Halo 3 to race to $200 million

On the back of a huge $10 million marketing campaign it's thought Halo 3 could race to sales of $200 million.

Halo 2 shot into the record books back in 2004 when 24 hour sales of the game rocketed to 2.38 million units, generating revenue of $125 million. According to Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian Microsoft could almost double this figure with the release of Halo 3 later this month - an estimated $200 million.

"We expect that significant preorders and broad consumer anticipation of Halo 3 will result in one of the largest and most successful product launches in digital entertainment," said Sebastian.

Microsoft's $10 million marketing campaign will ensure the Halo brand is seen everywhere you turn. From food to a racing car, Halo will be hard to miss over the coming months.

Halo 3 will launch in North America on September 25, followed in Europe on September 26 and in Japan on September 27.