Microsoft prepares for midnight Halo 3 release

Halo 3 will be released tonight, with more than 10,000 stores in the U.S. prepping to offer the game to the millions of fans. A few of those stores will have Microsoft-sponsored events to celebrate the release, two on each coast of the U.S. Interestingly, Microsoft actually has posted a list of retailers and their specific locations that will be carrying the game at launch, no doubt to spur more interest.

Hyping a game up this much isn't common – but, Halo has proven to be one of the most successful series that Microsoft has ever been behind, and has played a large part in the success of the Xbox and Xbox 360. If you remember the launch of Halo 2, it brought in over $125 million in sales just a single day after launch. Are they going to have a repeat scenario?

Bungie, the studio behind Halo, is obviously happy about the success it has brought them. While there's something to be said for their epic titles of years past such as the Marathon series, they've obviously done something right with Halo. I hope they do something even more right and decide to bring Halo 3 to the PC before all interest dies down. This morning Microsoft issued a press release with more information about the launch.