Skip to main content

Halo: Reach Beta Attracts 1 Million Gamers on Day One

Image used with permission by copyright holder

If the interest in the multiplayer beta is any indication, Halo: Reach is going to sell a lot of copies. That was almost a given anyway due to the loyal droves of Halo fans, plus the advertising that has begun and will continue to intensify as the September release grows closer, but attracting over 1 million players to a beta in one day is big. Very big. To put it in perspective, when the Halo 3 beta was released, it did not attract 1 million gamers during the entire run of its testing.

Bungie has revealed that within 24 hours of the beta’s launch, 1,170,112 total players logged on and played, and the average was 14 games played per player. Within that first 24 hour period, over 14 million games were played, there were nearly 158 million kills, and 936,864,266 seconds were spent playing.

Recommended Videos

The number of gamers could be dismissed, since a beta key was included with each copy of Halo: ODST (and ODST went on to sell over 3 million copies), but with 14 games played on average by each player, it appears that Bungie and Microsoft may have another hit on their hands.

Check out our impressions of the Halo: Reach beta and let us know what you think!

Ryan Fleming
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…
Wordle Today: Wordle answer and hints for November 23
Someone playing Wordle on a smartphone.

We have the solution to Wordle on July 16, as well as some helpful hints to help you figure out the answer yourself, right here. We've placed the answer at the bottom of the page, so we don't ruin the surprise before you've had a chance to work through the clues. So let's dive in, starting with a reminder of yesterday's answer.
Yesterday's Wordle answer
Let's start by first reminding ourselves of yesterday's Wordle answer for those new to the game or who don't play it daily, which was "PEARL." So we can say that the Wordle answer today definitely isn't that. Now, with that in mind, perhaps take another stab at it using one of these Wordle starting words and circle back if you have no luck.
Hints for today's Wordle
Still can't figure it out? We have today's Wordle answer right here, below. But first, one more thing: Let's take a look at three hints that could help you find the solution, without giving it away, so there's no need to feel guilty about keeping your streak alive -- you put in some work, after all! Or just keep scrolling for the answer.

Today’s Wordle includes the letter J.
Today’s Wordle uses two vowels.
Today's Wordle is something you might find in a donut.

Read more
NYT Connections: hints and answers for Saturday, November 23
New York Times' Connection puzzle open in the NYT Games app on iOS.

Connections is one of the best puzzle games from the New York Times. The game tasks you with categorizing a pool of 16 words into four secret (for now) groups by figuring out how the words relate to each other. The puzzle resets every night at midnight and each new puzzle has a varying degree of difficulty. Just like Wordle, you can keep track of your winning streak and compare your scores with friends.

Some days are trickier than others — just like other NYT Games favorites The Mini and Strands. If you're having a little trouble solving today's puzzle, check out our Connections tips and tricks guide for some good strategies or check out the hints for today's Connections puzzle below. And if you still can't get it, we'll tell you today's answers at the very end.
How to play Connections

Read more
NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Saturday, November 23
NYT Strands logo.

Strands is a brand new daily puzzle from the New York Times. A trickier take on the classic word search, you'll need a keen eye to solve this puzzle.

Like Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword, Strands can be a bit difficult to solve some days. There's no shame in needing a little help from time to time. If you're stuck and need to know the answers to today's Strands puzzle, check out the solved puzzle below.
How to play Strands
You start every Strands puzzle with the goal of finding the "theme words" hidden in the grid of letters. Manipulate letters by dragging or tapping to craft words; double-tap the final letter to confirm. If you find the correct word, the letters will be highlighted blue and will no longer be selectable.

Read more