In “Halo: Reach,” players experience the fateful moments that forged the “Halo” legend. It’s the story of Noble Team, a squad of heroic Spartan soldiers, and their final stand on planet Reach, humanity’s last line of defense between the terrifying Covenant and Earth. This darker story is echoed by grittier visuals amid a backdrop of massive, awe-inspiring environments. Characters, enemies and environments are rendered in amazing detail by an all-new engine designed to deliver epic-scale encounters against the cunning and ruthless Covenant.

Once the campaign is over, the battle continues online with an unparalleled multiplayer experience that expands on the award-winning suite of features that helped define the Xbox LIVE experience.

Microsoft announced that “Halo: Reach” generated more than $200 million in sales in the United States and Europe in the first 24 hours of its release.  Based on U.S. sales alone, “Halo: Reach” is now the biggest entertainment launch of 2010 in the U.S., eclipsing  the three-day opening weekends of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters like “Iron Man 2,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “Toy Story 3” in a single day.

“‘Halo: Reach’ is the biggest game Microsoft has ever released, and its launch has already surpassed every game, movie and entertainment launch this year,” said Phil Spencer, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios. “Every major installment has grown in scope and popularity, firmly cementing the ‘Halo’ franchise as one of the most popular entertainment properties in the world over the past decade.”

Tens of thousands of retail stores around the world hosted midnight madness events on Monday night to celebrate the arrival of “Halo: Reach,” the biggest installment yet in the blockbuster franchise hailed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most popular video game series of all time. In cities around the world including London, New York City and Seattle, Microsoft and retailers hosted marquee launch events where thousands of fans gathered to compete in tournaments, win special prizes and meet the creators of the “Halo” universe. At the new Best Buy Theater in Times Square, several hundred lucky fans also witnessed a surprise musical performance by hip-hop sensation Kid Cudi.

“Consumer demand for ‘Halo: Reach’ has been phenomenal, as we saw Monday night at the new Best Buy Theater in New York’s Times Square and at more than 400 Best Buy stores across the U.S.,” said Chris Homeister, senior vice president and general manager of the home entertainment group at Best Buy.

Key Features:

• Meet Noble Team. For the first time, players will fight alongside a squad of iconic Spartan soldiers, each with deadly talents as unique as their individual personalities and customized gear.
• An intense campaign. Live the events that set the stage for the “Halo” trilogy as the UNSC and Covenant clash at the height of their military power. New weapons and abilities complement the familiar “Halo” arsenal for the largest-scale battles ever witnessed in the “Halo” universe. Fiercely cunning artificial intelligence (AI) adds depth and complexity to each encounter, helping make every play-through a unique and epic experience.
• Stunning technical advancements. “Halo: Reach” takes a massive leap forward through all-new engine technology designed to take full advantage of next-generation graphics, audio, special effects, AI and animation while continuing to expand on the campaign, cooperative and multiplayer sandbox in a way that only “Halo” can.
• The definitive multiplayer experience. “Halo: Reach” builds on the success of its predecessors, setting a new standard for competitive gameplay, customization, variety and community integration.
• Unparalleled feature suite. “Halo: Reach” expands on the industry-leading suite of features found in “Halo 3,” including four-player cooperative campaign play, split-screen support, saved films, screenshots and exciting new surprises that have yet to be revealed.