Microsoft: Halo 3 can make $155 million in one day

by Dustin Burg { Aug 14th 2007 at 11:00AM }

Microsoft has high sales hopes for Halo 3, so high that they're willing to bet that its first day sales will eclipse the current record for a weekend movie box office. Talking with Variety, Microsoft's director of creative marketing Chris Di Cesare went on record to say that they feel Halo 3 has to potential to not only beat Halo 2's $125 million one day record, but thinks it can beat Spider-Man 3's record $151 million weekend box office and rake in $155 million in twenty four hours. They've got high hopes indeed.

It's more than obvious that Microsoft is treating their Halo 3 cash cow as an "entertainment" event rather than strictly a video game release and want everyone to know that the Halo franchise can not only appeal to the masses, but bring home the big bucks too. And what better way to prove to the world their Halo 3 entertainment launch was a success than by sending out a press release a day after the game's release confirming its record setting sales. We say go get 'em Halo 3, break all those records!

Tags: bungie, bungiestudios, halo3, microsoft

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

HueHue @ Aug 14th 2007 11:08AM

Yea, considering a movie costs ya ten bucks and their games gonna cost me sixty, I'd say they have a shot.
They better have the lead based Chinese companies start pumping out the discs quick snap to fufill the quanities needed.

Tony @ Aug 14th 2007 11:07AM

It's a lot of money, but I guess that's not as hard when a game is $60 instead of $10 like a ticket lol.

Magic Whiskey @ Aug 14th 2007 11:07AM

ARG you kidding me? :) Halo 3, by reserve alone, will sell much more than $150 mil. Considering many people are buying the Legendary SKU, I'd go as far as to say $200-$250 million wouldn't be out of the expectation ballpark for first-night sales.

That's a lofty thing to say, but I feel it will sell that well during the midnight launch.

Josh @ Aug 14th 2007 11:11AM

I bet they make even more than that... EVERYBODY who owns a 360 console is gonna have the game. Now the question is will the store be able to keep stock??

Pasha @ Aug 14th 2007 11:20AM

To break $155,000,000, assuming the $60 price tag, they would have to sell 2,583,334 copies. I really doubt they will have any problems selling 2.5 million copies, and throw in the people buying the collectors edition, and the legendary edition (me) that number will probably be hit.

TORO @ Aug 14th 2007 11:22AM

Be sure to send a text message to all your friends and buy the game release date! We can make it happen :)

DjDATZ @ Aug 14th 2007 11:28AM

They'll easily kill that. No problem whatsoever.

Magic Whiskey @ Aug 14th 2007 11:32AM

What strikes my curiosity all the sudden would be the final sales numbers of ALL Xbox 360 game in comparison to Wii and PS3 game sales by December 31. That might be an interesting read!

Tony @ Aug 14th 2007 11:37AM

What will be interesting to me is what affect this has on console sales in general. To a lot of people I know, the game won't have its so-called killer app until Halo 3 (although I personally disagree lol)... to think that it has done as well as it has without its basic standout franchise is pretty impressive, I think.

Havgun 420 @ Aug 14th 2007 11:55AM

Impressive indeed.

ZeroCorpse @ Aug 14th 2007 12:19PM

@Josh

EVERYBODY, huh?

Nope.

I don't really see what's so great about another Halo. I like the other two, they're OK, but I never even finished Halo 2, and I never bother to play them online because the number of cheaters, obnoxious kids, and dorks who memorize every inch of every map sap the enjoyment out of it for me.

So no-- I won't be buying Halo 3 when it comes out. I might get it when it goes Platinum for $29.99 but I doubt I'll spend $60 on it.

I know I'm not the only one. While I wish Microsoft success in this goal, I think they're putting all their eggs in one basket and ignoring the rest of us who say "Halo? Ho-hum."

This holiday season is going to suck for me, because the one title I was really looking forward to has been pushed back to next year, and the rest aren't really the kind of games I'd pay full price for, and I'm willing to bet a lot of the upcoming drought of good games is because of the hype surrounding Halo. Nobody wants to compete with the big Microsoft event, and so they're pushing the good games to another time.

Not everybody loves Halo. Some of us just kinda-sorta like it, but not enough to jump on the bandwagon and ride it to the cashier with our $60.

Fady @ Aug 14th 2007 12:29PM

There's a few aspects we aren't looking at. It doesn't make sense to compare the $10 ticket to a $60 game and say "oh its easy." Why? Because that $10 ticket price was for Spidey's opening weekend not day AND more importantly, if you want to play Halo 3 with your family or something, say 4 gamers on a console, thats 1 game, not 4 tickets. Anyway, I think it's possible because Halo 2 did $125 mil on a $50 and $60 sku. The new legendary sku will beef up the sales and more importantly, so will the $10 price hike in the game... assuming a 80/20 mix of sales between the skus for halo 2, if halo 3 sold the exact same, then... thats $2mil of the regular game and 416k of the $60 sku, for the same figures using the new pricing scheme (leaving legendary out), thats 2.06mil for the $60 regular sku and 442k units of the spec ed. So, its barely any increase in sales... however, the most important factor is the game is going on sale in september, which is by no means a holiday month! So, people who bought it early for the holidays for halo 2 may wait until they start their holiday shopping and its back in stock for sure come november. Lets keep that in mind.

This message brought to you by an extremely bored accountant/auditor at work right now, haha, excuse my very basic analysis :-D

erivera3 @ Aug 14th 2007 12:30PM

@11

Sucks man. We will be enjoying one of the greatest games ever made while you gently weep. Oh well, I guess Halo isn't for EVERYONE (close to it though).

TORO @ Aug 14th 2007 12:31PM

"This holiday season is going to suck for me"

Hmm lets see,

1)Bioshock - okay maybe you don't like extensive FPS/adventure shooters

2)Assassin's Creed - Freedom to roam the midieval cities, similar to ur liking?

3)Mass Effect - I've never played an RPG in my life, this will be my first

4)Madden 08' - is this your type?

5)COD4 - Maybe it's not your "Halo?", but it will do

I haven't seen an upcoming drought, this Holiday will rulz for me! :)

And yes, mostly everyone will buy this game.

Triforceowner @ Aug 14th 2007 12:50PM

2583333.3333333333333333333333333 copies sold in the first twenty-four hours FTW!!!11eleventy-eleven.

MYPS3KilledMy360 @ Aug 14th 2007 12:57PM

i wouldnt be surprised what is that 2.5 million copies have to be sold to get $150 million i say over 50% of 360 were bought for Halo3 then you would include the amount of 360s being bought for halo3 near release. Plus MS is being quite humble considering the amount of pre orders. but then again they might not have that many amount of copies ready for sale on release.

MYPS3KilledMy360 @ Aug 14th 2007 1:01PM

wow i wasnt thinking when i typed that. ummm? does anyone know how to delete comments

Doc @ Aug 14th 2007 1:09PM

Its obvious they're going to break some kind of recored. Especially Halo 2's recored because Halo 2 was $50, if i remember correctly. The legendary is $130, the limited is $70, and the regular is $60, and i know for fact halo addicts are getting the Legendary. haha. (no offense) And Tony is also right. Tickets are at least $10. I just hope and pray Halo 3 lives up to the hype. Either way though, its going to sell just because of the name.

sean miller @ Aug 14th 2007 2:03PM

I think 155 million is right on mark considering the price of the legendasry and how many are going to buy it. I went to preorder the legendary then I found out it was $170 so I went with the collectors edition instead for $90. Can't wait for this game Gears is getting a little old(the price is in canadian dollars)

Who Flang Poo @ Aug 14th 2007 2:25PM

I think they will easily meet their goal. I say this because Bungie said there is no doubt this is best Halo ever, and because Halo 3 is getting a lot more attention then Halo 2 did, and another reason is that bungie is also trying to pull in people who were never really Halo fans in the first place to enjoy this game. I honestly think they will even beat their goal by a good amonut if you consider there is already more then 1 mil preorders and there are more pricy editions of the game then Halo 2 had.

drsilverworm @ Aug 14th 2007 5:02PM

Am I the only one that is raising an eyebrow? We are talking the OPENING DAY. Sure, 2.5 million will easily be surpassed the opening weak, but will 2.5 million people really buy it the DAY it comes out? Furthermore, is microsoft really going to have 2.5 million units in stock? Don't get me wrong, I love halo and WILL buy it the first day, but will everyone else..? I am excited to see the outcome of all this.. September 25?

TORO @ Aug 14th 2007 5:37PM

Yep Sep 25th., it will easily be accomplished. This is the only time where I can say, "Sucks I'm going on vacation on the 26th!"

Triforceowner @ Aug 14th 2007 10:34PM

@silver

"The game sold 2.4 million copies and earned up to US$125 million in its first 24 hours on store shelves, thus out-grossing the film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest as the highest grossing release in entertainment history."

It's wikipedia, so take it or leave it.

Boff @ Aug 15th 2007 7:09AM

@20: While I don't doubt that it's a brilliant game (pre-ordered mine after playing the Beta (which was also my first taste of Halo)), Bungie are OBVIOUSLY going to say "It's the best Halo ever" aren't they. Would you want to buy it if they said "Well to be honest, Halo 1 is much better than this one."