Halo 2 was widely publicized by Microsoft as being the largest money-making launch in the history of entertainment releases, with over 125 million in first day sales. Well look out, Master Cheif, you"re facing off against Slime!
Retail reports out of Japan indicate that Square Enix and the Japanese retail community are expecting even more out of Dragon Quest VIII when it sees Japanese launch on 11/27. Apparently, Square Enix plans to ship more than 2.5 million copies of the game for its first shipment, arriving to stores in time for the Saturday launch.
As large as it is, the initial shipment may not be able to meet retailer demand. On top of the original allotment of 2.5 million copies promised by Square Enix, retailers had apparently demanded additional copies totaling over 700,000 units. According to one retail source, Square Enix will only be able to provide 40% of that amount, leading up to total shipments of 2.78 million-or-so copies of the game.