Fans will be lined up at video game stores tonight, waiting for midnight so they can pick up the third installment in the Halo series.

Halo 3, developed by Bungie Software and published by Microsoft for the XBox 360, will be released at midnight Tuesday according to the GameStop Web site.

Halo 2 sold 2.38 million copies, accounting for over $125 million in sales within 24 hours of its release, according to MSNBC. Also, Halo 2 sold over five million copies worldwide within three weeks of release, according to GamePro magazine.

Halo 3 already received over one million pre-orders by Aug. 9 according to a G4 gaming report.

Microsoft invested over $10 million in TV advertising on Halo 3, according to Variety.
Spike TV will broadcast the launch event at the Best Buy flagship store in New York City on Monday and the Sci-Fi Channel will air a half-hour show on the making of Halo 3 Tuesday, according to Variety.

Both DeKalb GameStop locations, 2564 and 2389 on Sycamore Road, will open for midnight releases.

“I got a call from GameStop saying I should be there at nine to get a copy,” said Joe Schiavone, senior philosophy major. “I’m not sure I want to wait around for three hours to get one.”

“I wouldn’t have bought an XBox 360 if it weren’t for Halo 3,” Schiavone said. “I’ve been waiting to play Halo 3 since I beat Halo 2 years ago.”

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