"Halo: Reach," the highly anticipated follow-up in the popular gaming series, will hit stores at midnight, Sept. 14, in more than 25 countries, and retailers around the world are gearing up for late-night launch events.
"When it comes to the size and scope of a franchise and especially the dedication of the fans, no game is bigger than 'Halo,'" Phil Spencer, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, said in a statement. "With 'Halo: Reach,' we're delivering on our promise to redefine blockbuster entertainment experiences and ultimately help make this year the biggest ever in Xbox history."
Fans can line up at tens of thousands of retailers tonight to get their hands on the game at 12:01am local time. For those in New York City and other major cities, however, Microsoft will be going the extra mile with several star-studded launch events.
An event at New York's Best Buy Theater in Times Square will feature a performance by hip-hop star Kid Cudi. Fans will also get the chance to win "Halo"-themed prizes and meet the game's creators. The festivities kick off at 8pm at 1515 Broadway (at 44th St). Those who can't get in or make their way to Manhattan can watch on Spike TV starting at 11:33pm Eastern or on the Times Square MTV billboard.
On the West Coast, a similar event will be held at Seattle's Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, beginning at 6pm Pacific time. In the U.K., Game in London's Westfield Shopping Centre will play host to a 9:30pm event. The Spaceworld Megastore in Oslo, Norway will also have a launch event, starting at 12:01am CET, as will Webhallen in Stockhom, Sweden, starting at 10pm CET.
The standard edition of "Halo: Reach" will retail for $59.99, while Limited and Legendary editions will sell for $79.99 and $149.99, respectively. The Legendary version includes a 10-inch, hand-painted statue of the Noble Team, the Spartan soldiers featured in the game.
Microsoft is also offering an Xbox 360 Limited Edition "Halo: Reach" bundle that includes the 250GB Xbox 360 console, two limited edition wireless controllers and a standard copy of "Halo: Reach" for $399.99.
"Halo: Reach" tells the story of Noble Team, a group of Spartans that battle on the planet Reach against the encroaching Covenant, which wants to destroy Earth, Microsoft said.
The first "Halo" game made its debut in 2001, and the franchise includes follow-ups "Halo 2," "Halo Wars," and "Halo 3: ODST." Microsoft released a beta version of "Halo: Reach" in May, which attracted more than 2.7 million players who logged more than 16 million hours of game play. See PCMag's hands on with the beta.
Last month, a leaked version of "Halo: Reach" hit the Web after modders at GameTuts made their way past a special download code and grabbed themselves a copy.