How did Microsoft pull it off? They were a boring, monolithic software company helmed by Bill Gates, the world's biggest geek. They made Windows. They made spreadsheet software and word processing programs.
They were a boring part of our lives we were forced to accept as a boring part of our technological infrastructure, only a few pixels away from concrete or plumbing. Then, of all things, Microsoft turned its hat backwards and tried to sit at the cool table. They released the Xbox.
that`s how.
Step 1. Hire an Advertising agency.
Step 2. Give them Millions.
You could market the hell out of pledge cleaner, it would be the same effect.
It had all the musings of a big budget movie. After the dust clears, Nintendogs has sold more without Nintendogs brand Soda.
Easily, it's a mulit-billion dollar if not trillion dollar caompany.
I would have much more preferred they spend the money to make it the greatest game of all time. Not that it isn't a good game. It just didn't live up to the hype, in my opinion.
I think Microsoft did a great job on the marketing of Halo 3. They showed just enough to 'wow' the fans of the series and then had a fantastic end product to boot.
Not overhyped, but gave the fans exactly what they wanted and asked for. But they probably did spend a little too much on the marketing. Word of mouth alone would have made the sales they got.
To this day, my friends play the hell out of it. Even though they also bought COD4.