Halo 3 Pre-Order Circus in Full Effect
Brace yourself - the onslaught of Halo 3 merchandise saturation is about to hit you between the eyes like a blast from an S2 AM Sniper Rifle.
If you're not sick of the franchise yet, sucking down a Halo 3 Happy Meal at Burger King then washing it down with a 42-ounce Halo 3 Mountain Dew Game Fuel and a Halo 3 Slurpee from 7-Eleven, Halo 3 just might make you want to hurl.
A record breaking million gamers will get a chance to "finish the fight" on Sept. 25 when they get their hands on their pre-ordered copy of Halo 3.
The game won't be released until September 25 but the hype machine has cranked up already. You can slurp on a variation of Mountain Dew, which sports the Halo 3 brand, called Game Fuel. I hear it has a slight cherry flavor added to the classic taste but I wouldn't know – I never touch the stuff.
It won't be long before you'll be inundated by Halo 3 merchandising and consumer brand synergy at every turn, including your local 7-Eleven. The stores are jumping the Halo 3 pre-order game and will sell Halo 3 commemorative Slurpees.
Burger King, the company that makes its own cheesy Xbox 360 games, will have exclusive Halo 3 content codes. The codes will apparently be offered on Halo 3 packaging from BK that includes a 42-ounce beverage cup. That's a 
You can buy a special edition Halo 3-Special Edition Xbox 360 console.
Yes, it's the same improved Xbox 360 (as far as we know) with the HDMI port that replaces the premium edition. But it'll cost more – you'll pay the full $400. And remember, the game itself is sold separately.
Halo 3 is a great franchise; the first two have provided me with some of the best gaming I've had in years. But man, can't we just have something really cool that doesn't turn into a circus?
