Microsoft has released some more impressive figures relating the to Halo 3 launch. The game managed more than $300 million in sales in the first week alone and has officially become the fastest-selling video game ever.

As we had previously reported, retailers worldwide say that console sales have more than doubled compared with the weekly average before the launch of Halo 3.

"'Halo' is truly a cultural phenomenon, and the launch of 'Halo 3' is an important milestone for Xbox 360 and for video games as entertainment and as an art form," said Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft.

"'Halo 3' embodies our vision for the future of entertainment, where some of the world's greatest creative minds will deliver a new generation of interactive storytelling."

Halo 3 is quickly staking its place as the most popular Xbox LIVE game in history with members gathering in record numbers to play on the world's largest online gaming and entertainment network on TV.

More than 2.7 million gamers have played "Halo 3" on Xbox Live in the first week, representing nearly one-third of the 7 million Xbox LIVE members worldwide.

Within the first day of its launch, "Halo 3" players worldwide racked up more than 3.6 million hours of online gameplay, which increased more than elevenfold to 40 million hours by the end of the first week, representing more than 4,500 years of continuous gameplay.

Since "Halo 3 launched," gamers have unlocked nearly 30 million achievements.

In its first week, "Halo 3" drove a record number of Xbox LIVE Gold Memberships as hundreds of thousands of new members gathered online with friends, family members and other gamers around the world to collectively compete and complete the game.