Die-Hard Gamers Wait For Release Of 'Halo 3'

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Die-Hard Gamers Wait For Release Of 'Halo 3'

UNDATED (AP) - An exciting day for video gamers. The third installment of the "Halo" video game franchise for the Xbox 360 console is out.

With the tagline "Finish the Fight," it resumes the saga of hero Master Chief, a helmeted super soldier of the future, returning to Earth in the midst of a battle for humanity's survival.

The first-person shooter game costs about $60. A more expensive version costs $130 and comes with a replica of the helmet Master Chief wears.

Previous versions of Halo have sold 15 million copies. Microsoft hopes "Halo 3" will give it an edge against Sony and Nintendo, which have rival game consoles.

Microsoft Corp. won't divulge exact sales predictions for "Halo 3," but seems confident of outdoing the "Spider-Man 3" movie, the summer blockbuster that grossed $151 million in its opening weekend.

Some stores held special midnight openings for die-hard Halo fans who wanted to be among the first to get the game.

Shooting at a local shopping center