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XBox (Games)

Halo 2 Pre-Orders Reach 1 Million 87

Posted by Zonk from the thats-a-lot-of-master-chiefs dept.
pdawerks writes "The Seattle Times is reporting that around a million copies of Halo 2 have been pre-ordered. This pre-sale figure makes the Halo sequel the highest presale in the history of videogames. So far, Microsoft has sold 5 million copies of the original Halo: Combat Evolved."
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Halo 2 Pre-Orders Reach 1 Million More

Halo 2 Pre-Orders Reach 1 Million

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  • Crazyinated (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 06, 2004 @12:11PM (#10452107)
    Yeah, its pretty crazy how many pre-orders there are... The gamestop down the road from my dorm (which serves a campus of around 1400) already had over 800 preorders last month.

    College students everywhere are going to be getting a lot more C's and D's come November...

  • Theres more to be read (Score:2, Informative)

    by grazzy ( 56382 )
    Halo 2 on xbox99 [xbox99.com]

    • Fuck, that site is even uglier than Slashdot. Of course I guess I could blame Microsoft for choosing that hideous color scheme for the Xbox. I understand that different people have different tastes, but this is some sort of twisted horror that should transcend taste and be universally reviled.
  • We've all been waiting too long..We're starting to get that 1000 yard stare..
    • i pre-ordered 2 copies... i have 2 xboxes now and want my own system link games... plus then i wont have to fight with my kids over play time... but that is another story...

      I just looked a the reciept in my wallet (which has been there whole time) It's dated March of 2003 i think... i cant tell for sure because the thermal ink on the paper has almost entirely faded...

      the wait has been too long...
  • >This pre-sale figure makes the Halo sequel the
    >highest presale in the history of videogames.

    Better to correct it to "in the history of Xbox".

    • Re:What history? (Score:5, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 06, 2004 @12:39PM (#10452376)
      Even that's not right, although it's far more accurate than, "This pre-sale figure makes the Halo sequel the highest presale in the history of videogames."

      In the U.S., Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green each received over 1 million pre-orders. These were clearly released during the history of the Xbox. GameBoy Advance games.

      In Japan alone, Dragon Warrior Monsters 2 (girl version, forgot the Japanese version's name) sold over one million pre-orders. It's a Pokemon-clone (monster collection RPG), BTW. GameBoy Color game.

      Again, in Japan, Dragon Quest VII sold over 3 million pre-orders. PlayStation game.

      I'm sure there are others, but these are what I can think of, Dorakue 7 being the one that most easily comes to mind.
      • "In the history of the X-Box," doesn't mean as long as the X-Box has been out, it means "Of games for the X-Box."
        • Maybe a better wording would have been "in the history of people nitpicking".
          • "people nitpicking"? In the world of press releases and buyer perception, making that kind of claim is huge. Of course, this isn't Microsoft making that claim, it's some fanboy news submitter. Regardless, lots of people here will repeat it as truth, even after Zonk puts an editor's note on the article.

  • Too bad... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by MMaestro ( 585010 ) on Wednesday October 06, 2004 @12:19PM (#10452192)
    it doesn't say where it got those numbers. Not to sound like a fanboy but, given the fact that Halo was priced at $50 USD for about 2 years after its release and is still selling fairly strong, I wonder what the number would really look like. And then theres the number of people who will buy it off the shelf...

  • Put your 5 bucks down (Score:5, Informative)

    by slumpy ( 304072 ) on Wednesday October 06, 2004 @12:51PM (#10452493) Homepage
    Being the ultra-cool guy I am, I work at a game store. We've got hundreds of pre-orders, for both the game, and the limited edition. We're even planning on having a "Halo Party" on midnight Nov. 8th where people who preordered it can pick it up and hang out with other Halo fans.

    Halo 2 is easily going to be the #1 title of the year, despite having only 2 months to work with. GTA San Andreas isn't even coming close presell wise.
    • GTA San Andreas isn't even coming close presell wise.

      Interesting; I'd have guessed GTA:SA would have kicked Halo 2's butt, considering there are a lot of PS2s than Xboxese out there.

      I presume GTA:SA will still easily be #2, though? And can you quantify the difference? Is it 2:1, 3:1, or what?

    • Re:Put your 5 bucks down (Score:4, Insightful)

      by evslin ( 612024 ) on Wednesday October 06, 2004 @07:50PM (#10455862)
      Being the ultra-cool guy I am, I work at a game store.

      Last time I was ultra-cool enough to work at a video game store I was making minimum wage in the process. Double-edged sword I guess. :D

    • We're even planning on having a "Halo Party" on midnight Nov. 8th where people who preordered it can pick it up and hang out with other Halo fans.

      Random thought here - if they pre-ordered and raced out to pick it up on te day of release, what makes you think they want to hang out at the store rather than race home and PLAY it?

  • I have a feeling (Score:4, Interesting)

    by hollismb ( 817357 ) on Wednesday October 06, 2004 @01:21PM (#10452786) Homepage
    ...that despite the huge number of pre-orders, it still won't be hard to find a copy of Halo 2 come November 9th. Microsoft is obviously aware of how huge this game launch is, and will probably have printed multiple millions of copies of the game, simply to allow anyone who wants one to be able to find it, and completely flood the stores with copies. You bet your ass I'll be picking up my copy on November 8th at midnight...

  • Music Industry (Score:4, Funny)

    by Deliveranc3 ( 629997 ) <<deliverance> <at> <level4.org>> on Wednesday October 06, 2004 @02:07PM (#10453147) Journal
    Isn't it interesting that the music industry can't sell 5 million copies and the gaming industry can.

    BBC Piracy documentary with interviews with RIAA insiders [66.90.75.92].

    Who's the dominant medium now biotch!

    (had to be said).

  • 1 Million P***ed Off People? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by superultra ( 670002 ) on Wednesday October 06, 2004 @02:34PM (#10453379) Homepage
    Halo 2 better be the second coming of your favorite messianic figure then, otherwise largest videogame presell number ever might turn into largest videogame mob ever. What's working against MS and bungie is that Halo has a mythic, nostalgic quality that few games ever attain. If Halo 2 ends up being a Phantom Menace, its ramifications could even hurt sales of Xbox2. There's a lot more to lose here than there is to gain.

    Here's hoping. I have my copy preordered (thanks to a ridiculously generous Blockbuster trade in offer).
    • Halo 2 better be the second coming of your favorite messianic figure then

      Funny that... :-)

    • No game ever lives up to its hype.

      But the pessimist is never disappointed. Go into this with the right mental attitude: Halo 2 may not prove to be the most earth-shatteringly amazing game ever, but stands a good chance of being well over half-decent... and I dare say you will enjoy H2 more.

      Oh yeah, one other piece of advice: don't read those big, blabbing reviews which give away everything the game has to offer over the course of 8 or 10 pages. Either read a more restrained mag - like, e.g., Edge - or j

    • All that really matters (to me at least) is that you can play Halo online. Even if they hadn't changed the graphics at all, nor made any gameplay changes, and the single player was more of the same from the first game, I'd still be all over it. Most people are hyped, not because of changes or improvements, but because it's simply more Halo. Really, I don't see how it could be screwed up at this point, bearing those few things in mind. Of course, I was super hyped about Rainbow Six: Black Arrow, which was re

  • Halo Haiku! (Score:5, Funny)

    by vandelais ( 164490 ) on Wednesday October 06, 2004 @03:21PM (#10453816)
    Blue team has the flag.
    Where did that grenade come from?
    Red team-flag returned!
  • Trust me, there will not be a supply shortage. The manufacturing cost per copy is very low. You will not get your copy ANY sooner by preordering. You are only providing a no-interest advance to the publisher.
    • You have numbers? Preordering not only garuntees me that I will get it, but it also means I can cut in line at EB, and theres no chance of me not getting one of those nice *limited* edition copies. (Bungie said lots would be left over, but why take the chance?)
      • Here's what ebgames.com's help page says about pre-orders.

        "Pre-Order - This product has not yet been released. Pre-Ordering a product is the best way to ensure that you'll get a copy of a hot title. As we receive products from the vendors, the customers who pre-ordered get their copies shipped first."

        Nowhere does it guarantee that you will get a copy in a specified amount of time, and nowhere does it guarantee that you'll get a copy of a limited edition. Many, many people who preordered the UT2K4 DVD Spe
      • Another reason I pre-order, not only to guarantee that I get a copy (there have been instances that something I wanted HAD been sold out), but to also get a copy that hasn't been opened everything taken out and the manual bent and whatnot.

        It just really hacks me off when something that I am expected to pay full retail price for has been opened and damaged in some way (especially if said box has been sitting on the shelf). Of course if I actually tell a shop assistant this they look at me as if I am some d

  • Whoop-de-doo (Score:4, Interesting)

    by NaugaHunter ( 639364 ) on Wednesday October 06, 2004 @04:03PM (#10454191)
    In light of GTA 3's amazing sales and appeal to both hardcore and casual gamers, it was no surprise that the next offering in the series, "Vice City", quickly earned staggering pre-order sales of close to 4 million nationwide; (Source. [davezdyrko.com])

    I'm not going to swear 4 million is completely accurate, but even if it's off by 50% it's still 2 million.

    Don't get me wrong, it's an impressive feat for Halo 2. But it will be interesting to see the next GTA's pre-sale numbers. On the one hand they may be lower from just more competition in general, but the sheer number of 15-turned-17 year olds that can now buy it without mommy should drive the number up a bit.
    • if you noticed... the source said "pre-order sales of close to 4 million nationwide"... meaning they sold $4 million dollars worth of pre-sales... whereas this says that halo 2 has pre-sold 1 million units...

  • Halo 2 is the 2nd good game for the XBox (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    WHat do you expect when Halo is the only decent XBox title to date, if it wasn't for Halo the XBox would be in a sorry state.

    Of course everyone is hanging out for the 2nd good game for the XBox.

    • You're nuts.

      Prince of Persia
      Splinter Cell
      Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow
      Rainbow Six 3
      DOA3
      Soul Calibur II
      Crimson Skies
      MechAssault
      Fable
      Links
      NHL Hitz
      Ghost Recon
      Project Gotham II

      I could go on, but I don't need to. Why don't you pick up a controller an play before you mouth off any more? And speaking of the controller, I am a fan of both the original "Duke" controller and the Controller "S". I like them both much more than the original PS pad, the Dual Shock pad, and the hideous GC pad. I wish there were more
      • I agree with you. The parent poster is obviously an anti-MS troll who probably hasn't even got an X-Box. To add to your list:
        Fable - truly f**ing awesome
        Riddick (of course)

        And four that's available on other console's, but which are better on the X-Box:
        Outrun 2 (Burnout 3 is better, but the nostalgic factor is *huge*)
        Larry - MCL
        GTA3 & GTA: Vice City (I've played both the PS2 version and the Xbox versions, and the Xbox versions beats the PS2 versions hands down).

  • 5 million copies? (Score:1, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Where does this number come from? I've often wondered what the total number sold of a given game is, and damned if I can't find that sort of info on the web. I mean, what if I wanted to know the total number of copies of Half Life or Diablo or any other game? Is there a web site with this info?
  • If this continues, the XBox project may even turn some kind of a profit instead of being a mega-million pound loss from start to finish.
  • What is a "pre"-sale?!?!?

    i think it's called a 'reservation'!

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