Halo 2 Midnight Madness Is Upon Us

What if some copies have already been sold through Ebay? What if a downloadable version has been available for some time now? The truth is Halo 2 will be welcomed tonight with the fanfare its popularity demands. GTA : San Andreas be aware, the Master Chief is coming. For a chance to catch up on tonight's Halo 2 related mayhem and a last minute chance to download the man himself to your desktop, read on.

Long lines of clamoring fans? Check. Thousands of stores open at midnight? Check. Genetically enhanced super soldiers? Check. The entertainment industry is bracing for a big night tonight as thousands of fans around the globe finally get their hands on a copy of Halo 2. Gamers, celebrities, adrenaline junkies and industry paparazzi worldwide will converge at hundreds of lively launch soirees and thousands of retail outlets when the game officially goes on sale just after midnight.

In New York, Toys R Us Times Square will be the epicenter of Halo 2 activities in the United States. Legions of dedicated fans are expected to line the streets waiting for the chance to be among the first to own the coveted game. Across every time zone, more than 7,000 retailers are also planning midnight madness events. A complete list of retail outlets opening at 12:01 a.m. can be found online by following the download tab above.

The Nov. 9 launch will extend beyond U.S. borders with retail events and parties in Canada, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan as well as throughout Latin America and Down Under in Australia and New Zealand. On Nov. 10, the launch will roll out in movie-premiere-style red carpet celebrations in Belgium, France and Switzerland, followed by a Nov. 11 release in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Halo 2 will be available in eight languages (traditional Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Spanish) and will be distributed in 27 countries.

Made exclusively for Xbox, Halo 2 will be sold for USD 49.99. While supplies last, a limited edition two-DVD set that includes the game and bonus content such as making of footage, deleted scenes and commentary from the development team will be sold for USD 54.99. Copies of the game can be purchased at retailers Toys R Us, GameStop, Electronic Boutique, Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Circuit City, to name a few.

The highly anticipated sequel to the award-winning Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2 picks up where the action in the first game ended. Heavily-armored super-soldier Master Chief, with the help of a small group of Marines, has destroyed the religious artifact and artificial world known as Halo, and is making his way back to Earth. There, he and the last surviving Earth forces will mount a titanic final struggle against the marauding Covenant armada.

Halo 2 will expand on everything that made the original game great, plus add a wealth of technological and game-play advances. For example, playing on Xbox Live, gamers can engage with or against friends from around the world in an effort to save humankind.

Developed exclusively for Xbox by Bungie Studios, part of Microsoft Game Studios, the original Halo: Combat Evolved has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide and spawned a legion of devotees who frequently participate in competitions, tournaments and game nights.

For an in-depth look at Microsoft's flagship 2004 title, read the Megagames Halo 2 Preview. To download Master Chief to your desktop and catch up on Halo 2 launch news, follow the download tab above.