Halo 3 beats Gears of War as Xbox 360 killer app

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March 1, 2007 8:48 PM |
By Saleem Khan

by Saleem Khan, CBC News Online

When Microsoft Corp. launched its sophomore entry into the console video game market in 2005, the Xbox 360 lacked a must-have game that would drive sales the way the original Halo did for the original Xbox in 2001.

Many have argued that Gears of War filled that role for the Xbox 360 when the highly anticipated game hit stores in November 2006. It seems they're wrong.

There's no doubt that Microsoft sold a lot of Xbox 360s due to Gears of War, which has been a runaway hit for Microsoft and developer Epic Games.

From November through December 2006, Microsoft sold about 1.6 million Xbox 360s, bringing the total number of units sold to about 10.4 million worldwide.

In the first eight weeks following the North American Gears of War launch on Nov. 12, 2006, the world's largest software maker said it had sold 2.7 million copies of the science-fiction action shooter. Within 10 weeks, it had topped 3 million sales. Not bad.

By way of comparison, in the six weeks between the original Xbox's November 2001 launch and Christmas that year, Microsoft sold 1.5 million consoles and half of them went with copies of Halo.

But despite Gears of Wars clear conversion rate apparently driving sales that topped the performance pair of the original Halo and Xbox it's not the next-gen console's killer app. What is? Halo 3.

A year before it launches, Halo 3 figures more prominently in Xbox 360 buying decisions than Gears of War, according to Compete's Max Freiert.

Comparing Xbox 360 shoppers' game buy considerations at the 20 largest online retailers in the U.S., Freiert found that while a mere four per cent of them looked at Gears of War between November 2006 and January, 12 per cent or three times as many looked into Halo 3.

Check out the graph for a clearer picture.

The evidence is mounting: Halo 3 is the most anticipated game of the year and possibly ever for the Xbox 360.

Comments

Comments (17)

Ian Hopfe wrote:Posted: 2007/03/04 at 6:09 PM

Gears of War is a very good game and it is a must have game and all the other good games like Oblivion add to my enjoyment of the 360 but...Halo 3 is still the reason why I bought my 360...period!

Keaton wrote:Posted: 2007/03/07 at 10:48 AM

I think Gears overall will end up being the better game of the two. Gears brought something new to the table with it's stop and pop gameplay. Halo will just bring the same walk and shoot gameplay, with awesome multiplayer. Not to mention that it has some great competition this year with games like Metroid Prime 3, Metal Gear Solid 4, Super Smash Bros Brawl, Bioshock, Mass Effect... The list goes on.

Jordan wrote:Posted: 2007/03/14 at 8:27 PM

Halo 3 will be like a Halo 2 expansion pack, but it will still be good.

Xx Third 3ye xX wrote:Posted: 2007/03/29 at 2:25 PM

Gears is an amazing game, hands down. It's already proven itself to be the game to have. Halo 3 by all accounts, and more specifically, Master Chief, will make Marcus Pheonix look like Lance Bass. Judging by the online trailer, and the teaser in Crackdown, Xbox 360 has demonstrated that it clearly knows what the next generation gamer is craving, and is prepared to satisfy that need to the fullest.

Lodge wrote:Posted: 2007/04/30 at 3:38 PM

I dont thing gears will have a played left once halo 3 comes... halo 2 is better than gears... graphics do not make a game...

Valentina wrote:Posted: 2007/05/09 at 8:11 PM

Gears of War is a awesome game. And all the time im told girls cant play...well when ever i play with boys/guys after I verse them,I laugh rite in the mic. B/c i won and i told them girls can beat guys...but im about to be in a clan with my brother and his friends b/c im good enough!!!

Halo 3 is going to be the biggest and baddest game out of all halos...cant wait.

Chris wrote:Posted: 2007/08/09 at 4:09 AM

Gears was never very good all it had was graphics game play was mediocre at best, Halo has so much new content...I've never been a big halo fan but from the looks of it I may change my mind come September.

Carolyn wrote:Posted: 2007/08/09 at 12:08 PM

Chris. I've never been a fan of the XBox, but when introduced to Halo I had to admit it was a pretty amazingly fun game. All things considered, I won't be buying a 360... but I will probably find a friend who has one solely to play the new Halo. I'm just too curious to leave it. :D

Jandurin wrote:Posted: 2007/09/26 at 8:32 PM

Carolyn is not alone in her doofdom and to be fair is not at fault for it either. MS have not marketed the Xbox product well enough to reach people so clueless.
These machines Xbox 1 and Xbox360 are head and shouders above all respective competition in almost all departments, but no one is ever told this.
No one is ever reminded that the Wii is second tier technology, a refitted Gamd Cube (literally). No one is ever reminded that the Xbox was three times as powerful as the PS2.

How can people desire a product they know nothing about?

Anonymous wrote:Posted: 2007/09/26 at 10:29 PM

My Personal Opinion Gears Of War Is Better Than Halo 3 . And Gears Of War 2 Will Have The Halo Series Begging 4 Mercy!!

Garet wrote:Posted: 2007/09/27 at 11:56 AM

Jandurin, the Xbox was nowhere near 3 times as powerful as the PS2, but it was more powerful. The 360 also doesn't have the raw power the PS3 has.

The Wii is also not a refitted Gamecube. The Broadway or Hollywood or whatever chip is in the Wii is entirely new. It may have similarities to the Gamecube, but it's a new, much more powerful beast.

The Xbox, as well as the 360 are made with computer parts. As such, one could expect them to be outdated within a year.

Trevor Bayer wrote:Posted: 2007/10/18 at 8:10 PM

It's not fair to compare Halo 3 to Gears of war, especially since that's the first of their series. Despite being the First, Gears of war is a lot better then Halo 3. I bought halo 3 because of the hype...and I was disappointed. I am drooling for Gears of War 2

Garet wrote:Posted: 2007/10/19 at 10:52 AM

Gears was alright. I mean, the gameplay was worse than Halo, and the whole getting stuck to walls when you don't mean to blows. It's a decent enough shooting game, if you're into mediocrity.

dogsushi wrote:Posted: 2007/10/30 at 3:06 AM

I GOT MY COPY OF HALO 3 ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO, THEN I STARTED PLAYING IT THE SAME DAY I BOUGHT IT, AND AT ABOUT 3 TO 4 HOURS LATER, I FINISHED THE GAME--SERIOUSLY! UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT AMAZED ABOUT THE GRAPHICS(ANY DIFFERENCE AT ALL?), THE GAMEPLAY STILL THE SAME; YOU RUN AND POP...THAT'S IT! OKAY, MAYBE ADDED A FEW AND NEW WEAPONS, BUT IT JUST NOT MET MY EXPECTATIONS AT ALL! TO PUT IT BLUNTLY: IT BLOWS! TO ME, GEARS OF WAR IS STILL THE BEST SHOOTER, 'TIL THE SEQUEL COMES OUT, AND THAT WILL DETHRONE HALO 3 FROM THE TOP--OH YEAH, DUDE! GEARS OF WAR RULES, BABY!!!!

leslie oconnor wrote:Posted: 2007/12/01 at 6:06 PM

gears of war is the best halo 3 is rubbish
the weapons and enemies in gears are far better

joel wrote:Posted: 2007/12/18 at 3:29 PM

Gears of war is wack. I mean the graphics are unbelievable but online play halo 3 is WAY better than Gears. But when gears of war 2 comes out it still wont have as much sales as halo 3. If anyone wants to know what my gamertag is it's xkillasnip3zx. Levl 39 in team slayer and 36 in double team >:)

alejandro wrote:Posted: 2009/06/01 at 1:35 PM

HALO SUCKS AUTO AIM WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SAME THING AS HALO 2 IT SUCKS GEARS WILL KICK THERE ASS ALL DAY EVERY DAY WE GOT WAY BETTER WEAPONS AND VEICHLES BY THE WAY THE GRAPHICS ON GEARS ARE THE BEST UNLIKE THE GRAPHICS IN HALO AND NO COVER WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THEY THINK THEY CAN DO ANYTHING WITHOUT COVER BUT THEY CANT AND GEARS GOT COVER AND GEARS IS THE BEST GAME EVER NOTHING ON GEARS