TechFlash is reporting that yesterday Microsoft announced how much money Halo: Reach made for the company in its first 24 hours on the market. The software giant said that the game made more than $200 million on its first day when it was released in the United States and Europe.
Phil Spencer, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, said that Halo: Reach is “the biggest game Microsoft has ever released." He went on to say that “every major installment has grown in scope and popularity, firmly cementing the ‘Halo’ franchise as one of the most popular entertainment properties in the world over the past decade."
Halo: Reach is the most recent in a long line of games set in the Halo universe; Halo 3 totaled over $170 million in its first 24 hours on sale back in 2007.
Microsoft is claiming that the Halo: Reach launch is the biggest entertainment launch of 2010 in the United States by comparing the initial takings of the game with the takings of major films, such as Iron Man 2, Alice in Wonderland and Toy Story 3, in their first three days. There is speculation that the title for the biggest entertainment launch of the year might actually be claimed by Call of Duty Black Ops later in the year.
This weekend Microsoft will be allowing all owners of Halo: Reach to play online by offering users access to Xbox LIVE Gold features even if a user only has a Silver subscription. This will also allow players to take part in special events such as battles against the developers of Halo: Reach.