction. Players take on the role of the last survivor of a secret military project who has to "fight to save humanity. The original Halo game launched in 2001 and was followed by Halo 2 in 2004. Halo 3 retails for about 60 USD.

ITN Source | September 26, 2007

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