'Halo 4' Shatters Records with $220 Million in 24 Hours

Anyone surprised?

None

Microsoft and 343 Industries were eager to report day-one sales of Halo 4 this week, and with good reason: the latest Halo game reportedly eclipsed the biggest movie launches in U.S. history (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and The Avengers), shattering records with $220 million in its first 24 hours.

We should expect no less from Halo at this point, even if original developers Bungie have moved on to more secretive projects. And Halo 4 is admittedly Microsoft's most expensive game ever—why wouldn't it pay out the most?

Besides, you can bet a huge chunk of that money went into marketing. Did you see David Fincher's Halo 4 TV spot? Wowza.

Microsoft also reported that Halo 4 is set to reach $300 million in total first week sales, and that lifetime sales for the Halo franchise now total more than $3.38 billion. And Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, the live-action mini series, has earned more than 46 million viewed worldwide.

Do you love Halo 4? Why or why not? Does it live up to the series in your opinion?

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