Microsoft Setting a Halo to Revamp Video Game Sales

After successfully launching 3 of its hit video game series – Halo 1: Combat Evolved, Halo 2 and Halo 3, Microsoft now looks at reigniting its video game sales with it latest market offering - Halo ~ Reach.

Developed during late 2001 by Bungie and published by Microsoft Games Studios, Halo: Combat Evolved was a first-person shooter video game completely based on science fiction. In the past nine years, Halo has been boasting of good sales, enabling Microsoft’s Xbox Console to be a large part of the growing U.S. video game business that is worth over 20 billion dollars.

There has been a considerable fall in the retail sales of video games in the US and this trend owes to the dark shadow of recession which is supposedly still existent. However, the anticipations and forecasts in terms of sales were high, with one - Anita Frazier, an analyst at retail research firm NPD stating “If hardware sales react in a similar fashion to what was experienced when Halo 3 was launched in September 2007, September could be a huge sales month for Xbox 360 hardware.” And this statement of hers soon saw reality when Halo: Reach sales hit 200 million dollars on the 1st day of its launch. This should definitely worry competitors Nintendo and Sony Corporation’s Play Station 3.

The costing of the game is well-crafted for every individual, with its basic version available at $60 and its special editions sold at $80 and $150 which are aimed at the premium segment. The known fact is the availability of Xbox console at a standard cost of $200 or $300, a new fact now states that Microsoft will be adding a special Xbox console plus the new version of Halo for $400.

Since the inception of its video gaming venture, Microsoft has sold more than 42 million Xbox Consoles with about 25 online live users and this number is all set to grow with Halo: Reach which has already achieved good sales. With Halo 3 not receiving much accolades from gamers and as the Halo world felt exhausted and bored of the mundane game, out came Halo: Reach that is claimed to be a prequel. Many reviews for the game are out and the verdict is that the game will be a super hit and this would set the base in setting up the Xbox 360 maker’s new gaming system.

However, the unfortunate and more saddening news comes from Bungie itself which is - Halo: Reach could be the last series made by them and the next game shall be developed by Activision Blizzard Inc. The news though is not the confirmation of the end to gaming solutions from Microsoft which still owns the franchise rights and has exciting plans up its sleeve to further leverage its gaming business.