Pharrell Williams to host UK Halo 3 launch

Rap star coming to London to headline the IMAX-based launch party for Microsoft's Xbox 360 shooter.

Microsoft is pulling out all the stops for the launch of its highly anticipated title, Halo 3. It has already announced a $10M marketing campaign in the US, where the game will be available to play by selected audiences at IMAX cinemas in San Francisco and New York. A Halo 3-themed version of the Xbox 360 console is also set for release on September 26 in the UK.

The company has now announced its UK plans. Microsoft is flying over rap star Pharrell Williams, who it describes as a "self-confessed gaming fanatic," to host a party at the BFI IMAX in London. Williams will take on members of the public at Halo 3, and hook up with other celebrity gamers via Xbox Live. Events in Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam, and Milan will be linked to the London party through Xbox Live for a "one-off night where gaming meets partying."

Gamers keen to get their hands on a copy of the game will be able to at midnight, when over 1,000 shops across the UK will open their doors for launch-night events. Microsoft is reporting that over 1.25 million preorders have been received for Halo 3 globally, and the company is aiming to ensure that there are plenty of copies around--it says that production of the discs has reached 81 copies per second.

For more information on Halo 3, check out GameSpot's Halo 3 Launch Centre.

73 Comments

  • playstation_wii

    Posted Sep 20, 2007 6:09 pm PT

    Halo 3 is gonna be huge!

  • iuns

    Posted Sep 20, 2007 12:01 am PT

    81 discs per second !! wowz

  • trupinoigamer

    Posted Sep 19, 2007 3:48 pm PT

    pharrel williams is more a producer than a rapper he worked with a lot of good rappers like snoop dre and diddy

  • ryanstoy91

    Posted Sep 19, 2007 1:47 pm PT

    I have no idea who Pharrel Williams is, but the part of the story that surprised me is that they're producing 81 copies per second.

  • miketuck3r

    Posted Sep 19, 2007 12:38 pm PT

    Awsome i got an email earlier today that i have won tickets for this event through the competition on xbox.com i hope i get some swag :-)

  • lamprey263

    Posted Sep 19, 2007 11:31 am PT

    Pharrel Williams, who's that?

  • NuttyBanana

    Posted Sep 19, 2007 10:20 am PT

    gillri
    "pharrel is great because he gets respect from the rock community as well and blurring the barriers between rap and rock"

    Biggest load of crap I've read today.

    As for the actual "event" i couldn't give a toss about this guy, give us the game and leave us be.....

  • darkerfire

    Posted Sep 19, 2007 10:04 am PT

    i actually cant go on with out this game i need it lol

  • shinchy

    Posted Sep 19, 2007 6:32 am PT

    I'm tempted to pop down and check this out now.

  • tdfury

    Posted Sep 19, 2007 5:35 am PT

    if you really knew what hodrat really means you would call your self one gilri.

    Anyway good news for the uk

  • gillri

    Posted Sep 19, 2007 4:33 am PT

    what you talkhg about grimbee? hip hop is everywhere on Uk streets, all my friends were all into rap when i was a hoodrat, and UK hip hop is getting bigger (as much as i hate it)

    pharrel is great because he gets respect from the rock community as well and blurring the barriers between rap and rock

  • thefutureofball

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 11:20 pm PT

    81 copies per second,Damn!!!!!!

  • Pete5506

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 7:12 pm PT

    wow

  • robfield

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 6:49 pm PT

    What the hell does Pharrell have in common with the UK? At least give them a UK celebrity!

  • SuperbGamer

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 6:00 pm PT

    81 copies per second?!

  • GrimBee

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 5:00 pm PT

    "Pharrell Williams to host UK Halo 3 launch". I heard that name in a SnoopDogg song (am i right?).

    But in the Uk - thats really all we know him for.
    I mean - If they had "Tim Westwood" be the host, that would make sense, because Tim means more to rap in the UK than Pharell does to rap in the UK.

    Tim Westwood hosting a USA halo 3 launch? Chances are that people who are into rap in the USA don't know who the heck Tim Westwood is!

    Pharrell may of done alot for the scene in the USA, but seriously his work is not well recognised over here. Because basically over here we only get the tip of the iceberg of rap. We see these "iconic" figures, but they don't do much to the culture out here.

    Westwood brought rap in different forms over here via radio. His work probably went un-noticed in the USA.

    But if it wasn't for Westwood, we wouldn't of had Ali G. No Ali G, no Borat... it goes on.
    Tim means more to the rap culture in the UK, whether they like him or not, because rap is not a UK industry. And it was introduced to us in different forms, and by different artists.
    Dido combining with eminem - that broke rap into the uk, big style. And the streets made rap a recognised UK format to appreciate.
    We have "bling" and things like that, but not quite for the same reasons as Americans do.

    Its like having Shy FX fronting the halo 3 launch in the usa (another example). Nobody in the USA can appreciate Shy like we can in the UK.

    Rap - in the UK basically means eminem, swearing, bass, 50 cent, the streets... and thats about it. We don't have a rap culture out here where we have our own streets dominated by rap-cultured gangs or whatever.
    Rap music is part of America's history and you could say that rock and roll is a UK history.

    Pharell must being paid a LOT of cash to do this event. Maybe Pharrell is trying to use Halo 3 as a means to penetrate the UK market and make him an iconic figure of the rap industry.

    We see rap music in a different light as Americans do. Just the same as Americans see "techno" in a different light than what we do.

    Its all about giving Pharrell the light that Halo 3 gives off - not about getting a UK-relevant celebrity. If it was, we would just have someone like Shane Richie or Keith Chegwin... lol

    Either way - this game is going to sell loads. But its a bit cheap using the games launch as a means to promote your own face

  • matrixman2k

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 4:46 pm PT

    Yeah, the moment he loses he'll produces a gun or something.

    I remember playing someone in Brixton arcade some 3-4 years ago or something like that. When i beat him the first time he was having a go at the sticks/controls and asking me for a second game... beating him he produced a knife (around 8-10 inch size) and became abusive. He was looking to fight (for real) then demanded i played again, this time i let him win while making it look as though i actually given it my utmost. I made an excuse about running out of 50ps and left ... the title was Streetfighter Alpha 3.

    Plenty retards around the world its a big place.

  • NyGin07

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 4:16 pm PT

    "I've never heard of this guy, he can't be that famous."

    hes a freakin huge music producer. mostly rap, he makes huge hits.hes the one who looks like a skater. hes not a good rapper in my opinion though aside from a few verses. his style is diffrent and he cant decide if hes a 80's singer or a rapper.

  • tatu2004

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 4:15 pm PT

    i phone up GAME in my area and there NOT having an Midnight opening which is a shame.

  • NyGin07

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 4:10 pm PT

    this was actually a pretty good time to have kanye west or 50 cent to be a part of this...50s new cd sucks ass though just like his second one lol seriously though does having rappers or rockers or and famous person really host a launch sell more games?

  • Delongman

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 2:47 pm PT

    PHARELL!!! Neptune in the house... i wonder if he'll go with Chad... That's gonna be tight!! Unfortunately i've got an exam the day after the game comes out in Europe so i'll wait till the 27th to get it!!! Geez the shops are gonna be closed here in Switzerland... they dnt do fun stuff like this...

  • Bruin4ev3r1520

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 2:36 pm PT

    "Neosword

    I've never heard of this guy, he can't be that famous."

    If you dont listen to rap then you probably wont know who he is. Hes in the Neptunes and I think N.E.R.D.

  • Darth_Bourkas

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 2:11 pm PT

    This is not madness This Halo 3!

  • Sigil-otaku

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 2:02 pm PT

    I must admit Halo 3 is the top of my list at the moment but with production at that rate (look at rdo's post below) they will probably be finished producing the copies in one day and then just need to ship them. It will sell well but 7 million at launch day would be madness.

  • TMontana1004

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 2:02 pm PT

    MGS4 and Killzone 2 will never amount to the glory that is Halo 3. Too bad PS3 fans -- you lose.

  • smbius

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 1:50 pm PT

    Pharrell is part of the Neptunes and N.E.R.D.

  • borgmaster

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 1:45 pm PT

    Halo 3 hype has reached the stage where I can finally say it...

    IT'S MADNESS!!!!!!!!!

  • ocdog45

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 1:41 pm PT

    im not in the uk so i don't care

  • peeweeshift

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 1:37 pm PT

    6 days and 4 hours till my life is taken away. i must finish the game before school starts

  • okassar

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 1:34 pm PT

    1.25 million pre-orders...wow!!That's alot.Not to mention 81 Halo 3 copies being produces per. second.Dang.All that matters to me is that THE FIGHT IS FINISHED in 7 DAYS AND Xbox Live Halo 3 carnage is brought to life.

  • Full_Metal1923

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 1:17 pm PT

    This is quite interesting. I would never had suspected Pharell of all people to be hosting such an event. Nonetheless, he's a great producer and it's probably going to help Halo 3 (like it needs any help at this point).

  • lamprey263

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 1:16 pm PT

    1.25 million?! those pre-orders are stepping up!

  • lukey9493

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 12:59 pm PT

    I'm guesing they've made more copies of halo than the amount of xbox 360 produced. and they've porbobly spent more money on halo hype than repair broken 360's. I'm so glad microsft has their prioraties right

  • Neosword

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 12:38 pm PT

    I've never heard of this guy, he can't be that famous.

  • rdo

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 12:36 pm PT

    thats 4860 a minuet, 291,600 an hour, 6,998,400 a day, 48,988,800 a week. pretty sure there will be plenty. making them at that rate must indicate they have very high expictations for christmas sales, maybe doubling the install base.

  • Ratchet1200

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 12:21 pm PT

    wicked freaken awesome

  • Sheiko

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 12:21 pm PT

    Everybody should pre-order then cancel the day before release just to give microsoft a good kick.

  • club-sandwich

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 12:16 pm PT

    Pharrell that's pretty cool

  • jameeler91

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 12:11 pm PT

    same here lisa kicksass

  • LisaKickAsS

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 11:49 am PT

    HALO 3 owns and im getting it after school on opening day lol

  • AzNoLiMiT

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 11:48 am PT

    Man you guys should get out more... head to a club or something if you never heard of Pharrell Williams.

  • Nogert

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 11:21 am PT

    I already have my 360 headset toned down song it doesn't pick up high frequency's can't wait for this game.

    Seriously though I hope the squeakers that played halo 2 have now grown up and have balls

  • Chaudzff

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 11:17 am PT

    Yes lol Pandramaster!
    Fly in Master Chief For The Release!
    And yes it might get quite a bit of press coverage.

  • buzzard31581

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 11:15 am PT

    Don't know who Pharrell Williams is and haven't ever heard any of his songs so that's no big deal to me.

    81 copies per second is pretty awesome though. At that rate, they could crank out the 1.25 million pre-orders in less than four and a half hours. By launch at midnight they could crank out almost 45 million copies. Insane.

    I've already pre-ordered, but I still wish there were some launch events within driving distance of where I live.

    Oh, and to the person who wondered how they could do it that fast, they just take an average by burning several hundred copies simultaneously and then dividing by the time it took to burn them all.

    And I'm sure their burning process is much more sophisticated and faster than your PC will ever be.

  • MAT30-

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 11:09 am PT

    i don´t think halo is that good, microsoft it´s realy overreacting with this, but i have to admit what an amazing campaign, halo is even in the pizza men!!!. Still XBOX better than ps3

  • pandaramaster

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 10:47 am PT

    Wow, that's mightily impressive. Except I don't plan on going to London for the launch of one game. I'm not much of Pharrell Williams fan neither. If however, they bring the Master Chief and fly him in, then that would be extremely cool.


    I bet the BBC will cover this event because of the sheer escalation of the whole situation. It's excessive and slightly bizarre come to think of it. I want the game purely for the story, I want to know how it ends. Multi player is all fine and dandy, but I need a good story to get me to stay with it.

  • sonofabear17

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 10:40 am PT

    HOLY CRAP 81 DISCS PER SECOND!!!!!

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