Halo 3: ODST Sells 2.5 Million Since Launch

[Earnest Cavalli]

Halo 3: ODST Sells 2.5 Million Since Launch

It's been a little more than two weeks since Bungie and Microsoft launched Halo 3: ODST. To repay their generosity, gamers have snapped up over 2 and a half million copies.

This should come as no surprise to anyone with a pulse and half an eye on pop culture. The Halo series has become a cultural icon on par with Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Grand Theft Auto and even George Lucas' Star Wars, to the extent that even entries originally planned as expansion packs and later rejiggered in an effort to gouge fans for cash can move obscene numbers of units with little effort (and an ad campaign that seems to say "you're going to buy the game anyway, so we aren't even going to try").

As if to drive the point home, USA Today compiled a list [http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2009-10-05-halo-spins-off-products_N.htm] of all the upcoming spin-offs, sequels and tie-ins the series has coming to it. I knew of all of the entries somewhere in the back of my mind, but to see them actually listed in one article nearly left me stunned at the sheer audacity Microsoft exhibits by pushing its biggest brand this hard.

If Halo was a racehorse, I'd expect its heart to explode any moment now.

Even true Halo junkies will be stunned to see that the Master Chief and friends have 9 upcoming products in the pipeline, including an as yet unnamed, new book trilogy by Greg Bear, a line of action figures from noted spiderweb doodler Todd McFarlane and something called the "Halo Waypoint" which USA Today describes as "a hub for Halo content, including video, audio, podcasts and screenshots."

Yeah, that's right, the series has so many branches that it needs its own content hub.


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[sunpop]

" can move obscene numbers of units with little effort (and an ad campaign that seems to say "you're going to buy the game anyway, so we aren't even going to try")."

Yet there were more odst ads out there than you can count especially on this very site where the sides of the screen had been taken over by odst and the ad before the movies were odst. At this point most gamers know if they will buy a new halo game or not and they don't need to spam more ads than people get enlargement emails on a daily basis.

 

[Teh_Doomage]

Yep, Halo is just like Mario or Zelda, if the names attached, it will sell....quality of the game aside.

 

[daviejjd]

wow, what a biased article!

 

[Teh_Doomage]

wow, what a biased article!

It is a biased article, but it's also a very true article.

 

[Armored Prayer]

Wow, I love me some Halo, but thats too much stuff coming out soon.

 

[TaborMallory]

Anyone else still think Halo isn't a sellout?

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

9's a bit much, don't you think? And that's only what's known and currently planned, who knows how much more they may have planned.

 

[Teh_Doomage]

Well, they will sell Halo related stuff until it looses it's popularity.

Which we all know, will be a long time....a very long time....

 

[Anton P. Nym]

I suspect TAG is going to win another award for the "We Are ODST" ad, just as it did for the Halo 3 "Believe" ad series... dunno where the "we aren't even going to try" comes in, because I know people's interest in the series was piqued by the ad.

I'll also note that this isn't the typical farming out of a successful franchise. Look at who's contributing: five leading animation studios in Japan; Peter David; Hugo Award winning SF authours Greg Bear and Tobias Buckell; Todd McFarlane; Peter Jackson. This isn't a smash-and-grab run on fans' wallets from unknown sources making quick knock-offs, this is A-list talent, proud of their respective crafts, at the top of their games who're noted for turning in quality work.

This news item is a case of a quick glance missing the telling details, and doesn't do justice to the Escapist's journalistic standards.

-- Steve

 

[neoman10]

wow, what a biased article!

"Oh noes! He said Halo's heart is going to explode! BIIIAAASSSSS!!"

(I'm biased)

but Milking things is the wrong way to go, just make halo the cow into a juicy steak and sell him for a low price! (Metaphors are your friends)

 

[Sixties Spidey]

Eh, I'll check the Waypoint for information on Reach or other games.

 

[James Cassidy]

Okay, before I used to say Halo was not being milked because Bungie said the were only going to make two more games.: ODST and Reach.

Now I believe it is being milked....but I still like the series anyway as any Star Wars fan loves Star Wars despite how it has been milked even past it's prime. It's been milked for what 20 years?

Still you cannot laugh at 2.5 million copies. That is a lot....and I am sure that if this was a PS3 game, all you Sony fanboys would be praising and saying "This is why the PS3 is awesome."

 

[John Funk]

I suspect TAG is going to win another award for the "We Are ODST" ad, just as it did for the Halo 3 "Believe" ad series... dunno where the "we aren't even going to try" comes in, because I know people's interest in the series was piqued by the ad.

I'll also note that this isn't the typical farming out of a successful franchise. Look at who's contributing: five leading animation studios in Japan; Peter David; Hugo Award winning SF authours Greg Bear and Tobias Buckell; Todd McFarlane; Peter Jackson. This isn't a smash-and-grab run on fans' wallets from unknown sources making quick knock-offs, this is A-list talent, proud of their respective crafts, at the top of their games who're noted for turning in quality work.

This news item is a case of a quick glance missing the telling details, and doesn't do justice to the Escapist's journalistic standards.

-- Steve

Man, the "Believe" campaign was flippin' *incredible*.

 

[Earnest Cavalli]

" can move obscene numbers of units with little effort (and an ad campaign that seems to say "you're going to buy the game anyway, so we aren't even going to try")."

Yet there were more odst ads out there than you can count especially on this very site where the sides of the screen had been taken over by odst and the ad before the movies were odst. At this point most gamers know if they will buy a new halo game or not and they don't need to spam more ads than people get enlargement emails on a daily basis.

I wasn't referring to quantity. I was referring to the bizarre, non-sequitir style permeating each spot.

And was I really just called "biased" for not falling into some lockstep "Halo is God" model of behavior? You're kidding right? I didn't badmouth the game or even praise another series, I said "ODST sold a ton of copies, and there is going to be a shocking amount of Halo related stuff coming in the future."

Sorry I didn't actively fellate Bungie in the process. My jaw hurts.

 

[Ph33nix]

This article seems to be rather biased and not what we have come to expect from the escapist. While the game originally was only an expansion pack it got revamped and expanded into a large game with hours of game play. It is very well polished and very fun (IMO).

 

[daviejjd]

And was I really just called "biased" for not falling into some lockstep "Halo is God" model of behavior? You're kidding right? I didn't badmouth the game or even praise another series, I said "ODST sold a ton of copies, and there is going to be a shocking amount of Halo related stuff coming in the future."

Sorry I didn't actively fellate Bungie in the process. My jaw hurts.

I said you were biased because saying that bungie decided not to try is an unfounded allegation, i don't really care if you complement the game or bash it, but i agree with other people in the thread who say this is not up to the escapist's usually very high standard of journalism.

 

[Zarthek]

you see, these sales are what keep them making Halo.
Just isn't going to end til they stop making money off of it, then they'll make the next thing.

Oh well... at least it has some fun multiplayer (I only play split screen with friends, so I have no idea of how XBL is)

 

[BoredKellon]

I don't care if they're milking it or not. As long as the products coming out continue to be top quality, I'll be happy. Honestly, at least the universe is being handled by the right people. The only real splotch on the series I've seen so far has been The Flood. Luckily there's 5 amazing books so far to make up for that piece of fail. But ya, action figures are pretty standard fare, and I wouldn't really call that selling out. Go to a convention or comic book store and you'll see just how many action figures there are now a days.

Yes I am a fanboy, but the reason for that is that I have honestly enjoyed everything put out with the Halo label so far, obviously with exception of the Flood. Once I stop enjoying the new entries to the franchise, then I'll see it as selling out.