Chart Track’s released the first UK numbers for Halo Reach, which it’s said sold an estimated 300,000 copies in its first 24 hours on sale.
According to figures just released by UKIE/GfK-Chart Track, Reach is on course to set new records within the video games and interactive entertainment industry.
The impressive first day UK sales already position the 360 exclusive at number ten within the all-time best ever weekly sales for an individual title in the UK – and there are still plenty of days to go.
Earlier this morning Microsoft confirmed the game made $200m worldwide on its first day on sale, calling it the biggest entertainment launch of the year.
The Halo franchise as a whole has shifted more than 3.67 million copies in the UK up to the end of July 2010, making a total of £109,068,532 in the region.
UKIE Director General, Michael Rawlinson said of the numbers: “This is excellent news for the video games and interactive entertainment industry, demonstrating how games sales continue to increase despite difficult economic circumstances.
“With one in every three people classifying themselves as gamers, and with over half of UK households containing at least one video games console, the UK video games market is in great shape for the future.”
It seems that the secrets of Halo: Reach are being revealed early due to a recent leak on Xbox Live. Microsoft recently posted an early copy of Halo: Reach for industry reviewers on a hidden section of the Xbox Live Marketplace. Despite costing 99,999 MS Points ($1200 USD) on the marketplace hackers were able to overcome this limit and download the game’s code. From there they were able to remove the restrictions placed on the games files and make it playable on modified consoles.
