From the Associated Press:
“Grand Theft Auto IV” raked in more than $500 million (324.04 million) in its first week in stores, selling more than 6 million units worldwide, the video game’s publisher said Wednesday.
The highly anticipated title from Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. has received stellar ratings along with criticism for its violent content. The game follows Eastern European immigrant-turned-gangster Niko Bellic on crime missions around a fictional Liberty City.
The title sold about 3.6 million units on April 29, its opening day, bringing in roughly $310 million (200.91 million). This is $10 million (6.48 million) more than what Microsoft Corp.’s “Halo 3,” another blockbuster game, took in during its first week last fall.
The game has also lifted sales of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 3, the two consoles for which it is available.
Without giving numbers, Microsoft said Xbox 360 sales jumped 54 percent in the week following the title’s launch, compared with the prior week, and more than 2.3 million people played it on its Xbox Live online service.
“Retailers say roughly four out of every 10 Xbox 360 consoles sold also included the sale of a copy of ‘Grand Theft Auto IV,’” said Aaron Greenberg, director of product management at Xbox 360 and Xbox Live.
Sony spokeswoman Laura Bakken said the company’s 10 largest retailers have “all seen a pretty substantial lift” in PS3 sales, but she did not give specifics.
The game is generating controversy as previous versions have.
Take-Two sued the Chicago Transit Authority on Monday after the organization removed ads for the game because of its “Mature” rating, which means it is not suitable for people under 17. The game also caught the ire of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which seeks an adults-only rating because it lets players drive after imbibing in virtual liquor.
Previous versions of the game generated controversy over hidden sex scenes, sharp criticism from Democratic presidential contender Hillary Rodham Clinton and a 2006 lawsuit that blames the game for three New Mexico murders committed by a 14-year-old.
An analyst with Wedbush Morgan, Michael Pachter, said he expects the game to sell 12 million copies by the end of 2008. Previous versions of Grand Theft Auto have sold more than 70 million copies worldwide.
New York-based Take-Two is the subject of a $2 billion (1.3 billion) hostile buyout from larger rival Electronic Arts Inc., whose offer Take-Two has repeatedly rebuffed as too low.
Take-Two’s shares were recently trading at $26.39, which is above EA’s tender offer of $25.74 (16.68) per share; the offer expires May 16. Unless EA is willing to offer more, it seems “increasingly possible” the acquisition attempt could unravel, Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey said in a note to investors.
SAN MATEO, CA–(Marketwire - January 8, 2008) - Christmas angels may have had a “Halo” over their heads this holiday season, but videogame enthusiasts who received the third installment of the popular videogame franchise still found time to watch television and go to the movies according to a report just released by Integrated Media Measurement Inc. (IMMI), a leading provider of data to media companies and advertisers that links media exposure to consumer behavior.
Despite concerns among the television and motion picture industries that the new videogame would adversely impact movie attendance and television viewing during the holiday season, the IMMI study shows that people who played “Halo 3″ did so while maintaining their usual movie and television habits. The long-awaited blockbuster videogame grossed a record-setting $170 million in first-day sales.
The IMMI study compared television and movie viewing patterns of “Halo 3″ players before the videogame’s release to viewing patterns after its release. Prior to the launch, “Halo 3″ players watched an average of 27.1 hours of television per week; following the launch the same group watched an average of 26.9 hours of television per week showing no significant statistical difference. Movie-going habits remained unchanged.
Most of the “Halo 3″ game-play took place early in the day on weekends. 27 percent of the total game starts occurred before 5 p.m. on Saturday or Sunday, with game-play starting to drop around 5 p.m. During the week, game-play began its descent at 7 p.m., leaving plenty of room for prime-time television viewing. Only 7 percent of “Halo 3″ game starts occurred on the weekends after 7 p.m., again leaving ample time for movie attendance.
“There is a constant battle for consumers’ attention among all forms of media, and the launch of an eagerly-anticipated videogame could have a temporary yet significant impact on television and movie viewing,” said Amanda Welsh, head of research for Integrated Media Measurement Inc. “That ‘Halo 3′ had a very solid launch with strong sales, yet did not impact television or movie viewing, indicates people are not only expanding the hours they spend consuming media but are taking a much more ’scheduled’ approach to how they spend their leisure time.”
Graph A shows when people are playing “Halo 3″ on the weekends and during the week. There are significant drops during prime time television hours during the week (7-11 p.m.), and on the weekend during key movie-going times (5-11 p.m.).
The study was implemented through a research panel built by IMMI that mirrors U.S. Census results for fundamental demographics in key markets. IMMI provides thousands of panel members in key markets with a mobile phone, asking them to carry it with them wherever they go. The mobile phone is equipped with a technology that creates digital signatures of all the audio media (television, radio and movies) to which it has been exposed. IMMI can determine viewing audiences, as well as certain types of consumer behavior based on a timeline of when the media was viewed or heard.
Integrated Media Measurement Inc. (IMMI) is the developer of an end-to-end media measurement system that links media exposure to consumer action. Using a mobile-phone-based digital monitoring system, IMMI tracks almost all media 24/7 and helps businesses evaluate the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns. IMMI is based in San Mateo, Calif. More information is available at www.immi.com.
Who ever said playing video games would never pay off was an idiot. Read more about the tourny HERE.
Halo 3’s release played a part in MSFT’s XBOX outselling Nintendo’s Wii.
Chalk one up against “platform-neutrality.”
The rumors of an impending split between Bungie - makers of Halo - and MSFT look increasingly true… nonetheless, Halo 3 generated $300M for MSFT in its first week, with $170M in the first 24 hours.
That means the first week intake accounted for 0.52% of MSFT’s 2006 revenues of $51B.
Read more. See our video profiles on Bungie here and see where Halo ranks in the Top 10 video games here.
REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Starting tonight “Halo 3,” the final chapter of Microsoft Corp.’s epic video game trilogy, finally goes on sale around the world. By the end of the week, fans in 37 countries will be playing the game Wired magazine recently called “a cultural touchstone, a Star Wars for the thumb stick generation.”
In the United States, more than 10,000 retailers across the country are opening their doors at midnight tonight solely to sell copies of the game and accompanying Xbox 360® consoles and accessories. With nary a pirate, a spider or a wand in sight, day-one sales of the highly anticipated video game are expected to shatter entertainment sales records and top the biggest entertainment launches of all time.
“The excitement and demand for ‘Halo 3′ has transcended a typical video game release and we’re preparing dedicated registers for its midnight release in our 24-hour stores,” said Darin Dickson, video game merchandise buyer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. “It’s clear that this is one of the most anticipated games of the year and that 12:01 am Sept. 25 will be a memorable moment for thousands of gamers.”
The conclusion of “Halo 2″ left unanswered questions around the fates of the beloved protagonist Master Chief(TM) and his artificial intelligence sidekick Cortana® as they struggle to save humankind from destruction at the hands of the alien coalition known as the Covenant. The legions of dedicated fans lining the streets tonight are waiting for the chance to be among the first to own the coveted final chapter in the “Halo” trilogy and unearth the well-kept secrets of the storyline.
“Our customers have been waiting for ‘Halo 3′ since the day after ‘Halo 2′ launched in 2004,” said Jill Hamburger, vice president of movies and games at Best Buy. “‘Halo 3′ is going to bring the experience to new levels, and we are excited to help our customers get the best possible game playing experience.”
Developed by Bungie Studios, the “Halo” franchise is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and optimized for the Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network. The more than 7 million Xbox LIVE users will get a continually evolving gaming experience with “Halo 3″ and its online multiplayer and cooperative gameplay for Xbox LIVE Gold users, the much-talked-about Saved Films feature that enables players to capture and save their favorite moments on their hard drives, and Forge, an innovative map editor that enables infinite customization options.
“With ‘Halo 3,’ Bungie Studios has further mastered the art of marrying fantastic gameplay with the intangibles that make the experience extraordinary for gamers, evoking incredible emotion through its story and character development,” said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios. “That emotion is at the heart of what makes this more than a game and why ‘Halo’ connects with its audience in the way other great stories like ‘Star Wars’ resonated with theirs. But unlike the static experiences of a great film or novel, ‘Halo 3′ offers a dynamic and social interactive entertainment experience that enables players to finish the fight themselves.”
Regional Marquee Events and Global Celebration
More than 10,000 retailers are planning events and opening their doors at midnight to celebrate this third installment in the billion-dollar franchise. In New York, Seattle, Miami and Los Angeles, Microsoft and retail partners are hosting marquee launch events that will feature contests and appearances by local celebrities and professional athletes who are fanatical about the “Halo” franchise.
The marquee launch events will be held at the following stores:
— New York: Best Buy, 529 5th Ave, New York, N.Y. 10017
— Seattle: Best Buy, 457 120th Ave NE, Bellevue, Wash. 98005
— Los Angeles: GameStop, 1000 Universal Studios Blvd, Universal City,
Calif. 91608
— Miami: Circuit City, 8575 Northwest 13th Terrace, Miami, Fla. 33126
A list of retail outlets opening at 12:01 a.m. can be found at http://www.xbox.com/unitetofight.
More than 1.5 million copies of “Halo 3″ have been sold before a single store opens its doors at midnight, making this the fasting pre-selling game in history, surpassing the previous record-setting pre-sales of “Halo 2.” Well beyond just a U.S. phenomenon, the launch of “Halo 3″ is a worldwide celebration that is releasing in 37 countries and available in 17 languages.
Made exclusively for Xbox 360, “Halo 3″ will be made available in three versions: Standard Edition at $59.99 (U.S. ERP*), Limited Edition for $69.99 (U.S. ERP*), and the ultimate collector’s item, the Legendary Edition at $129.99 (U.S. ERP*). The Legendary Edition will be released in limited quantities and arrive in a highly collectible Spartan helmet case, along with two bonus discs full of exclusive content. The Limited Edition will ship in a sleek metal collector’s case and include the first bonus disc found in the Legendary Edition, as well as a special “Halo” fiction and art book. And for those who crave nothing more than the highly anticipated third chapter to one of the greatest gaming trilogies of all time, the Standard Edition will consist of the “Halo 3″ game.
In November 2004 the world’s view of video games changed forever with the release of “Halo 2,” which generated a record-setting $125 million (U.S.) 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 Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE online gaming and entertainment network, with nearly 1 billion hours of online gaming logged to date.
About Xbox 360
Xbox 360 is a superior video game and entertainment system delivering the best games, unique entertainment features and a unified online gaming network that revolve around gamers. Xbox 360 will have a portfolio of more than 300 games and will be available in nearly 40 countries by the end of 2007. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/xbox360.
Check out the new promotional website for Halo 3. Its got an insane walkthrough of a 3-D diorama of the Battle of Mombasa thats worth the visit alone… Check it out HERE
KIRKLAND, Wash. and TEL-AVIV, Israel, Sept. 11 /PRNewswire/ — Waves, the world’s leading developer of professional audio signal processing tools, announced that Bungie’s Halo 3 will be the first video game to utilize its audio signal processing technologies in real-time. This dramatic development marks a significant step forward in game audio.
“I have used Waves tools extensively in the sound design of earlier Halo titles, but using these tools real-time is an exciting new step for Halo 3 and the video game industry,” said Marty O’Donnell, Audio Director of Bungie Studios. “These tools bring a higher level of audio realism and emotional immersion then has ever been possible before. I believe the use of Waves real-time signal processing tools represents the next major breakthrough in audio quality for the video game industry.”
“Waves is pleased to be working with Bungie, adapting our products to real-time video game rendering,” said Paul Bundschuh, vice president sales & marketing, Waves Semiconductor and OEM Licensing Division. “Several Waves technologies including the L360 Surround Limiter and Q10 Paragraphic Equalizer have been implemented in the Xbox 360 plug-in format for Halo 3 and other Xbox 360 game titles.”
“Microsoft welcomes Waves as an Xbox 360 middleware provider,” stated Brian Schmidt, Xbox program manager for Microsoft. “Waves has done a great job delivering their technologies and support for Halo 3. We’re thrilled to have Waves audio processing available only for the Xbox 360 platform, providing these highly requested professional audio technologies to our game developers.”
About Waves Audio Ltd.
Waves introduced the industry’s first audio plug-in 1992 and has become the world’s leading developer and provider of professional digital audio processing tools. Waves technologies are used to improve sound quality in the creation of hit records, major motion pictures, popular gaming and multimedia titles the world over.
For more information, visit http://www.waves.com.
REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — As the countdown continues for the entertainment event of the year — the launch of “Halo® 3″ — the video game continues to set records and establish new precedents for an entertainment launch. Today, Microsoft Corp. announced that preorders in North America for the exclusive Xbox 360(TM) title have exceeded the 1 million milestone. In addition, Microsoft unveiled the first exciting details of upcoming promotions from leading consumer brands, including Mountain Dew, 7-Eleven, Pontiac, Comcast and Burger King Corp.
In a strategy utilized in other big entertainment launches, retailers around the world have begun taking preorders, enabling consumers to order one of the three versions of “Halo 3″: Standard Edition, Limited Edition and the ultra-collectible Legendary Edition. In fact, demand has been so strong for the Legendary Edition of the game that it is expected to be sold out by the time the game launches on Sept. 25. Retailers have also noted that the presales for “Halo 3″ are the fastest in video game history.
“What we’ve experienced is nothing short of phenomenal,” said Bob McKenzie, senior vice president of merchandising at GameStop Corp. “‘Halo 3′ has eclipsed many previous records and will prove to be one of the must-have items of 2007.”
“The excitement for ‘Halo 3′ is incredible,” said Jill Hamburger, vice president of movies and games at Best Buy. “From 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.”
For the first time in video game history and on par with the scope of major movie releases, some of the world’s biggest consumer brands have aligned to support the launch. Many plan to offer a variety of promotions that give consumers the opportunity to obtain unique “Halo 3″-branded products and prizes and participate in one-of-a-kind “Halo 3″-themed events.
“This September, ‘Halo 3′ will push video game entertainment into the forefront of mainstream culture,” said Chris Di Cesare, director of creative marketing at Microsoft. “Teaming 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 ‘Halo 3.’”
Mountain Dew will unveil the first beverage co-branded with a video game, Mountain Dew Game Fuel. Game Fuel has the same great taste of Mountain Dew with an invigorating blast of citrus cherry flavor and added caffeine for maximum intensity. Game Fuel will come in 20-ounce bottles, 2-liter bottles and 12-packs of 12-ounce cans and will be available nationwide for a limited time starting Aug. 13, 2007.
7-Eleven today confirmed its plans to support the launch of “Halo 3″ through a variety of in-store promotions, including three “Halo 3″-branded collectible Slurpee cups. In addition, 7-Eleven will run a “Halo 3″ promotion with Mountain Dew Game Fuel and Doritos, with thousands of “Halo 3″-themed prizes, including, as grand prize, a chance to win a role as a voice actor in the upcoming Xbox 360 video game, “Halo Wars(TM),” by Ensemble Studios. In a few select markets, Mountain Dew will offer a special-edition aluminum bottle of Mountain Dew Game Fuel with an exclusive design created by Bungie Studios, the developers of “Halo 3.” This bottle will be available in very limited quantities, making it a highly sought-after collector’s item.
Pontiac will provide consumers with several exclusive “Halo 3″-related opportunities. It will host Pontiac Gamers Garage events in select locations, providing consumers with a chance to play the game for the first time before its release. In addition, in support of the launch of its upcoming high-performance G6 GXP Street, Pontiac will provide 1,000 consumers with a copy of the game, and one lucky gamer will win a limited-edition “Halo 3″ G6 GXP Street car.
Burger King Corp. will continue its sponsorship of Xbox 360 with national, in-restaurant support from Sept. 24 through Oct. 22. “Halo 3″-themed packaging will offer customers access to exclusive content by logging on to http://www.bk.com/halo3 beginning Sept. 23. Graphics will be featured on select packaging, including the 42-ounce cup and King FRYPOD(TM).
Comcast has also joined the “Halo 3″ campaign and will host exclusive video content, including user-generated movies and machinima, on its Web sites http://gameinvasion.net and http://www.ziddio.com. Comcast will also feature standard- and high-definition “Halo 3″ videos on its signature ON DEMAND service.
“Halo 3″ is also the official sponsor of the Projekt Revolution tour this summer, which includes bands Linkin Park and My Chemical Romance. Exclusive “Halo 3″ VIP events will take place in select cities on the tour, where attendees will receive “Halo 3″-themed merchandise and have an opportunity to meet the members of Linkin Park.
More About Halo
“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, Sept. 25. Created by legendary developer Bungie Studios and exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, “Halo 3″ will set a new standard for interactive storytelling and social gaming by engaging consumers worldwide in the epic battle of Master Chief(TM) to save humankind.
In November 2004, the world’s view of video games changed forever with the release of “Halo 2,” which generated a record-setting $125 million (U.S.) 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 Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE® online gaming and entertainment network, with nearly 1 billion hours of online gaming logged to date.
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