<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2007	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Bungie	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
third	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Halo	B-Application
franchise	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
concludes	O
the	O
story	O
arc	O
begun	O
in	O
2001	O
's	O
Halo	B-Application
:	O
Combat	O
Evolved	O
and	O
continued	O
in	O
2004	O
's	O
Halo	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3s	I-Application
story	O
centers	O
on	O
the	O
interstellar	O
war	O
between	O
twenty-sixth	O
century	O
humanity	O
,	O
a	O
collection	O
of	O
alien	O
races	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Covenant	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
alien	O
parasite	O
Flood	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
features	O
vehicles	O
,	O
weapons	O
,	O
and	O
gameplay	O
elements	O
not	O
present	O
in	O
previous	O
titles	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
saved	O
gameplay	O
films	O
,	O
file	O
sharing	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Forge	B-Application
map	O
editor	O
—	O
a	O
utility	O
which	O
allows	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
perform	O
modifications	O
to	O
multiplayer	O
levels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bungie	O
began	O
developing	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
shortly	O
after	O
Halo	B-Application
2	I-Application
shipped	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
officially	O
announced	O
at	O
E3	O
2006	O
,	O
and	O
its	O
release	O
was	O
preceded	O
by	O
a	O
multiplayer	O
beta	O
open	O
to	O
select	O
players	O
who	O
purchased	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
game	O
Crackdown	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
spent	O
$40million	O
on	O
marketing	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
in	O
an	O
effort	O
to	O
sell	O
more	O
game	O
consoles	O
and	O
broaden	O
the	O
appeal	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
beyond	O
the	O
established	O
Halo	B-Application
fanbase	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
grossed	O
US$170million	O
on	O
its	O
first	O
day	O
of	O
release	O
,	O
and	O
$300million	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
week	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
date	O
,	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
has	O
sold	O
in	O
excess	O
of	O
14.5	O
million	O
copies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
also	O
the	O
best-selling	O
video	O
game	O
of	O
2007	O
in	O
the	O
U.S.	O
More	O
than	O
one	O
million	O
people	O
played	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
on	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
in	O
the	O
first	O
twenty	O
hours	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overall	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
very	O
well	O
received	O
by	O
critics	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
Forge	B-Application
and	O
multiplayer	O
offerings	O
singled	O
out	O
as	O
strong	O
features	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
some	O
reviewers	O
criticized	O
single-player	O
aspects	O
,	O
especially	O
the	O
plot	O
and	O
campaign	O
layout	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
is	O
frequently	O
listed	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
greatest	O
video	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
prequel	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
:	I-Application
ODST	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
worldwide	O
in	O
September	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
Halo	B-Application
4	I-Application
,	O
released	O
in	O
November	O
2012	O
,	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
new	O
studio	O
343	O
Industries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
re-released	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Master	I-Application
Chief	I-Application
Collection	I-Application
for	O
the	B-Device
Xbox	I-Device
One	I-Device
in	O
November	O
2014	O
and	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
in	O
July	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
is	O
a	O
shooter	O
game	O
where	O
players	O
primarily	O
experience	O
gameplay	O
from	O
a	O
first-person	O
perspective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gameplay	O
focuses	O
on	O
the	O
"	O
Golden	O
Triangle	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
"	O
:	O
players	O
utilize	O
weapons	O
,	O
grenades	O
,	O
and	O
melee	O
attacks	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
available	O
to	O
a	O
player	O
in	O
most	O
situations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
introduces	O
support	O
weapons	O
,	O
cumbersome	O
two-handed	O
weapons	O
that	O
slow	O
the	O
player	O
when	O
carried	O
,	O
but	O
offer	O
greatly	O
increased	O
firepower	O
in	O
return	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
weapons	O
,	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
contains	O
a	O
new	O
class	O
of	O
gear	O
called	O
equipment	O
;	O
these	O
items	O
have	O
various	O
effects	O
,	O
ranging	O
from	O
defensive	O
screens	O
to	O
shield	O
regeneration	O
and	O
flares	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
vehicular	O
component	O
has	O
been	O
expanded	O
with	O
new	O
drivable	O
and	O
AI-only	O
vehicles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
contains	O
non-gameplay	O
additions	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Forge	B-Application
,	O
a	O
map-editing	O
tool	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Forge	B-Application
enables	O
players	O
to	O
insert	O
and	O
remove	O
game	O
objects	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
weapons	O
,	O
crates	O
and	O
vehicles	O
into	O
existing	O
multiplayer	O
maps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Almost	O
all	O
weapons	O
,	O
vehicles	O
,	O
and	O
interactive	O
objects	O
can	O
be	O
placed	O
and	O
moved	O
on	O
maps	O
with	O
Forge	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
can	O
enter	O
Forge	B-Application
games	O
and	O
edit	O
and	O
manipulate	O
objects	O
in	O
real	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
may	O
also	O
save	O
up	O
to	O
100	O
films	O
of	O
gameplay	O
to	O
their	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
's	O
hard	O
drive	O
,	O
viewing	O
the	O
action	O
from	O
any	O
angle	O
and	O
at	O
different	O
speeds	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
offers	O
a	O
form	O
of	O
file	O
sharing	O
,	O
where	O
items	O
such	O
as	O
saved	O
films	O
,	O
screenshots	O
,	O
and	O
custom	O
variants	O
can	O
all	O
be	O
uploaded	O
to	O
Bungie	O
's	O
official	O
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Anyone	O
can	O
browse	O
user	O
created	O
content	O
that	O
has	O
been	O
uploaded	O
to	O
Bungie	O
's	O
website	O
and	O
tag	O
it	O
to	O
automatically	O
download	O
to	O
their	O
console	O
next	O
time	O
they	O
sign	O
into	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
on	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3s	I-Application
story	O
or	O
campaign	O
mode	O
can	O
be	O
played	O
alone	O
or	O
cooperatively	O
with	O
up	O
to	O
three	O
other	O
players	O
via	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
or	O
System	B-Device
Link	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
of	O
each	O
player	O
being	O
an	O
identical	O
character	O
in	O
cooperative	O
play	O
,	O
as	O
in	O
previous	O
Halo	B-Application
games	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
player	O
plays	O
as	O
Master	O
Chief	O
,	O
the	O
second	O
player	O
as	O
the	O
Arbiter	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
final	O
two	O
players	O
controlling	O
the	O
Covenant	O
Elites	O
N'tho	B-Application
'	I-Application
Sraom	I-Application
and	O
Usze	B-Application
'	I-Application
Taham	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hidden	O
skulls	O
found	O
on	O
each	O
level	O
cause	O
changes	O
to	O
the	O
gameplay	O
when	O
enabled	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
giving	O
the	O
enemies	O
extra	O
health	O
,	O
changing	O
in-game	O
dialogue	O
,	O
or	O
modifying	O
AI	B-Application
behavior	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Local	B-General_Concept
area	I-General_Concept
network	I-General_Concept
or	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
supports	O
up	O
to	O
sixteen	O
players	O
in	O
multiplayer	O
matches	O
,	O
with	O
game	O
modes	O
including	O
variations	O
of	O
deathmatch	O
and	O
Capture	O
the	O
Flag	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
must	O
actively	O
seek	O
out	O
other	O
players	O
through	O
their	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
Friends	O
list	O
,	O
using	O
the	O
party	O
invite	O
system	O
,	O
or	O
the	O
LAN	B-General_Concept
search	O
feature	O
to	O
play	O
multiplayer	O
matches	O
with	O
their	O
own	O
custom	O
rules	O
and	O
customized	O
maps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
they	O
are	O
connected	O
to	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
however	O
,	O
a	O
player	O
can	O
choose	O
to	O
have	O
the	O
game	O
decide	O
for	O
them	O
the	O
exact	O
rules	O
and	O
map	O
to	O
play	O
on	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
finding	O
additional	O
people	O
to	O
play	O
against	O
or	O
with	O
,	O
using	O
the	O
"	O
Matchmaking	O
"	O
system	O
(	O
the	O
automated	O
grouping	O
of	O
players	O
of	O
similar	O
skill	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
other	O
multiplayer	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
titles	O
,	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
uses	O
a	O
customized	O
version	O
of	O
TrueSkill	B-Device
ranking	O
system	O
for	O
its	O
matchmaking	O
on	O
a	O
per-playlist	O
basis	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
Halo	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
supports	O
downloadable	O
content	O
and	O
updates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
online	O
services	O
for	O
the	O
original	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
went	O
offline	O
in	O
January	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
is	O
set	O
in	O
a	O
science	O
fiction	O
setting	O
during	O
the	O
years	O
2552	O
and	O
2553	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
years	O
of	O
conflict	O
,	O
a	O
Covenant	O
fleet	O
discovers	O
Earth	O
during	O
Halo	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Halo	B-Application
:	O
Combat	O
Evolved	O
,	O
whilst	O
fleeing	O
the	O
Covenant	O
,	O
the	O
UNSC	O
ship	O
Pillar	O
of	O
Autumn	O
stumbled	O
upon	O
one	O
of	O
these	O
ringworlds	O
,	O
Installation	O
04	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Against	O
the	O
wishes	O
of	O
the	O
ring	O
's	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
(	O
AI	B-Application
)	O
caretaker	O
,	O
343	O
Guilty	O
Spark	O
,	O
the	O
human	O
supersoldier	O
Master	O
Chief	O
destroyed	O
the	O
ring	O
to	O
stop	O
the	O
threat	O
from	O
Halo	B-Application
and	O
the	O
Flood	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Covenant	O
,	O
unaware	O
of	O
the	O
destructive	O
nature	O
of	O
the	O
rings	O
,	O
attempt	O
to	O
fire	O
another	O
ring	O
,	O
Installation	O
05	O
,	O
during	O
Halo	B-Application
2	I-Application
in	O
order	O
to	O
fulfill	O
their	O
religious	O
prophecy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3s	I-Application
protagonist	O
is	O
Master	O
Chief	O
Petty	O
Officer	O
John-117	O
,	O
an	O
enhanced	O
supersoldier	O
known	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
Spartan	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
other	O
Elite	O
characters	O
,	O
N'tho	B-Application
'	I-Application
Sraom	I-Application
and	O
Usze	B-Application
'	I-Application
Taham	I-Application
,	O
appear	O
as	O
the	O
third	O
and	O
fourth	O
players	O
in	O
cooperative	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Halo	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
the	O
Gravemind	O
escapes	O
from	O
confinement	O
,	O
invades	O
the	O
Covenant	O
mobile	O
capital	O
city	O
of	O
High	O
Charity	O
,	O
and	O
captures	O
the	O
human	O
AI	B-Application
Cortana	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
the	O
comic	O
tie-in	O
Halo	B-Application
:	O
Uprising	O
,	O
the	O
Master	O
Chief	O
arrives	O
on	O
Earth	O
in	O
east	O
Africa	O
,	O
where	O
he	O
is	O
found	O
by	O
Johnson	O
and	O
the	O
Arbiter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gravemind	O
forges	B-Application
a	O
truce	O
with	O
the	O
Chief	O
and	O
Arbiter	O
to	O
stop	O
Truth	O
and	O
defeat	O
the	O
remainder	O
of	O
his	O
army	O
,	O
rescuing	O
Johnson	O
and	O
halting	O
the	O
installations	O
 '	O
activation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Chief	O
,	O
Arbiter	O
and	O
Guilty	O
Spark	O
discover	O
that	O
the	O
Ark	O
is	O
constructing	O
another	O
Halo	B-Application
to	O
replace	O
the	O
one	O
that	O
the	O
Chief	O
previously	O
destroyed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Chief	O
decides	O
to	O
activate	O
this	O
Halo	B-Application
;	O
the	O
ringworld	O
would	O
eliminate	O
the	O
Flood	O
infestation	O
on	O
the	O
Ark	O
while	O
sparing	O
the	O
galaxy	O
at	O
large	O
from	O
destruction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
activate	O
the	O
ring	O
,	O
the	O
Chief	O
rescues	O
Cortana	O
,	O
who	O
has	O
the	O
Activation	O
Index	O
of	O
the	O
destroyed	O
Halo	B-Application
,	O
from	O
High	O
Charity	O
and	O
destroys	O
the	O
city	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Arriving	O
on	O
the	O
new	O
Halo	B-Application
,	O
Cortana	O
warns	O
that	O
Gravemind	O
is	O
trying	O
to	O
rebuild	O
itself	O
on	O
the	O
ring	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Chief	O
,	O
Arbiter	O
,	O
and	O
Johnson	O
travel	O
to	O
Halo	B-Application
's	O
control	O
room	O
to	O
activate	O
the	O
ring	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
force	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
's	O
blast	O
causes	O
the	O
slipspace	O
portal	O
to	O
collapse	O
,	O
resulting	O
in	O
only	O
the	O
front	O
half	O
of	O
Forward	O
Unto	O
Dawn	O
,	O
carrying	O
the	O
Arbiter	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
back	O
to	O
Earth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
completed	O
at	O
the	O
Legendary	O
difficulty	O
level	O
,	O
the	O
scene	O
continues	O
to	O
show	O
the	O
piece	O
of	O
Forward	O
Unto	O
Dawn	O
drifting	O
towards	O
an	O
unknown	O
planet	O
,	O
setting	O
up	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
4	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
a	O
critical	O
and	O
commercial	O
success	O
,	O
but	O
its	O
development	O
had	O
taken	O
a	O
toll	O
on	O
Bungie	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bungie	O
was	O
openly	O
critical	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
shortcomings	O
,	O
and	O
viewed	O
a	O
third	O
Halo	B-Application
game	O
as	O
a	O
chance	O
to	O
"	O
make	O
right	O
"	O
to	O
fans	O
for	O
Halo	B-Application
2s	I-Application
problems	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
final	O
Halo	B-Application
game	O
the	O
studio	O
would	O
make	O
before	O
moving	O
onto	O
other	O
projects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lingering	O
dissatisfaction	O
with	O
Bungie	O
's	O
acquisition	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
in	O
2000	O
and	O
a	O
desire	O
for	O
more	O
favorable	O
profit-sharing	O
on	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
led	O
to	O
an	O
agreement	O
where	O
Bungie	O
would	O
become	O
an	O
independent	O
studio	O
after	O
shipping	O
a	O
set	O
number	O
of	O
new	O
Halo	B-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
Halo	B-Application
2	I-Application
shipped	O
,	O
Bungie	O
cofounder	O
Jason	O
Jones	O
went	O
on	O
sabbatical	O
,	O
leaving	O
the	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
team	O
with	O
little	O
direction	O
or	O
leadership	O
;	O
different	O
staff	O
members	O
wrestled	O
over	O
who	O
would	O
take	O
on	O
creative	O
positions	O
for	O
the	O
new	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
no	O
clear	O
creative	O
direction	O
was	O
decided	O
upon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
2	I-Application
had	O
popularized	O
online	O
multiplayer	O
matchmaking	O
and	O
social	O
features	O
like	O
player	O
parties	O
and	O
voice	O
chat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
integrated	O
many	O
similar	O
features	O
into	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
,	O
but	O
changed	O
the	O
underlying	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Designer	O
Max	O
Hoberman	O
recalled	O
that	O
instead	O
of	O
creating	O
new	O
features	O
,	O
he	O
spent	O
a	O
year	O
fixing	O
broken	O
features	O
to	O
get	O
back	O
to	O
parity	O
with	O
Halo	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Compared	O
to	O
the	O
harried	O
pace	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
2s	I-Application
development	O
which	O
necessitated	O
painful	O
cuts	O
to	O
ship	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
time	O
,	O
Bungie	O
staffers	O
recalled	O
Halo	B-Application
3s	I-Application
development	O
as	O
much	O
more	O
smooth	O
,	O
with	O
more	O
time	O
to	O
add	O
features	O
like	O
Forge	B-Application
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
officially	O
announced	O
with	O
a	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
cinematic	O
trailer	O
at	O
E3	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
comparison	O
with	O
Halo	B-Application
2s	I-Application
tight-lipped	O
development	O
,	O
Bungie	O
was	O
more	O
transparent	O
about	O
the	O
process	O
for	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
details	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
3s	I-Application
multiplayer	O
were	O
widely	O
disseminated	O
in	O
the	O
sixteen	O
months	O
leading	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
release	O
,	O
the	O
single-player	O
aspect	O
of	O
the	O
storyline	O
was	O
kept	O
relatively	O
secret	O
throughout	O
much	O
of	O
the	O
development	O
to	O
build	O
up	O
interest	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
required	O
a	O
Crackdown	B-Device
disc	O
to	O
play	O
the	O
beta	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
AI	B-Application
behavior	O
was	O
enhanced	O
and	O
improved	O
;	O
the	O
behavior	O
of	O
enemy	O
Brutes	O
the	O
player	O
faces	O
was	O
modified	O
,	O
giving	O
them	O
a	O
"	O
pack	O
mentality	O
"	O
that	O
causes	O
the	O
aliens	O
to	O
perform	O
similar	O
actions	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
and	O
altering	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
utilizes	O
a	O
proprietary	O
,	O
in-house	O
graphics	O
engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
employs	O
graphics	O
technologies	O
such	O
as	O
high	B-Application
dynamic	I-Application
range	I-Application
,	O
global	O
lighting	O
,	O
and	O
depth	O
of	O
field	O
effects	O
within	O
cutscenes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
dynamic	O
objects	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
cast	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
shadows	O
on	O
themselves	O
and	O
the	O
environment	O
around	O
them	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
plant	O
life	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
uses	O
normal	B-Application
,	O
bump	O
,	O
and	O
parallax	O
mapping	O
to	O
give	O
surfaces	O
more	O
detail	O
without	O
dramatically	O
increasing	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
polygons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
engine	O
is	O
capable	O
of	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
reflections	O
,	O
but	O
are	O
often	O
unused	O
as	O
Bungie	O
considered	O
it	O
a	O
waste	O
of	O
resources	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
uses	O
two	O
frame	O
buffers	O
instead	O
of	O
the	O
usual	O
single	O
buffer	O
,	O
allowing	O
Bungie	O
to	O
preserve	O
as	O
much	O
of	O
dynamic	O
range	O
as	O
possible	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
lighting	O
without	O
adversely	O
affecting	O
the	O
frame	O
rate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
image	O
can	O
be	O
upscaled	O
to	O
1080p	O
by	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
has	O
also	O
been	O
enhanced	O
for	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
X	O
,	O
rendering	O
at	O
1920p	O
upscaled	O
to	O
2160p	O
in	O
HDR	B-Application
at	O
a	O
solid	O
30fps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
all	O
titles	O
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
fully	O
supports	O
5.1	O
surround	O
sound	O
audio	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
far	O
more	O
than	O
in	O
either	O
of	O
the	O
preceding	O
Halo	B-Application
titles	O
;	O
Halo	B-Application
2	I-Application
had	O
over	O
15,000	O
pieces	O
of	O
dialogue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
AI	B-Application
controlling	O
this	O
dialogue	O
is	O
designed	O
to	O
ensure	O
the	O
exchanges	O
flow	O
naturally	O
and	O
convincingly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
is	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
feature	O
custom	O
soundtracks	O
,	O
allowing	O
players	O
to	O
replace	O
in-game	O
music	O
with	O
their	O
own	O
choices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
Original	O
Soundtrack	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
November	O
20	O
,	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Voice	O
actors	O
returning	O
to	O
reprise	O
their	O
roles	O
in	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
include	O
Jen	O
Taylor	O
as	O
Cortana	O
,	O
David	O
Scully	O
as	O
Sergeant	O
Johnson	O
and	O
the	O
Elites	O
,	O
Keith	O
David	O
as	O
the	O
Arbiter	O
,	O
Tim	O
Dadabo	O
as	O
343	O
Guilty	O
Spark	O
,	O
Ron	O
Perlman	O
as	O
Lord	O
Hood	O
,	O
Robert	O
Davi	O
as	O
Rtas	O
'	O
Vadum	O
,	O
and	O
Steve	O
Downes	O
as	O
the	O
voice	O
of	O
Master	O
Chief	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
features	O
new	O
voices	O
,	O
with	O
Terence	O
Stamp	O
and	O
Justis	O
Bolding	O
replacing	O
Halo	B-Application
2	I-Application
voice	O
actors	O
Michael	O
Wincott	O
and	O
Julie	O
Benz	O
as	O
the	O
Prophet	O
of	O
Truth	O
and	O
Miranda	O
Keyes	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Members	O
of	O
the	O
Halo	B-Application
machinima	O
Red	O
vs.	O
Blue	O
(	O
Burnie	O
Burns	O
,	O
Gus	O
Sorola	O
,	O
Matt	O
Hullum	O
,	O
Jason	O
Saldaña	O
,	O
Geoff	O
Ramsey	O
,	O
and	O
Joel	O
Heyman	O
)	O
have	O
cameo	O
roles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
spent	O
more	O
than	O
$40million	O
marketing	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
goal	O
of	O
the	O
campaign	O
was	O
to	O
sell	O
more	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
consoles	O
and	O
widen	O
the	O
appeal	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
beyond	O
the	O
"	O
Halo	B-Application
faithful	O
"	O
to	O
casual	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
hardcore	O
gamers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Marketing	O
took	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
stages	O
,	O
including	O
trailers	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
cinematics	O
,	O
recorded	O
gameplay	O
sequences	O
,	O
pre-rendered	O
CGI	O
,	O
and	O
live	O
action	O
film	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
12	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
the	O
"	O
Believe	O
"	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
ad	O
campaign	O
,	O
focused	O
on	O
the	O
epic	O
nature	O
of	O
the	O
story	O
and	O
heroism	O
told	O
through	O
dioramas	O
and	O
third	O
party	O
accounts	O
of	O
Master	O
Chief	O
's	O
service	O
,	O
began	O
with	O
the	O
video	O
"	O
Museum	O
"	O
and	O
continued	O
on	O
past	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
large-scale	O
multiplayer	O
beta	O
test	O
was	O
played	O
on	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
with	O
more	O
than	O
800,000	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
public	O
being	O
able	O
to	O
take	O
part	O
and	O
experience	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
themselves	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
also	O
had	O
marketing	O
tie-ins	O
and	O
promotions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PepsiCo	O
announced	O
a	O
new	O
line	O
of	O
soft	O
drink	O
,	O
a	O
variant	O
of	O
Mountain	O
Dew	O
named	O
Game	O
Fuel	O
,	O
branded	O
with	O
the	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
logo	O
and	O
the	O
Master	O
Chief	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Much	O
of	O
the	O
advertising	O
focused	O
on	O
appealing	O
to	O
the	O
general	O
public	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
just	O
hardcore	O
fans	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
;	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
some	O
7-Eleven	O
stores	O
advertised	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
and	O
sold	O
specialty	O
cups	O
and	O
copies	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
reacted	O
to	O
this	O
leak	O
by	O
having	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
accounts	O
of	O
gamers	O
caught	O
playing	O
the	O
leaked	O
copy	O
banned	O
until	O
the	O
year	O
9999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retail	O
copies	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
complete	O
with	O
photographs	O
of	O
the	O
open	O
game	O
box	O
,	O
started	O
to	O
appear	O
on	O
the	O
internet	O
auction	O
site	O
eBay	B-Application
weeks	O
before	O
release	O
,	O
followed	O
by	O
UK	O
catalog	O
retailer	O
Argos	O
accidentally	O
releasing	O
some	O
of	O
their	O
copies	O
a	O
week	O
early	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Videos	O
of	O
the	O
ending	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
obtained	O
from	O
the	O
leaked	O
copy	O
,	O
were	O
captured	O
and	O
posted	O
on	O
video	O
sharing	O
sites	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
September	O
25	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
in	O
three	O
separate	O
retail	O
versions	O
:	O
"	O
Standard	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Limited	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
Legendary	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Limited	O
Edition	O
,	O
contained	O
in	O
a	O
metal	O
case	O
,	O
contains	O
the	O
game	O
disc	O
,	O
manual	O
,	O
poster	O
,	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
bonus	O
disc	O
with	O
featurettes	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
hardcover-bound	O
"	O
Bestiarum	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
collection	O
of	O
information	O
and	O
art	O
covering	O
the	O
species	O
,	O
cultures	O
,	O
and	O
civilizations	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
the	O
Limited	O
Edition	O
versions	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
were	O
found	O
to	O
have	O
a	O
defect	O
in	O
the	O
hub	O
that	O
kept	O
the	O
discs	O
in	O
place	O
,	O
which	O
could	O
lead	O
to	O
scratched	O
discs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
day	O
before	O
its	O
official	O
release	O
,	O
4.2	O
million	O
units	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
were	O
in	O
retail	O
outlets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
made	O
a	O
free	O
download	O
for	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
Gold	I-Application
subscribers	O
through	O
the	O
"	O
Games	O
with	O
Gold	O
"	O
program	O
in	O
October	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
became	O
playable	O
on	O
the	B-Device
Xbox	I-Device
One	I-Device
via	O
backwards	B-General_Concept
compatibility	I-General_Concept
in	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
Xbox	O
One-native	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
presenting	O
the	O
graphics	O
at	O
1080p	O
and	O
60	O
frames	O
per	O
second	O
,	O
was	O
included	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Master	I-Application
Chief	I-Application
Collection	I-Application
for	O
the	B-Device
Xbox	I-Device
One	I-Device
in	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
re-released	O
again	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Windows	O
version	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Master	I-Application
Chief	I-Application
Collection	I-Application
in	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
supports	O
multiplayer	O
map	O
downloadable	O
content	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
game	O
updates	O
via	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
second	O
group	O
of	O
three	O
maps	O
including	O
a	O
remake	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
2	I-Application
map	O
"	O
Lockout	O
"	O
,	O
titled	O
"	O
Blackout	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
map	O
"	O
Ghost	O
Town	O
"	O
and	O
a	O
remake	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
:	O
Combat	O
Evolved	O
map	O
"	O
Sidewinder	O
"	O
,	O
titled	O
"	O
Avalanche	O
"	O
were	O
bundled	O
as	O
the	O
"	O
Legendary	O
Map	O
Pack	O
"	O
,	O
on	O
April	O
15	O
,	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
maps	O
introduced	O
visual	O
filters	O
to	O
the	O
Forge	B-Application
pallet	O
,	O
which	O
change	O
the	O
way	O
the	O
maps	O
look	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
remake	O
of	O
the	O
Halo	B-Application
:	O
Combat	O
Evolved	O
map	O
"	O
Chill	O
Out	O
"	O
,	O
titled	O
"	O
Cold	O
Storage	O
"	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
as	O
a	O
free	O
download	O
on	O
"	O
Bungie	O
Day	O
"	O
,	O
July	O
7	O
,	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
third	O
multiplayer	O
map	O
pack	O
,	O
titled	O
the	O
"	O
Mythic	O
Map	O
Pack	O
"	O
and	O
consisting	O
of	O
the	O
maps	O
"	O
Orbital	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Assembly	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
Sandbox	O
"	O
,	O
was	O
included	O
with	O
the	O
Limited	O
Collectors	O
Edition	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
map	O
pack	O
was	O
released	O
over	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
Marketplace	O
on	O
April	O
9	O
,	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
map	O
pack	O
includes	O
the	O
three	O
new	O
maps	O
from	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
:	I-Application
ODST	I-Application
:	O
"	O
Citadel	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Longshore	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
remake	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
2	I-Application
map	O
"	O
Midship	O
"	O
,	O
titled	O
"	O
Heretic	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
version	O
update	O
for	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
February	O
19	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
and	O
addressed	O
various	O
bugs	O
such	O
as	O
melee	O
contest	O
resolution	O
and	O
saved-film	O
theater	O
errors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
No	O
further	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
updates	O
were	O
planned	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
First-day	O
sales	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
reached	O
$170million	O
in	O
the	O
U.S.	O
,	O
setting	O
a	O
record	O
for	O
highest	O
gross	O
of	O
a	O
video	O
game	O
within	O
24	O
hours	O
of	O
its	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
performance	O
beat	O
the	O
previous	O
record	O
setter	O
—	O
Halo	B-Application
2	I-Application
—	O
which	O
earned	O
$125million	O
within	O
24	O
hours	O
of	O
its	O
launch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Worldwide	O
more	O
than	O
US$300million	O
worth	O
were	O
sold	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
week	O
,	O
helping	O
to	O
more	O
than	O
double	O
the	O
sales	O
of	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
when	O
compared	O
with	O
the	O
weekly	O
average	O
before	O
the	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
launch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
U.S.	O
,	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
sold	O
3.3	O
million	O
copies	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
12	O
days	O
on	O
sale	O
,	O
increasing	O
to	O
3.7	O
million	O
copies	O
by	O
November	O
15	O
,	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reuters	O
UK	O
estimated	O
that	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
may	O
have	O
sold	O
up	O
to	O
5.2	O
million	O
copies	O
worldwide	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
weeks	O
after	O
launch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
November	O
30	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
had	O
sold	O
5million	O
copies	O
worldwide	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
of	O
that	O
point	O
,	O
was	O
the	O
best-selling	O
video	O
game	O
of	O
2007	O
in	O
the	O
U.S.	O
,	O
even	O
though	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
only	O
available	O
on	O
one	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
3	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
that	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
had	O
sold	O
copies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
drew	O
over	O
a	O
million	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
members	O
to	O
play	O
online	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
20	O
hours	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
the	O
biggest	O
day	O
for	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
gaming	O
in	O
history	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
returned	O
to	O
the	O
top	O
20	O
sales	O
charts	O
more	O
than	O
a	O
year	O
after	O
its	O
release	O
in	O
February	O
2009	O
;	O
Gamasutra	O
reported	O
that	O
the	O
boost	O
might	O
have	O
been	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Microsoft	O
,	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
had	O
sold	O
14.5	O
million	O
copies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Advertising	O
Age	O
reported	O
that	O
movie	O
studio	O
executives	O
were	O
convinced	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
harmed	O
box	O
office	O
receipts	O
;	O
the	O
week	O
's	O
take	O
was	O
27%	O
less	O
than	O
the	O
previous	O
year	O
's	O
yield	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
research	O
suggested	O
that	O
the	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
players	O
still	O
watched	O
the	O
same	O
amount	O
of	O
television	O
and	O
movies	O
,	O
regardless	O
of	O
the	O
time	O
they	O
spent	O
playing	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
received	O
critical	O
acclaim	O
upon	O
its	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pro-Gs	O
Wesley	O
Yin-Poole	O
assured	O
readers	O
that	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
lived	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
enormous	O
hype	O
surrounding	O
it	O
,	O
writing	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
"	O
everything	O
we	O
hoped	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
,	O
and	O
much	O
,	O
much	O
,	O
more	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
including	O
Eurogamers	O
Rob	O
Fahey	O
,	O
GamesRadars	O
Charlie	O
Barrett	O
,	O
and	O
GameSpots	O
Jeff	O
Gerstmann	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
underlying	O
formula	O
of	O
previous	O
Halo	B-Application
games	O
was	O
unchanged	O
,	O
but	O
that	O
this	O
was	O
not	O
a	O
detriment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Every	O
type	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
fan	O
,	O
from	O
the	O
hardcore	O
to	O
the	O
casual	O
to	O
the	O
brand	O
new	O
,	O
will	O
find	O
something	O
to	O
satisfy	O
them	O
in	O
Master	O
Chief	O
's	O
third	O
adventure	O
,	O
"	O
Barrett	O
asserted	O
,	O
while	O
IGN	O
's	O
Hilary	O
Goldstein	O
referred	O
to	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
as	O
"	O
the	O
most	O
complete	O
game	O
available	O
on	O
any	O
console	O
"	O
,	O
specifically	O
stating	O
"	O
the	O
Forge	B-Application
and	O
the	O
replay	O
functionality	O
raise	O
the	O
bar	O
for	O
console	O
shooters	O
so	O
high	O
,	O
it	O
may	O
never	O
be	O
surpassed	O
this	O
generation.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Yin-Poole	O
wrote	O
that	O
while	O
the	O
cliffhanger	B-Application
ending	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
disappointing	O
,	O
the	O
campaign	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
much	O
more	O
satisfying	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Goldstein	O
and	O
Steve	O
West	O
of	O
Cinema	O
Blend	O
thought	O
a	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
story	O
was	O
lost	O
by	O
not	O
having	O
the	O
Arbiter	O
featuring	O
as	O
prominently	O
as	O
the	O
character	O
was	O
in	O
Halo	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Forge	B-Application
level	O
editor	O
and	O
saved	O
films	O
features	O
were	O
singled	O
out	O
as	O
particularly	O
strong	O
features	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
superb	O
voice	O
acting	O
and	O
Martin	O
Donnell	O
's	O
rich	O
score	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
complaints	O
focused	O
on	O
the	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
;	O
critics	O
praised	O
the	O
enemy	O
AI	B-Application
but	O
complained	O
that	O
the	O
intelligence	O
of	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
allies	O
was	O
far	O
poorer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
nominated	O
for	O
seven	O
awards	O
from	O
the	O
Spike	O
TV	O
Awards	O
,	O
of	O
which	O
it	O
won	O
"	O
Best	O
Multiplayer	O
Game	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Most	O
Addictive	O
Video	O
Game	O
Fueled	O
by	O
Dew	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
won	O
Times	O
"	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
and	O
IGN	O
chose	O
it	O
as	O
the	O
Best	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
Online	O
Multiplayer	O
Game	O
and	O
Innovative	O
Design	O
of	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Visual	O
Effects	O
Society	O
awarded	O
Bungie	O
the	O
"	O
Best	O
Real	O
Time	O
Visuals	O
in	O
a	O
Video	O
Game	O
"	O
for	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
took	O
the	O
Calvin	O
Award	O
for	O
"	O
Best	O
Videogame	O
"	O
as	O
selected	O
by	O
Box	O
Office	O
Prophets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
also	O
took	O
the	O
award	O
for	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
2007	O
from	O
GameTrailers	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
voted	O
by	O
fans	O
as	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
on	O
G-Phoria	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
won	O
the	O
Edge	O
Award	O
For	O
Interactive	O
Innovation	O
in	O
August	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
