Wait is over for Halo 3 fans

The final instalment in the Halo game trilogy, which is expected to be more profitable than most blockbuster movies, has gone on sale.

Some fans were so desperate to get their hands on the Microsoft game, which went on sale at midnight, that they began queueing outside shops on Tuesday afternoon.

US producer, singer and rapper Pharrell Williams was one of the star guests at the VIP launch party at London's Imax cinema.

He posed with one of the characters from the eagerly awaited game before playing Halo 3.

Other guests who trod the red carpet were model Kimberly Stewart and Big Brother contestant Chanelle Hayes.

Retail chain Game opened 150 shops at midnight so fans could get their hands on the game.

Spokesman Simon Soffe said: "Half of them seemed to be going home to play on their own and the other half were planning to go online and play against other people.

"They started queuing at 3pm and we had about 100 people at midnight."

Global pre-orders for Halo 3 have passed the 1.25 million mark, according to Microsoft which expects its first week of revenue from sales of the game worldwide to outstrip that of blockbuster films such as Spider-Man 3 and Harry Potter.

The first two chapters of the trilogy have sold more than 14.5 million copies around the world.

The hugely successful Halo trilogy is a key selling point for Microsoft in the console wars against rivals Nintendo and Sony.

© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.