Halo Reach Gets Price CutHalo Reach Gets Price Cut

Gamers looking to get their hands on a copy of Microsoft's Halo Reach won't have to pay quite as much for a copy of the basic edition as they would have on launch day Monday.

Amazon has cut the price on the game by 3%, from $59.99 to $58.10, according to the online retail giant's Web site. The price was still $59.99 as of early Thursday at other major outlets, including Best Buy and Microsoft's own online store.

While Amazon's price cut doesn't add up to much, the $1.89 discount might be enough for that extra can of Red Bull gamers may need to get through Halo Reach's various levels. Already, the game has broken the Xbox Live record for the number of gamers logging in simultaneously to play.

As of Thursday, the basic version of Halo Reach was the top selling video game on Amazon.com, while the $79 Limited edition held the eighth place spot. A $399 bundle that features a Halo-themed, 250GB Xbox 360 console and wireless controller, as well as the basic edition of the game, was the tenth best seller on Amazon's list.

The Legendary edition, which includes 10" character figurines designed by Todd McFarlane and sells for a whopping $149, was in 14th place on Amazon's real-time roster of top-selling video games.

Microsoft and retail partner Best Buy held launch parties Monday night in New York, Seattle, and London, England to mark the game's release. At the New York event, crowds lined up for blocks around the city's famous Times Square area to be among the first to purchase the game.

Halo Reach, an Xbox 360 exclusive that was produced by Bungie, is billed as a prequel to the original version of Halo. "Halo Reach follows the story of Noble Team, a squad of heroic Spartan soldiers as they make their final stand on planet Reach, humanity's last line of defense between the terrifying Covenant and Earth," according to Microsoft.

The game features a new graphics and audio engine that offers enhanced visuals and sounds over its predecessors, Microsoft said.