Halo series sells 25m worldwide
Microsoft reveals sales stats for its flagship Xbox 360 franchise at CES, and pins down dates for Halo Wars and Halo 3: ODST
During the keynote speech as CES, Microsoft's Robbie Bach has revealed that the Halo franchise has sold a total of 25 million units, and the average Halo player has spent around 150 hours online with the first-person shooter.
He also pinned a date on the upcoming Halo Wars – the last title from Ensemble Studios – set for release in the US on February 28, with a demo due on Xbox Live on February 5.
Bach also confirmed that Bungie's Halo 3: ODST, originally revealed last years as Halo 3: Recon, is still on track for a 2009 release.
The boss of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division also used the CES stage to reiterate the console's success in 2008.
"With 28 million consoles sold worldwide, an active online community of 17 million members, and more than USD 1 billion spent on Xbox Live since the launch of the Xbox 360, it’s clear that consumer demand for these great entertainment experiences has never been higher," said Bach.
"We're only beginning to scratch the surface of what’s possible with Xbox."
Microsoft claims that online spend over the Xbox Live service rose 84 per cent in 2008.
The company also demoed Xbox Live Community Game Kodu, a game designed for all ages to try their hand at creating a videogame, in a similar vein to Sony's LittleBigPlanet. To emphasise the ease of use, Microsoft brought on a 12 year-old girl to play her creation.
Xbox Live Primetime was also mentioned, with Bach saying the TV and quiz channel will launch this spring, again showing 1 Vs 100, which allows players to play online for real prizes.