Halo 3 tops XBL activity in 2008

Microsoft dubs Bungie's sci-fi FPS as most-played online Xbox 360 game; Castle Crashers crowned Arcade champ.

About this time last year, Microsoft was profusely apologizing for extensive outages to its online hub, Xbox Live. Luckily, Xbox Live's holiday 2008 performance was not a repeat of last year, giving Microsoft leeway to tout the most-played Xbox 360 and original Xbox games on the service throughout the year.

Microsoft and Bungie Studios' Halo 3, a commercial and critical powerhouse released for the Xbox 360 in September 2007, landed in the top position for 2008. Through November, the game had shifted 5.4 million units in the US alone, according to the NPD Group. The game's first full expansion, Halo 3: ODST, is expected to arrive for the Xbox 360 this fall. Another holdover from 2007, Activision and Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4, scored the runner-up slot, followed by Rockstar's top sales performer Grand Theft Auto IV.

The three best-selling Xbox Live Arcade games, oddly enough, were all released within a month of each other. The Behemoth's long-in-the-making beat-'em-up Castle Crashers sold the most units in 2008, with Bizarre Creations' Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 placing second. One of the top-rated games for the year, Jonathan Blow's Braid, rounded out the top three as measured by units sold.

Mimicking the Xbox 360's chart, Microsoft and Bungie's Halo 2 scored top honors for online activity for the original Xbox. The game, first released in November 2004, was the top-performing game on Xbox Live up until November 20, 2006, when it was ousted by Epic Games' Gears of War. Gears of War placed just behind its 2008 sequel on the Xbox 360 chart, with the pair falling into fourth and fifth according to Microsoft's accounting.

The top 20 Live games of 2008, broken down by platform, are listed below.

Xbox 360 Top Live Games
1. Halo 3
2. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
3. Grand Theft Auto IV
4. Gears of War 2
5. Gears of War
6. Call of Duty: World at War
7. Guitar Hero III
8. Battlefield: Bad Company Demo
9. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Demo
10. Rock Band
11. Fable II
12. Mirror's Edge Demo
13. Madden NFL 09
14. Battlefield: Bad Company
15. Rainbow Six Vegas 2
16. Uno
17. Castle Crashers
18. Call of Duty: World at War Multiplayer Beta
19. Forza Motorsport 2
20. Too Human Demo

Top Arcade Games (based on full-version purchases)
1. Castle Crashers
2. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
3. Braid
4. A Kingdom for Keflings
5. Uno
6. Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
7. Fable II Pub Games
8. Duke Nukem 3D
9. Bionic Commando: Rearmed
10. Worms
11. Soulcalibur
12. Portal: Still Alive
13. Doom
14. 1942: Joint Strike
15. Bomberman Live
16. Mega Man 9
17. N+
18. Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3
19. Marble Blast Ultra
20. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

Original Xbox Top Live Games
1. Halo 2
2. Fable
3. Star Wars: Battlefront 2
4. Counter-Strike
5. Fable: Lost Chapters
6. Doom 3
7. Conker: Live Reloaded
8. Splinter Cell Chaos
9. Star Wars: KOTOR
10. Star Wars: Republic Commando
11. Star Wars: Battlefront
12. Burnout 3
13. Guilty Gear XX #Reload
14. Gauntlet Seven Sorrows
15. Call of Duty 3
16. Ninja Gaiden Black
17. Crimson Skies
18. MechAssault 2
19. Call of Duty 2
20. Rainbow Six 3

235 Comments

  • Intrakitt

    Posted Jun 25, 2009 4:39 pm PT

    What I was trying to get across with that message is that Halo might not be realistic but that doesn't mean it's goofy. It is an extraordinary FPS game. I've played them all and watched their progression over the ages, and no other game comes close to being nearly perfect multiplayer-wise as Halo does. Even the largest games don't feel too cluttered, unlike some other games (cough cough Resistance 2 cough Killzone 2).

  • Intrakitt

    Posted Jun 25, 2009 4:35 pm PT

    Mac11: You can say all that stuff about any shooter. I think CoD 4 is tacky and not realistic at all, though that seems to be what a lot of people like about it. You can't just spam grenades in reality, nor can you just shank someone while your running and keep running. If a shooting game were realistic, it would be a tedious game of duck and cover and peek out to shoot, miss continuously, keep taking cover, reload, rinse and repeat. It would be the most boring game ever. The average death would occur like every 20 minutes.

  • JRod1981

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 2:55 pm PT

    anybody else here think battlefield bad company online is better than cod. i think it is way better. the best multiplayer game i have ever played. good to see it on the list.

  • SpideR_CentS

    Posted Jan 27, 2009 2:45 pm PT

    bizuit -
    "People play Rianbow Six 3 still? That game almost got me kicked out of college....back in very early of 04!"

    Yeah, I played this game like a pheene for years. I still pop in on every once in a while and still people are playing.

  • SpideR_CentS

    Posted Jan 27, 2009 2:29 pm PT

    Good to see one of my fav games of all time on any list in 2008. That would be Rainbow Six 3.

  • StarlightHunter

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 3:03 pm PT

    im supprised cod4 isnt at the top because most people on my friends list are either on that or world at war. not that its of mijority. i must disagree with your views on halo 3, yes its tacky and the graphics and engine are lack luster but its a fun game to play. lets hope halo odst is better.

  • cookie857

    Posted Jan 18, 2009 10:52 pm PT

    whats wrong with rainbow six 3? yeah but what i cant believe is counter strike

  • aag360360

    Posted Jan 17, 2009 2:10 pm PT

    "My opinion: Halo 3 is a tacky, unoriginal, albeit pretty shooter and I can't believe so many people play it, played it, or still play it. There, I said it. I could criticize it more, don't want to."

    Amen to that.

  • weezyindamuluva

    Posted Jan 15, 2009 4:11 pm PT

    I think it was obvious that halo and cod would be up there. they have been there since second one and there was nothing in their way. both have beastly online. halo just has a bigger fanbase and bigger appeal imo. MC will live on 4ever in my heart...no homo

  • JaredTrotterboy

    Posted Jan 14, 2009 12:55 pm PT

    can't wait for Halo Recon

  • Mac11_Fanboy

    Posted Jan 13, 2009 7:56 pm PT

    How is GOW2 in there? surely it couldn't rack up that many UNIQUE players in the 7 weeks of 2008 it was out? Same with world at war. I smell some spin over those figures.

    My opinion: Halo 3 is a tacky, unoriginal, albeit pretty shooter and I can't believe so many people play it, played it, or still play it. There, I said it. I could criticize it more, don't want to.

  • Shimowini

    Posted Jan 13, 2009 4:28 pm PT

    halo 3 its easily the best shooter of the moment. Bungie its making a great job supporting the game in many different ways that makes the game even a better expirience. halo 3 its the only system seller game right now in my opinion and clearly diserves to be NÂș 1 in this list

  • RSA13

    Posted Jan 13, 2009 3:43 pm PT

    halo 3 RULES!!

  • buffdaddy69

    Posted Jan 13, 2009 7:47 am PT

    As much as i hated the campign mode and story in Halo 3, I still love the multiplayer. Team CTF and Team Snipers are always gonna be vicious.

  • cod4_MADDOG104

    Posted Jan 13, 2009 4:03 am PT

    halo 3 is awsome

  • bizuit

    Posted Jan 12, 2009 7:09 pm PT

    People play Rianbow Six 3 still? That game almost got me kicked out of college....back in very early of 04!

  • bennae66

    Posted Jan 11, 2009 11:09 pm PT

    ssf2thdr for the arcade flag! my god, you wouldnt want to have to say that fast 3 times with a gun to your head.

  • CursiveSaturn

    Posted Jan 11, 2009 1:41 pm PT

    Good to see Call of Duty 4 was in there. Halo has earned its first place position by having such a big fan base while Call of Duty 4 has so many fans just because of multiplayer. If CoD had more of a continuing storyline instead of seperate wars with completely different characters, they could attract even more gamers.

  • StJimmy15

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 8:51 pm PT

    no matter what ppl say, halo = what video games should be.

  • Trogeton

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 1:10 pm PT

    No surprise, I mean this game has been out, and has won more xbl players than any other 360 game, call of duty coming in second is like a promise.. thats an awesome game too

  • SatansBFF

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 11:21 am PT

    Long live the Master Chief!

  • dkjjabs

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 4:13 am PT

    Halo is still one of the funnest games i've played and still go back and play now and then and still love sticking them or just waiting for the headless chicken's that run around wanting to beat down, still so much fun

  • irsoccer05

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 6:15 pm PT

    Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3 have to be among the greatest games ever made

  • dkdk999

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 4:27 pm PT

    lol i still play battlefront with my lil bro.

  • thenephariouson

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 11:35 am PT

    I still play Frontlines FOW, i know its not the best game technically but its great fun online, thats what its all about : )

  • seriousjoker93

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 11:35 pm PT

    woot
    Battlefront II still kicking!!!

  • enix165

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 3:07 pm PT

    Woo, CC is on top for the Arcade games!

  • unklekraker

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 2:23 pm PT

    I agree with zig star, a cs for 360 actually sounds like a good idea. But Halo 3 deserves the top spot.

  • death919

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 9:36 am PT

    How is Uno higher than Castle Crashers on the list that includes all games, but Castle Crashers is higher than Uno on the list that contains just xbl arcade games???

  • ThAdEa82

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 8:36 am PT

    Bungie does do great support I gotta admit

    COD WaW has taken some people away from COD4 to knock it down to 2...=(

    The only reason the Too Human Demo made it on the list is because everyone who played it fell asleep simultaneously and they logged their numbers like that...

  • JOKER677

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 3:22 am PT

    thought gears 2 would be 2nd but i guess bugs and laggy online ruined it

  • brian_13un

    Posted Jan 7, 2009 10:14 pm PT

    GOOD ONE !!

  • FROZEN_FLAPJACK

    Posted Jan 7, 2009 7:32 pm PT

    thats sad when a demo beats the actual game

  • malfarf15869

    Posted Jan 7, 2009 7:32 pm PT

    part of the reason Halo 3 is #1 is because of the support from Bungie... look how many map packs were released compared to Call of Duty 4...

  • malfarf15869

    Posted Jan 7, 2009 7:21 pm PT

    Halo 3 and CoD 4 were both great games... to bad we couldn't have more games like those this year.

  • zig_star

    Posted Jan 7, 2009 7:10 pm PT

    they shuld make a counter strike for 360.

  • zig_star posted Jan 7, 2009 7:06 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    zig_star

    Posted Jan 7, 2009 7:06 pm PT (hide)

    oh shut up, halo 3 isnt the best, all you're doing in its multiplayer is running out in the open getting killed or killing people. CoD and Gears they make it easy to hide so your still killing but using your head. Halo 3 is $h!T basicaly.

  • trw534

    Posted Jan 7, 2009 6:25 pm PT

    gears of war is awsome

  • jknight5422

    Posted Jan 7, 2009 9:59 am PT

    Nice to see Too Human made the list.

  • teh_phix

    Posted Jan 7, 2009 7:35 am PT

    kinda surprised to see forza 2 make it in this list considering how hard it is to find races.. usually i either can't get in, they kick you out when you do, and ppl rarely join when you make your own race

  • ShadowJake

    Posted Jan 6, 2009 9:31 pm PT

    i can see how halo 3 tops the list but my most played games have recently been: 1. Left 4 Dead 2. Gears of War 2 3. CoD World at War. As far as my most played games this year, Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Unreal Tournament 3, Shadowrun (PC Version), Fallout 3 (PC Version), and Rock Band top my list. CoD 4 and Halo 3 are tied in 6th. Thats how 2008 went for me

  • Velazkid

    Posted Jan 6, 2009 9:27 pm PT

    Halo 3 FTW!!

  • Media_Mind

    Posted Jan 6, 2009 8:09 pm PT

    still good

  • trickyspider

    Posted Jan 6, 2009 7:31 pm PT

    HALO 3 FTW!!!!

  • eric_ds

    Posted Jan 6, 2009 7:06 pm PT

    Are people actually dissing Halo for being unrealistic? Really? Halo is science fiction.... it's not supposed to be realistic. Anyway Halo is on top, where is should be, best game I have ever played.

  • dlind70

    Posted Jan 6, 2009 6:07 pm PT

    TF2 should be there. Other than that, it's a great list. All those arcade games are quality titles.

  • Futil1ty

    Posted Jan 6, 2009 5:24 pm PT

    acsam12304:
    You, sir, are a FAIL. Please tell me what game(s) resemble the brilliance that is Team Fortress 2, because there are none that I know of; I could play that game forever.

  • Futil1ty

    Posted Jan 6, 2009 5:22 pm PT

    Hmm...A Kingdom for Keflings...I still need to buy that.

    I'm very suprised it actually got 4th place. Crazy.

  • NAVYBABY

    Posted Jan 6, 2009 4:54 pm PT

    Dont see Y errbuddy finds HALO 3 so boring its been the addiction n TOP

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