Blockbuster Games: Halo 2
Halo 2 is being released today. For those of you who haven’t followed the adventures of Master Chief, first person shooters, Xbox, or the gaming universe in general, Halo 2 is the most highly anticipated Xbox game release. The media frenzy and fan anticipation for this game makes the race for the presidency pale by comparison. While the first Halo has sold more than 4 million copies, Halo 2 has already had 1.5 million preorders giving it legs to perhaps hit the 5 million mark. Clearly, this game will help bring Xbox closer to having a profitable year. An achievement that in itself shouldn’t be overlooked by business pundits who have been forecasting a dark days ahead for the fledgling console company.
Video games are steadily marching towards being the next blockbuster medium perhaps eventually overtaking Hollywood big screen productions. The budgets for the most popular of games are similar to that of their silver screen counterparts. Will Smith and Keanu Reeves are just as likely to star in a video game as they are in a motion picture now that actors are voicing many of the top games. The world of gaming is clearly changing. There is excitement in gaming releases that all but the largest of blockbuster movies have a difficult time achieving. And while, games are expensive at $50 a pop a night out at the movies isn’t far off and that’s only for two hours of entertainment. A video game on the other hand should at least eat up ten hours of your life. Clearly more value for your entertainment dollar.
So, while it may seem strange that a video game like Halo 2 is getting more press than any of the movies out currently in theaters, it’s clear that times are changing and the roles of movies and video games may be reversing. Watch out, because then instead of seeing games based upon movies, you’ll see Hollywood making movies out of video games. Too late.
