As expected the launch of Halo 3 was quite successful! It seems that copies were sold to the tune of $170 million which is allegedly more cash than was earned on launch day of the Spider-man 3 movie or the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book release.

"Halo 3" is the conclusion to the epic trilogy and picks up where "Halo 2" left off, answering questions around the fates of the beloved protagonist Master Chief 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. In addition to the rich storyline, "Halo 3" continues the franchise’s grand tradition of delivering innovative online multiplayer experiences via Xbox LIVE, the world’s largest social network on TV.

"Halo 3 has become a pop-culture phenomenon," said Neil Thomson, Senior Regional Director, Entertainment and Devices Division, Microsoft UK. "Not only is "Halo 3" setting sales records, it’s also redefining entertainment. Within the first 24 hours alone, we’ve seen more than a million Xbox LIVE members worldwide come online to play Halo 3 – that makes September 25 the most active Xbox LIVE gaming day in history."