Halo 4 Launches Today: Promotion Rivals Blockbuster Movie Release
By Karla Robinson
November 6, 2012
November 6, 2012
- Microsoft is betting big on “Halo 4,” the latest installment of the popular Xbox 360 game, a series many gamers thought had concluded with “Halo 3.”
- To convince consumers that “Halo” lives on and to advertise today’s debut, Microsoft has ramped up promotion. The company has launched a slick two-minute trailer from director David Fincher (included in article). Microsoft has also teamed up to put out “Halo”-themed Mountain Dew, Doritos and Axe deodorant, targeting the predominantly male gaming demographic.
- The upcoming game is only available on the Xbox console, unlike its rival “Call of Duty,” which is also available on Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s new Wii U.
- “The intense competition has put pressure on the ‘Halo’ developers to make sure the game arrives on time,” reports the Wall Street Journal. “Microsoft estimates a week of lost momentum could wipe out roughly a third of projected ‘Halo’ sales.”
- “‘Halo 4,’ with roughly 340 employees working on the project, cost about $40 million to produce, more than twice the industry average, estimates Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities,” notes the article. “That compares to Internet games which can have development teams a fraction of that size and cost as little as $1 million to $5 million. Some mobile games are created by single developers in a matter of months with almost no investment.”
- Development of “Halo 4” started in 2008 but just 19 weeks before launch, only about a fourth of the game was ready for shipment. Improved technology helped game makers create a more realistic and rich game but slowed the game down. Numerous bugs also plagued developers.
No Comments Yet
You can be the first to comment!
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.