Halo: Reach Is the Most Expected Videogame Launch

The so-called Second Christmas sales period, which saw publishers launch all those titles that would have crowded the fall launch season of 2009, with hits like God of War 3 and Mass Effect 2, is all but over and people are looking forward beyond the summer to the big releases of this year. And it seems that Halo: Reach, the last title in the universe Bungie is developing, is the one gamers are most interested in picking up when it comes out.

The news comes from a GamePlan Insights chart build using data from the United States for the month of April. Halo: Reach has an awareness rating of 242, which is 20 more than runner up Super Mario Galaxy 2 from Nintendo, and a purchase intent index of 649, which is significantly better than the 586 received by the Mario-powered adventure. Third place when it comes to purchase intent is occupied by Gears of War 3, boasting an awareness index of 215 and a purchase intent of 549.

The chart then features titles like: Fable III, The Legend of Zelda 2, Gran Turismo 5, Madden NFL 11, Diablo III, Rock Band 3, Left 4 Dead: The Passing (now out), Guitar Hero 6, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, and StarCraft II.

Nick Williams, who is an analyst with GamePlan Insights, writing for Gamasutra, said that “On the PC front, Blizzard franchises appear to be stronger than ever, with three titles in the top 15. While there is no denying the importance of online social/casual games, the impressive levels of purchase intent for Diablo III, Starcraft II, and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm suggest that the traditional PC gamer is alive and well.”

When it comes to videogames, which have already been launched, the chart shows players are interested in picking up God of War 3 for the PlayStation 3 first, followed by Final Fantasy XIII, BioShock 2, Mass Effect 2, Splinter Cell: Conviction and the Episodes from Liberty City for Grand Theft Auto IV.