Gaming enthusiasts welcome Microsoft's new Halo 3

Ashish Panjabi, chief operating officer of Jacky's, said that video gaming "transcends age and nationalities" as people of all ages make up Jacky's customers for the latest Halo trilogy. He added that more Halo 3 buyers, especially parents and children, are expected to visit Jacky's.

Yesterday Microsoft said that worldwide sales of Xbox 360(r), a video game and entertainment console, have more than doubled since the launch of Halo 3, which amassed $300 in global sales during the first week. "Halo' is truly a cultural phenomenon, and the launch of 'Halo 3' is an important milestone for Xbox 360 and for video games as entertainment and as an art form," said Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft.

He described Halo 3, which was released in the Middle East on September 26, as an embodiment of the "future of entertainment, where some of the world's greatest creative minds will deliver a new generation of interactive storytelling."

Microsoft said that with Halo 3, Xbox has the greatest lineup of video games including BioShock, Mass Effect and Project Gotham Racing 4. Xbox is the only console in which consumers can play all of the year's blockbusters.

It added that Halo 3 is the conclusion to the trilogy which answers questions about the fates protagonist Master Chief and his artificial intelligence sidekick Cortana.

The two struggle to save humankind from the Covenant, a coalition of destructive aliens.

Developed by Bungie Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios, the Halo franchise is exclusive to Xbox.

The statement said Halo 3 was released in 37 countries in 17 languages, and sold $170 million in the US within the first 24 hours of release, marking "not just the biggest video game launch, but the biggest entertainment launch in history."