Halo Wars sells a million, becomes best selling RTS [Archive]

Zeus

03-19-2009, 01:20 PM

PRESS RELEASE: Halo Wars Sells One Millionth Game, Becomes Best-Selling Real-Time Strategy Title

LONDON – 19th March 2009 - Microsoft today announced that sales of “Halo Wars” have reached more than one million units worldwide, making the exclusive Xbox 360 title the best selling real-time strategy game on any current generation console. With a revolutionary control scheme designed expressly for the Xbox 360 controller and a riveting story that takes “Halo” fans deeper into the “Halo” universe, “Halo Wars” is breaking new ground for the strategy genre by introducing a new wave of fans to strategy games and reminding existing fans why it’s so fun.

Set in the year 2525, “Halo Wars” takes players on a perilous journey through the famed “Halo” universe. As players take the command seat in the early, epic battles between the UNSC and Covenant, they will begin to unravel events 20 years before “Halo: Combat Evolved” that shaped the franchise into what it is today.

Since the game’s release throughout Asia on February 26 and subsequent launches in Europe and the Americas, fans around the world have been taking full advantage of “Halo Wars’” rich Xbox LIVE gameplay. To date:

• There have been more than 2.6 million multiplayer matches played
• More than 118 years of time has been spent in multiplayer matches on Xbox LIVE
• On average, more than 200,000 “Halo Wars” fans have taken up arms in battles between the UNSC and Covenant each day
• For more statistics and game information, fans can visit the official stats page at: http://www.halowars.com/stats/globalstats.aspx
But these initial explosive battles in “Halo Wars” are just beginning. Microsoft is working closely with partner and newly formed studio Robot Entertainment, which is comprised of “Halo Wars” and “Age of Empires” veterans from Ensemble Studios. More Halo Wars content is being prepared, so stay tuned.

“Halo Wars” is rated T for Teen by the ESRB and 16+ PEGI and is available worldwide. “Halo Wars” is rated T for Teen by the ESRB and 16+ PEGI and is available worldwide. A demo is also available on Xbox LIVE in all LIVE enabled regions worldwide. For more information, visit Xbox.com/Halo or HaloWars.com.
-ends-

MistaGiggles

03-19-2009, 02:05 PM

It deserves it, it's one heck of a game. It's now one of my top 5 Games ever.

iLLNESS

03-19-2009, 03:16 PM

It deserves it, it's one heck of a game. It's now one of my top 5 Games ever.

i have yet to get home to play it :o

pretty damned impressive sales for an RTS on a console..

sigma8

03-19-2009, 03:26 PM

i have yet to get home to play it :o

pretty damned impressive sales for an RTS on a console..

Yeah, that's pretty impressive... best selling RTS on a console..

Er..what are the other console RTS's? Pikmin? Did they even count Pikmin as an RTS?

Ironically, I think this might hurt the Halo brand. Lots of FPS jocks are going to buy it because of the name and be like WTF? And lose interest.

tech3475

03-19-2009, 03:31 PM

Ironically, I think this might hurt the Halo brand. Lots of FPS jocks are going to buy it because of the name and be like WTF? And lose interest.

Too true, even if there was a demo for it on XBL for about a month now.

I'm not an RTS fan anyway, but are they going to become big now, like how halo started the major FPS shift last gen?

msanchez

03-19-2009, 03:56 PM

Well I guess that's good and all, but best selling RTS on a console?? As Peter Griffin would say "they must feel like a dwarf amongst midgets" I guess if it has good controls it could be a good thing for consoles since RTS are really entertaining for a lot of people.... well not for me though. I like a more fantasy themed storyline to my games, and RTS more often than not have to deal heavily with politics and I have enough of that in real life.

Eric10301

03-19-2009, 05:01 PM

900k of those buyers thought it was an FPS thanks to the the commercial ads making the game look like something it wasn't.

EL_CAD

03-19-2009, 05:36 PM

I liked the demo enough, but I won't buy it anytime some, since I just got Red Alert 3 for $10 and Multiwinia for few bucks on PC. Red Alert 3 is just OK, but it's been a lot of fun with the retro full motion video clips. Still nothing compares to Company of Heroes and the Dawn of War series.

If there are a lot of people that bought this Halo game thinking it was FPS then there should be a bunch in the used bin already. I did not see any when I went this past weekend.

Ravenlockheart

03-19-2009, 05:43 PM

Most people do know that halo was originally supposed to be an rts not an fps.... right? right?!?

Convienient

03-19-2009, 06:00 PM

Be alot of people after the mythic map pack that comes with it.

Jinx13378

03-19-2009, 06:45 PM

grapeape

03-19-2009, 07:59 PM

Definately the best RTS on a console...IMHO the first console RTS that was actually playable on a console without feeling gimped. I dont even like Halo but this game is alot of fun.

EL_CAD

03-19-2009, 08:22 PM

Older C&C series (inc. Tiberium sub-series) < Dune 2 = Warcraft 1/2 < C&C: Red Alert 2 < C&C: Red Alert 1 < Star Craft < Warcraft 3 < Dawn of War < Company of Heroes.

My personal RTS tier. Nothing beats Company of Heroes.

Unfortunately, Dawn of War 2 sucks your uncle's scrotum.Really? DoW2 is that bad? I haven't played yet, but the first one was so full of awesome, that I had high hopes.

I've like all the Dune RTSs even the bad ones. Total War series is one of my favs also, but I guess it isn't a pure RTS. Sins Of A Solar Empire is pretty cool, but I never can maintain a connection in multiplayer, even within the house. Supreme Commander and Rise of Nations were cool and I bought then almost never played them. I played a lot of the Lords of the Rings RTSs on lan with the family and room mates, since it was simple enough for everyone to play.

As a big RTS fan I will get this game, but I can surely wait a bit. No one else I know has picked it up, so I won't have anyone to play with yet anyway.

RzmmDX

03-19-2009, 08:46 PM

Its ironic the company that developed Halo Wars developed Age of Empires. Which is probably their most successful RTS. And is also going down under? Seriously... irony.

But not to bum the whole AoE series... I found it educational...

I really really really hope that Starcraft II beats Halo Wars. Well factoring if everyone in Korea buys it. UBER PAWNAGE?

MadMax31

03-19-2009, 09:02 PM

It reminds me of starcraft.

Easy controls, nice graphics, even the units are similar.

sigma8

03-19-2009, 09:13 PM

I'm not an RTS fan anyway, but are they going to become big now, like how halo started the major FPS shift last gen?

Halo did what now? Started the FPS shift? You don't think the original Wolfenstein and Doom had anything to with that? Not to mention Goldeneye and the original Medal of Honor (if you want to get console-exclusive)

The way I remember things, when Halo came out, FPS was already a tired genre.

sigma8

03-19-2009, 09:16 PM

Most people do know that halo was originally supposed to be an rts not an fps.... right? right?!?

How early was that? I remember watching early mac builds, and it wasn't entirely clear what it was supposed to ultimately be. It looked more like a giant sandbox game to me. It certainly didn't look like an RTS.

unreal maniac

03-20-2009, 01:11 AM

Halo did what now? Started the FPS shift? You don't think the original Wolfenstein and Doom had anything to with that? Not to mention Goldeneye and the original Medal of Honor (if you want to get console-exclusive)

The way I remember things, when Halo came out, FPS was already a tired genre.

yea wolfenstein 3D popularised fps games doom was just kick ass with it's good for its time lighting and advanced 3d graphics i still love the original doom.

halo probably popularised fps on the xbox because bofore ps2 and xbox the ps1 and n64 had some good fps like the legendary goldeneye 007 on the 64 and some games like Disruptor on the ps1.

there is too many fps games areound these days what ever happend to all thoes platformers

Taft

03-20-2009, 02:13 AM

So MS you might want to bring back Ensemble Studios? :rolleyes:

iLLNESS

03-20-2009, 05:39 AM

Yeah, that's pretty impressive... best selling RTS on a console..

Er..what are the other console RTS's? Pikmin? Did they even count Pikmin as an RTS?

Ironically, I think this might hurt the Halo brand. Lots of FPS jocks are going to buy it because of the name and be like WTF? And lose interest.

im not saying being the best selling RTS is impressive.. but a million copies sold already for a genre that barely pushes any copies is damn good

DanASBO

03-20-2009, 05:57 AM

So MS you might want to bring back Ensemble Studios? :rolleyes:

It was retarded to close Ensemble in the first place, I can't remember a game from them that hasn't been a success. Halo Wars fookin rocks by the who.

Rotmm

03-20-2009, 06:02 AM

It was retarded to close Ensemble in the first place, I can't remember a game from them that hasn't been a success. Halo Wars fookin rocks by the who.

Most reports seem to suggest that Ensemble was over-staffed and just far too costly for the limited output. However, as I'm sure you're aware, Robot Entertainment is made up of ex-Ensemble staff who will support Halo Wars going forward, but will also be developing new-ip.

My guess is that they will be tied to MS for a new-ip exclusive and that MS will help fund development.

Jinx13378

03-20-2009, 06:12 AM

Really? DoW2 is that bad? I haven't played yet, but the first one was so full of awesome, that I had high hopes.

Generally it's just like DoW. Only casual/dumbed down as f*** and without "awesome". Go try it and see what I mean.

They even took the "base building" aspect out of the game.

Oh, and forgot to add one game to my personal tier list - Blitzkrieg. Now that was a fun, tactical RTS.

DanASBO

03-20-2009, 06:16 AM

Rotmm

03-20-2009, 09:44 AM

Didn't know that bit but the rest, yep yep and yep.

A bit more here http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/693374/Live-Blog-DICE-2009---Bruce-Shelley-Ensemble-Studios-Post-Mortem.html

On the face of it, a studio of 75 people doesn't sound "too much", but with cancelled projects it probably meant an extra wage bill of circa $2.5m for those members of the team not on the core project.

Robot have been set up as a studio of 40, and the rest of the team have set up another studio. One suspects that both teams were aided in this by MS who, for all their faults, have a reputation as a very good employer.

tao

03-20-2009, 10:39 AM

isn't RTS and console an oxymoron? Micro with a controller? no thanks!

ThreeDog

03-20-2009, 02:49 PM

Most reports seem to suggest that Ensemble was over-staffed and just far too costly for the limited output. However, as I'm sure you're aware, Robot Entertainment is made up of ex-Ensemble staff who will support Halo Wars going forward, but will also be developing new-ip.

My guess is that they will be tied to MS for a new-ip exclusive and that MS will help fund development.

The devs already spoke out the over-staffing comment is bullshi* they were sick of being called "The RTS guys" every time they showed a concept other than an RTS they got laughed at and sent to work on another RTS game. If MS hadn't of slashed the staff they would of walked out sooner or later anyway. The general talk of it is that MS caught them in the process of forming a studio.

P.S those foo-fooing halo wars without playing it are so obvious. It's made to play on a controller and to be very actionable, its not like 99.9% of RTS games. Its also not like EA having developers performing a pc->console port of RA3 and expecting it just to work on a dual shock 3\360 controller

DarkNikon

03-20-2009, 03:34 PM

im not saying being the best selling RTS is impressive.. but a million copies sold already for a genre that barely pushes any copies is damn good

You are the true definition of an Xbox fanboy.. You SH!T on any good news for PS3 fans, defend crappy xbox games and RRoD each and every day on forums across the web. Your mom should be proud, she raised a total f@g. :D

DarkNikon

03-20-2009, 03:36 PM

P.S those foo-fooing halo wars without playing it are so obvious. It's made to play on a controller and to be very actionable, its not like 99.9% of RTS games. Its also not like EA having developers performing a pc->console port of RA3 and expecting it just to work on a dual shock 3\360 controller

Well said, you speak truth and your opinion is not bias.

wpc

03-20-2009, 03:51 PM

LOL Most reviews on GAY-LO WARS is avage. The game has no depth as a RTS. GAY-LO WARS is a joke compare to Warcraft, Starcraft, C&C, etc.

ThreeDog

03-20-2009, 09:51 PM

LOL Most reviews on GAY-LO WARS is avage. The game has no depth as a RTS. GAY-LO WARS is a joke compare to Warcraft, Starcraft, C&C, etc.

Reviews don't matter this is the age where a crap game (yes like halo 3 or gta 4 for example) gets 10/10 across the board and a game you love or that has gained a cult following is misunderstood and gets 7/10 or 8/10.
At the end of the day if you have the system or mates with it are you going to let a review score stop you playing a demo or renting it?

zymologist

03-20-2009, 10:10 PM

Ironically, I think this might hurt the Halo brand. Lots of FPS jocks are going to buy it because of the name and be like WTF? And lose interest.
agreed. if you did a venn diagram of gamers who like fps and gamers who like rts, the part that intersects is going to be tiny compared to either of the parts that dont. fps lovers who hate rts will be tricked and disappointed, rts lovers who hate fps will miss it thinking it's an fps. these days companies seem terrified of trying to forge new IP, it's all about relying on a brand name, and the franchises previous success.

Halo did what now? Started the FPS shift?
it started an FPS shift, towards more bland and repetitive fps games. if you were to graph the percentage of boring fps games before and after halo, you'd see the release of halo as the point after which the number of boring shitty fps games skyrocketed. not a shift to brag about being the cause of

EL_CAD

03-21-2009, 01:53 AM

Generally it's just like DoW. Only casual/dumbed down as f*** and without "awesome". Go try it and see what I mean.

They even took the "base building" aspect out of the game.

Oh, and forgot to add one game to my personal tier list - Blitzkrieg. Now that was a fun, tactical RTS.

Blitzkrieg looks interesting. I played another CDV game before, Codename: Panzers Phase One, it was really good. The computer kick my ass so bad, so many times. I really should pick up Phase Two sometime.

zecht

03-21-2009, 06:56 PM

Its ironic the company that developed Halo Wars developed Age of Empires. Which is probably their most successful RTS. And is also going down under? Seriously... irony

They are relocating to Australia?

I did not think this game is very impressive. But I am not an "RTS" fan.

grapeape

03-21-2009, 08:25 PM

They are relocating to Australia?

I did not think this game is very impressive. But I am not an "RTS" fan.

Yea its all just a matter of tastes for RTS fans though I think its a good one, but if you dont like RTS it has nothing that is going to make you into a fan. Kinda like those that love each iteration of GTA, id rather have a 3rod than play GTA but lots of folks love it. I have a friend who is big into sports games, buys madden every year while I think that if you have one madden you have them all. Thats whats great about gaming there is something for everyone.

msanchez

03-21-2009, 11:29 PM

Yea its all just a matter of tastes for RTS fans though I think its a good one, but if you dont like RTS it has nothing that is going to make you into a fan. Kinda like those that love each iteration of GTA, id rather have a 3rod than play GTA but lots of folks love it. I have a friend who is big into sports games, buys madden every year while I think that if you have one madden you have them all. Thats whats great about gaming there is something for everyone.

Well I usually go with "I rather stick a burning hot nail in my eye than play GTA", so I guess I dislike it even more than you do :P I don't think I'll ever understand why someone needs more than one iteration of madden games; I absolutely love Dynasty/Samurai Warriors franchise, but that doesn't mean I'll buy every game that comes out. I'm definitely getting Strikeforce for the psp, true they went a bit DBZ on it, but hey you can kill 1000+ in each level, so a little wild hair is nothing in comparison.

grapeape

03-22-2009, 12:15 AM

Well I usually go with "I rather stick a burning hot nail in my eye than play GTA", so I guess I dislike it even more than you do :P I don't think I'll ever understand why someone needs more than one iteration of madden games; I absolutely love Dynasty/Samurai Warriors franchise, but that doesn't mean I'll buy every game that comes out. I'm definitely getting Strikeforce for the psp, true they went a bit DBZ on it, but hey you can kill 1000+ in each level, so a little wild hair is nothing in comparison.

Yea I'll pass on the hot nail, too painful and permanent.

Dynasty warriors is actually fun I used to waste alot of hours on that and the Romance of the 3 kingdoms...yea I know im weird...love RTS and pure tactical but cant stand tactical rpg's. :o Havent played either in years though.

Taft

03-22-2009, 08:52 AM

It was retarded to close Ensemble in the first place, I can't remember a game from them that hasn't been a success. Halo Wars fookin rocks by the who.

I still play Age of Empire series and Age o Mythology. To bad this happened.

msanchez

03-22-2009, 12:20 PM

Yea I'll pass on the hot nail, too painful and permanent.

Dynasty warriors is actually fun I used to waste alot of hours on that and the Romance of the 3 kingdoms...yea I know im weird...love RTS and pure tactical but cant stand tactical rpg's. :o Havent played either in years though.

Back in the NES days I used to like Romance of the 3 Kingdoms A LOT, that's how I got initiated into that part of China's history and thought it was really cool. I somewhat share you're distaste for tactical rpgs, but if the game has an interesting story to tell I'll usually like it. FF Tactics for example, politically heavy as the story was I liked it a lot, so the game always seems so short to me. Dido for Disgea games, the story is just full of japanese humor which I find totally hilarious.... not as much as Chuck Norris' facts though, those are priceless :D

EL_CAD

03-22-2009, 07:31 PM

Back in the NES days I used to like Romance of the 3 Kingdoms A LOT, that's how I got initiated into that part of China's history and thought it was really cool. I somewhat share you're distaste for tactical rpgs, but if the game has an interesting story to tell I'll usually like it. FF Tactics for example, politically heavy as the story was I liked it a lot, so the game always seems so short to me. Dido for Disgea games, the story is just full of japanese humor which I find totally hilarious.... not as much as Chuck Norris' facts though, those are priceless :D

I used to be a big fan of the Romance games, though I haven't got into one since the SNES.

I prefer the Ogre Tactics and FireEmblem games over the FF Tactics games, though I like them also. I like the Heroes of Might Magic V tactics like combat system as well, but i don't think I even finished that one.

msanchez

03-23-2009, 04:34 PM

I used to be a big fan of the Romance games, though I haven't got into one since the SNES.

I prefer the Ogre Tactics and FireEmblem games over the FF Tactics games, though I like them also. I like the Heroes of Might Magic V tactics like combat system as well, but i don't think I even finished that one.

Ogre Battle V is one of my favorite games.... but like your predicament with the HoMM series I've never been able to beat it. I've started playing it like 4 times and something always happens after I get either 2 or all 3 of the Dragoons. Speaking of which, so where are all the rest of the games in the ogre battle series? I can only remember the one on the psx, and there was one for the n64 which I never played, but that means at least I'm missing 2 more games.

Oh since we started on the whole TRPG topic I just gotta bring up one word... growlanser.

EL_CAD

03-23-2009, 09:06 PM

Ogre Battle V is one of my favorite games.... but like your predicament with the HoMM series I've never been able to beat it. I've started playing it like 4 times and something always happens after I get either 2 or all 3 of the Dragoons. Speaking of which, so where are all the rest of the games in the ogre battle series? I can only remember the one on the psx, and there was one for the n64 which I never played, but that means at least I'm missing 2 more games.

Oh since we started on the whole TRPG topic I just gotta bring up one word... growlanser.

I have Ogre Tatics for GBA as well. I'll check out growlanser.

msanchez

03-23-2009, 11:55 PM

I have Ogre Tatics for GBA as well. I'll check out growlanser.

If I'm not mistaken the GBA is a remake right? I read the wikipedia entry for the series, and I don't get it. It mentions 7 games, but only names 4. Anyways, it's a great series, just wish they would organize and release the whole series on some platform.

Check out the earlier growlansers on the psx, or the ps2 remakes. I can't vouch for the later games in the series since I haven't gotten a chance to play them.

EL_CAD

03-24-2009, 08:10 PM

If I'm not mistaken the GBA is a remake right? I read the wikipedia entry for the series, and I don't get it. It mentions 7 games, but only names 4. Anyways, it's a great series, just wish they would organize and release the whole series on some platform.

Check out the earlier growlansers on the psx, or the ps2 remakes. I can't vouch for the later games in the series since I haven't gotten a chance to play them.

I don't know if it is a remake. I don't think so. It's called Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis, one of the few Ogre games not named after a Queen song. I think it is set before the PSx and N64 games.

I'll keep an eye out for them. Is Growlanser Generations a collection of the older games?

msanchez

03-24-2009, 09:28 PM

I don't know if it is a remake. I don't think so. It's called Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis, one of the few Ogre games not named after a Queen song. I think it is set before the PSx and N64 games.

I'll keep an eye out for them. Is Growlanser Generations a collection of the older games?

Yup, that's 2 and 3.... highly recommended :D ... you would think they would release 1 and 2 instead of 2 and 3. Well I heard that Atlus is remaking part 1 for the psp, and since they have been pretty good localizing games I'm hoping we'll eventually get to play it here.