Now and Forever, Halo 3 is the Original Blockbuster Game - Gizmodo

These days, the Blockbuster Game, a release from a major publisher that’s hoping to be an Event that occupies everyone’s attention and Game of the Year discussions, is an institution.

Developed by Bungie and released on September 25, 2007 for the Xbox 360, Halo 3 was in every sense of the term a big deal for Microsoft and the broader games landscape at the time.

With the sting of Halo 2's cliffhanger ending from 2004 still fresh in players minds, whether Bungie could release a satisfying closer to its trilogy—a word that feels ancient now, since franchises either don’t get to a trilogy or go far beyond that—was the big question at the time.

Ultimately, Halo 3 would sell 5 million copies by the end of the year, become one of the best-selling games of 2007, and bring in over a million Xbox Live players within its first 20 hours of release.

There have been games that surpassed Halo 3 in terms of sales and critical reviews.