Next 'Halo' Video game To Launch In September

A news is that the next video game in the blockbuster "Halo" series will launch worldwide on Sept. 14. There has been record participation in the game as it was undergoing testing in recent weeks. And sales of the video game accessories will grow up.

The game, developed exclusively for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console by Bungie, has generated some $1.5 billion of revenue. The last game, 2007's "Halo 3" sold approximately eight million copies in the U.S.

Those who bought the "Halo 3: ODST" spinoff released last year got access in recent weeks to beta test "Halo: Reach." Beta testing allows third parties to try new software and allows developers to find and correct errors and problem spots ahead of a program's launch.

Some 2.7 million people participated, Microsoft said Monday, calling the figure the biggest-ever video game beta test and more than triple the number of people who tested "Halo 3."

The new game, also available in Japan on Sept. 15, features a group of Spartan soldiers making their final stand on planet Reach. The game's release will help a sector that has been struggling of late. U.S. sales of video game accessories, hardware and software slumped 26% in April from a year earlier, said market research firm NPD Group, the fourth-largest decline ever.