US megastar Pharrell Williams launches Halo 3 in the UK

London, 18th September 2007: US music superstar Pharrell Williams will fly to the UK next week to host a very special party for the launch of Halo 3, Microsoft reveals today.

As anticipation for the game reaches fever pitch, the music icon and self-confessed gaming fanatic will head to London's BFI IMAX cinema on September 25 to host the 'Halo 3 Premiere' which will see him taking on members of the public at the game, and other major celebrities around Europe via Xbox LIVE.

The red carpet affair, which will be attended by VIPs, celebrities and lucky competition winners is just one of a number of similar events happening around Europe as the world's biggest ever video game is released to the masses. The premiere events, which are taking place in London, Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam and Milan, will be linked via Xbox LIVE as the stars in each country take on each other for this one-off night where gaming meets partying. For consumers and competition winners, it provides a chance to be amongst the very first to see the game, experience content never seen before and play the most hotly anticipated game ever against their celebrity idols.

Following the London Premiere, at midnight, more than 1,000 retail stores across the UK will throw open their doors giving eager fans the chance to be amongst the first to get their hands on the third installment of the legendary series.

The "Halo" franchise is among the biggest worldwide entertainment properties in history and continues to change the way we think about interactive entertainment.

"Halo" is more than just a video game - it's a truly unique entertainment phenomenon and an experience that has expanded beyond games, into bestselling novels, comics, merchandise and more, and captured the attention of millions of fans including gamers, musicians, celebrities, athletes, and even storytelling visionaries like Peter Jackson. First week revenue of the game is set to outstrip major Hollywood blockbusters like Spiderman 3 or the Harry Potter franchise.

Pre orders for "Halo 3" have soared past 1.25 million globally as the world holds its breath and awaits the launch of the title in Europe on September 26th 2007. Microsoft also revealed that production of the game disc itself has reached 81 per second as it gears up for what is expected to be the biggest entertainment launch in history.

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For more information, press only:

Kate Szlendak/ 0118 909 5334/ v-kaszle@microsoft.com

About Bungie Studios

Bungie Studios was founded in 1991 with two goals: to develop games that combine brilliant technology, beautiful art, intelligent stories and deep gameplay, and then sell enough of those games to achieve its real goal of total world domination. Over the past 10 years it has produced games such as the "Marathon Trilogy" and the first two "Myth" games, hailed as classics by critics and gamers around the world. Bungie's "Halo" franchise is an international award-winning action title that has grown into a global entertainment phenomenon, selling more than 14.7 million units worldwide, logging nearly 1 billion hours of multiplayer action on Xbox LIVE, and spawning action figures, books, a graphic novel, apparel and more. Bungie is currently at work on "Halo 3," which represents the third chapter in this "Halo" trilogy and is slated for release in 2007. More information on Bungie can be found at http://www.bungie.net.

About Microsoft Game Studios

Microsoft Game Studios is a leading worldwide publisher and developer of games for the Xbox® and Xbox 360 video game systems, the Windows® operating system and online platforms. Comprising a network of top developers, Microsoft Game Studios is committed to creating innovative and diverse games for Windows ( http://www.microsoft.com/games), including such franchises as "Age of Empires®," "Flight Simulator" and "Zoo Tycoon®"; Xbox and Xbox 360 ( http://www.xbox.com), including such games as "Gears of War" and franchises such as "Halo," "Fable®," "Project Gotham Racing®" and "Forza Motorsport®"; and MSN® Games ( http://www.games.msn.com), the official games channel for the MSN network and home to such hits as "Bejeweled" and "Hexic®."

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.