Make no mistake the September 25 launch of Microsoft game Halo 3 is going to be huge. How huge is the question. If you listen to Microsoft's Halo 3 propaganda you'd think you might have to measure Halo 3's grandiose coming out party in astronomical terms.
According to Microsoft, 10,000-plus U.S. retailers will host Halo 3 midnight release events on September 25 for the game. Microsoft-ies are also predicting Halo 3's launch as the "biggest launch in entertainment history."
Well, we will soon see.
I'm not discouraging anyone from getting caught up in the hype. If you happen to be in the New York City, Los Angeles, Miami or Seattle areas, keep an eye out for a Halo 3 extravaganza near you. Microsoft promises tons of celebrity appearances and free giveaways.
Microsoft reportedly plans to spend $10 million on TV advertising alone for Halo 3. How much more will it spend on launch day? My guess is more than the gross national product of some emerging nations.
But the marketing blitz doesn't stop there. Corporations seem to be having a marketing orgy over Halo 3. The launch is complete with more tie-ins and marketing partnerships than all Spider-Man movies combined.
Best Buy intends to offer players three free days of Xbox Live Gold from September 25 to 27, and a chance to win a Pontiac G6 GXP Street Edition (Halo 3-themed, no less) or a Samsung home theater system. Microsoft is also hosting its own giveaways, with a grand prize of a Halo 3 Special Edition Xbox 360 (which comes with every Spartan-themed accessory in existence... except the game itself).
Pepsi, Burger King and 7-Eleven have been touting Halo 3-themed food and drink products for weeks now. Heck, wheelman David Stremme will be racing in a Target/Halo 3 car in the NASCAR Dover 400. A detailed list of the madness can be found on the Xbox.com site.
If you're a Halo diehard, life couldn't get better. If you're anyone else or outside the gaming niche, you may be left scratching your head wondering what this is all about.
In case you've been living on the Moon for the past five years and didn't know it videogames are big business. In a story that ran in Variety Microsoft director of creative marketing Chris Di Cesare said he expects Halo 3 to top the $151-million opening weekend of Spider-Man 3 in a single day.
Today videogames compete for the same recognition and broad demographic appeal as major motion pictures. And for that, I say kudos to Microsoft for all its Halo 3 marketing. I would much rather play Halo 3 for the evening than go down to my local Cineplex to watch a tired Hollywood sequel of Rush Hour 3.
