As if you didn't already know that the launch of Halo 3 would be a huge entertainment event, Microsoft sent word today that the game has already been sold into 1.5 million customers' hands via pre-order. Microsoft previously announced in August that pre-orders for the game had passed one million.

Now with more than 1.5 million pre-orders Halo 3 has become "the fasting pre-selling game in history, surpassing the previous record-setting pre-sales of Halo 2," according to Microsoft.

With 10,000 stores opening at midnight for the special launch of Halo 3, the retail community is licking its chops for what is sure to be a huge day. A full list of stores opening at 12:01 a.m. can be found here.

"The excitement and demand for Halo 3 has transcended a typical video game release and we're preparing dedicated registers for its midnight release in our 24-hour stores," commented Darin Dickson, video game merchandise buyer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. "It's clear that this is one of the most anticipated games of the year and that 12:01 am Sept. 25 will be a memorable moment for thousands of gamers."

"With Halo 3, Bungie Studios has further mastered the art of marrying fantastic gameplay with the intangibles that make the experience extraordinary for gamers, evoking incredible emotion through its story and character development," said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios. "That emotion is at the heart of what makes this more than a game and why Halo connects with its audience in the way other great stories like Star Wars resonated with theirs. But unlike the static experiences of a great film or novel, Halo 3 offers a dynamic and social interactive entertainment experience that enables players to finish the fight themselves."

Microsoft is expecting Halo 3 to easily break the first-day sales of Halo 2, which raked in $125 million. With three SKUs at higher price points ($59.99, $69.99 and $129.99), that does seem likely. Whether sales will quickly reach $200 million as some analysts have predicted only time will tell.

For more on Halo 3, including the game's review, check out the GameDaily Halo 3 hub.