December 3^rd, 2004 (12:44pm) - Microsoft Game Studios has announced that Halo 2 has sold more than five million copies worldwide since its launch in early November, a milestone that took its predecessor two years to reach. In total the Halo franchise has exceeded the 11 million unit mark, with cumulative sales from Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and Halo for Windows.

Gamers are also loving Halo 2’s innovative new Xbox Live features - the global Xbox Live community has logged a record-setting 28 million hours playing Halo 2, which is more than any other Xbox Live game in the history of the global service.

The instant action and immersive gameplay in Halo 2 propelled gamers to play online for an average of 91 minutes per session, approximately the same length as a major motion picture. Out of a universe of more than one million Xbox Live members, Halo 2 on Xbox Live has already attracted more than 900,000 unique users.

In similar news, Microsoft Game Studios has also announced that Lionhead Studios’ Fable has sold through one million units worldwide in two months since its release.

In addition to the Halo 2 phenomenon, Xbox is satisfying the entertainment appetites of adults and children, all ages and personalities. Fable, the groundbreaking Xbox role-playing adventure game from Lionhead Studios and Microsoft Game Studios, has reached new heights, racking sales of more than one million units worldwide in only two months since its availability at retail.

Click the following links to read our reviews of Halo 2 and Fable:

Halo 2
Fable