Halo: Reach launches worldwide

http://www.talktalk.co.uk/games/news/2010/09/14/halo-reach-launches-worldwide.htmll

Since midnight last night, the most devoted Halo fans amongst you will have undoubtedly been playing Halo: Reach, the latest instalment in the series.

The game went on sale at 00:01 this morning for the Xbox 360, and thousands of retailers opened up especially to meet the huge demand. With fantastic reviews across the board, the latest game, set as a prequel to the other games, will surely sell millions, and be one last big success for Bungie before they move onto new projects. 34 million copies of Halo games have been sold already, so this title could push those figures up quite nicely in the coming months.

While Bungie's press release suggests (somewhat comically) that "...millions of people around the world will embark on a mission of courage, sacrifice and valour in Halo: Reach", the game apparently packs some emotional firepower to go along with all the shiny bullets you've got squirrelled away. According to Bungie, "Halo: Reach tells the tragic and heroic story of Noble Team, a group of Spartans, who through great sacrifice and courage, saved countless lives in the face of impossible odds. The planet Reach is humanity's last line of defence between the encroaching Covenant and their ultimate goal, the destruction of Earth. If it falls, humanity will be perched on the brink of destruction." So you're under no pressure - just save our last hope of salvation from imminent destruction at the hands of powerful aliens...

Phil Spencer, the corporate VP of Microsoft Game Studios at Microsoft Corp, stated: "When it comes to the size and scope of a franchise and especially the dedication of the fans, no game is bigger than 'Halo'... With 'Halo: Reach,' we're delivering on our promise to redefine blockbuster entertainment experiences and ultimately help make this year the biggest ever in Xbox history." Just to give a sense of the scope in this game, more than 2.7 million players participated in the "Halo: Reach" multiplayer beta in May, making it the largest console video game beta test on record, and more than triple the size of the historic "Halo 3" beta. So if you fancy getting an Xbox 360 especially for this title, then you can actually purchase a customised Halo: Reach console and other accessories to go with it. The game's out now, and be sure to get practising for what will be genuinely epic multiplayer modes - we know we will.