The mostly eagerly anticipated computer game in years will go on sale in Ireland next Wednesday with upwards of 20 stores around the State opening at midnight on Tuesday to satisfy demand, writes John Collins.
Halo 3, a futuristic first person shooter developed by Microsoft subsidiary Bungie, will be exclusively available for the Xbox console.
Early last month, Microsoft announced that one million copies of the game had been pre-ordered and retailers are reporting massive interest from the public. Halo 2sold five million copies in the first month of its release in 2004.
"This is the third and final instalment in the series so people are looking for a lot of questions to be answered," explains Michael Finucane, commercial director of specialist games retailer GameStop. "It's not just the typical 19-year-old first person shooter fan either; we are seeing interest across all age groups."
GameStop will open 14 of its 46 Irish stores at midnight, including its branch in Dublin's St Stephen's Green Shopping Centre. The last time the shopping centre opened at midnight was for the launch of the last Harry Potter novel. For video game fans Halohas a similar iconic status as Harry Potter and the games franchise is considered one of the strongest selling points for Microsoft's Xbox as it is not available on any other platform.
Microsoft executives have already said that Halowill only be considered a success if it is one of the largest entertainment launches this year, and not just one of the biggest video games.
Mr Finucane said he could not give an estimate of sales in the first week the game is available, for "security reasons", but he did say he expects it to be the best selling computer game ever.
A beta of Halo 3, which provided limited play, was included with another Xbox title Crackdown and, as a result, Mr Finucane said "it drove sales through the roof".
Although Halo 3promises to reveal much of the "back story" of central character Master Chief, the plot of the game alone does not explain its popularity. In Haloplayers take on the mysterious character of Master Chief, who battles an alien race called the Covenant that are hell-bent on destroying the human race. The latest incarnation will take advantage of the much higher screen resolutions offered by the Xbox 360 and other technical improvements compared to its predecessor.
Orla Sheridan, country manager for Microsoft Ireland's entertainment and devices division, declined to say how much the firm is investing in promoting the game in Ireland. She did say that the marketing campaign would encompass television, outdoor, cinema and online advertising as well as in-store promotions.
"There will be no escape - you will know who Master Chief is," said Ms Sheridan. Master Chief recently became the first computer game character to be immortalised in wax by Madame Tussauds.
At the end of Halo 2Master Chief said he wanted to finish the fight. Next week millions of gamers will be rushing out to the shops to find out if he succeeds.
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