Posts Tagged ‘video games’

Halo 3 Free Trial

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

The marketing of Halo 3 was wildly awaited, as the game was the third in the original trilogy of the Halo games. As a result, the Halo 3 free download was one of the most frequently downloaded video game demos in the history of the Xbox 360. But what many people don’t realize is that the Halo 3 trial download went on to make another game ie Crackdown.

What does the Halo 3 trial download have to do with another video game? Well, it has a great deal to do with the sale and promotional effort for a game that was originally planned for release on the Xbox system. Microsoft had become worried that Crackdown would not sell well.

And so they used a marketing gimmick, the one of bundling Crackdown with an access code for the Halo 3 trial download. And it worked a treat because Crackdown sold 1.5 million copies within the first half year of its release. Those aren’t Halo 3 figures, which sold 8.1 million copies in slightly over a year, but for a lesser well-known game that’s absolutely terrific.

Microsoft had turned to the Halo 3 trial download tactic because of poor opinions about the game from the game testers. They found the nonlinear nature of the game confusing, often leaving them wondering what they were supposed to be doing next.

As a result of this, the powers that be thought that something had to be done or the game would be a dud. It may appear dodgy practice at first to try to push sales of a game that’s expected to be unpopular, but in retrospect people like the game and it was a good thing that they were able to get the chance to play it.

In Crackdown, and that includes the version bundled with the Halo 3 trial download, people play as an agent who is detailed to beat the kingpins, or leaders, of various gangs. To do this they utilize some superhuman powers such as super strength and super agility. In order to obtain these powers, players have to accumulate experience by beating foes who then release experience orbs. The clever part of the system was that the kind of orbs released depended on the manner in which the agent killed the enemy. For instance, a firearms orb appears if the enemy was killed with a gun.

So, although at first sight this game bundled with the Halo 3 free download appears to be nothing but a veiled marketing trick, in reality, it exposed gamers to a fascinating new gameplay experience.

If you like Halo 3 and are interested in reading more about it, why not visit Halo 3 Info on our website entitled Halo 3 Insider Secrets

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