Microsoft announces availability of 'Halo 3' in Middle East

By the end of the week, fans in 37 countries will be taking on the role of Master Chief™ around the globe. Developed by Bungie Studios, the 'Halo' franchise is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment.

With nary a pirate, a spider or a wand in sight, day-one sales of the highly anticipated video game are expected to shatter entertainment sales records and top the biggest entertainment launches of all time.

The conclusion of 'Halo 2' left unanswered 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. The legions of dedicated fans lining the streets all over the world tonight are waiting for the chance to be among the first to own the coveted final chapter in the 'Halo' trilogy and unearth the well-kept secrets of the storyline.

'With 'Halo 3,' Bungie Studios has further mastered the art of marrying fantastic gameplay with the intangibles that make the experience extraordinary for gamers, evoking incredible emotion through its story and character development,' said Shane Kim, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Game Studios. 'That emotion is at the heart of what makes this more than a game and why 'Halo' connects with its audience in the way other great stories like 'Star Wars' resonated with theirs. But unlike the static experiences of a great film or novel, 'Halo 3' offers a dynamic and social interactive entertainment experience that enables players to finish the fight themselves.'

More than 1.5 million copies of 'Halo 3' have been sold worldwide before a single store opens its doors, making this the fasting pre-selling game in history, surpassing the previous record-setting pre-sales of 'Halo 2.'

Made exclusively for Xbox 360, 'Halo 3' will be made available in three versions: Standard Edition, Limited Edition, and the ultimate collector's item, the Legendary Edition. The Legendary Edition will be released in limited quantities and arrive in a highly collectible Spartan helmet case, along with two bonus discs full of exclusive content. The Limited Edition will ship in a sleek metal collector's case and include the first bonus disc found in the Legendary Edition, as well as a special 'Halo' fiction and art book. And for those who crave nothing more than the highly anticipated third chapter to one of the greatest gaming trilogies of all time, the Standard Edition will consist of the 'Halo 3' game.

In November 2004 the world's view of video games changed forever with the release of 'Halo 2,' which generated a record-setting $125 million (U.S.) in sales within the first 24 hours and changed the way people think about interactive entertainment.