With the imminent launch of Halo 3, gaming geeks throughout the world will be fiddling nervously with their joysticks as the game looms large on their horizon, writes Eamon McGrane.
Halo 3has a huge amount of hype and anticipation built up behind it. The franchise itself is one of the most successful games in the industry and arguably the one that saved the Xbox from being just another console that competed with the Playstation.
Ireland has had a major role in the launch of the forthcoming "shoot 'em up", with the marketing and localisation work being done for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) from Microsoft's Irish headquarters in Sandyford.
Dublin has been involved from the very first stages of Halo 3'sdevelopment.
"In terms of the planning role, we had to source all of the packaging and print components, working very closely with sales and marketing teams across the region.
"We have one street date, which means we need to have everything ready on one day throughout EMEA," said David Warrick, general manager of manufacturing and supply chain for the entertainment and devices business.
Beside the marketing angle, the Irish operation has also been involved in the localisation of the game in EMEA. This means translating Halo 3into the different languages throughout the region and repackaging the game to suit each market.
They have also worked on putting a little local colour into each edition. The English language version will feature uber-geek and TV presenter Jonathan Ross, who will have a role in the game.
Another important component is the work that Microsoft's games division has to do with the age classification systems such as Ireland's IFCO and Britain's BFIs to make sure that the game gets rated.
Preparing retailers for the launch and making sure, throughout EMEA, that they knew just how big it was going to be, was a significant exercise for Microsoft's entertainment division. In addition to the game, there will be a number of variants and limited editions and a special Halo 3version of the Xbox360 console.
Warrick feels that, with two Halolaunches behind them, the big difference with the third instalment is the hype surrounding it. "We've sold 15 million units of Haloto date and Halo 3is seen as the biggest and best we've brought to market. There's huge anticipation from gamers and retailers and it's the first big launch for the Christmas season," he says.
