"Halo: Reach" generated $200 million in sales in its first 24 hours in the U.S. and Europe, Microsoft announced Wednesday.
Those numbers make it the biggest entertainment launch of 2010 in the U.S., according to Microsoft, which said its sale numbers topped the three-day opening weekends of movies like "Iron Man 2," "Alice in Wonderland," and "Toy Story 3."
"'Halo: Reach' is the biggest game Microsoft has ever released, and its launch has already surpassed every game, movie, and entertainment launch this year," Phil Spencer, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, said in a statement. "Every major installment has grown in scope and popularity, firmly cementing the 'Halo' franchise as one of the most popular entertainment properties in the world over the past decade."
"Halo: Reach" went on sale at 12:01am on Tuesday morning. Thousands of retail stores opened their doors at midnight for eager fans to snatch up their copy of the popular video game. Larger launch events were also held in London, Seattle, Stockholm, Oslo, and at New York's Best Buy Theater in Times Square (above).
"Consumer demand for 'Halo: Reach' has been phenomenal, as we saw Monday night at the new Best Buy Theater in New York's Times Square and at more than 400 Best Buy stores across the U.S.," said Chris Homeister, senior vice president and general manager of the home entertainment group at Best Buy.
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 logging more than 16 million hours of game play.
For more details, see PCMag's full review of "Halo: Reach."