Microsoft has released launch figures for Halo 4, and it's safe to say the company is happy with its performance so far. The latest entry in the flagship Xbox franchise made $220 million worldwide in its first 24 hours on sale, with US figures beating the all-time day one box office record set by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Calling this the "biggest entertainment launch of the year," Microsoft expects total sales in the first week to top $300 million.

Lifetime sales for the Halo series have now reached $3.38 billion. Halo 4 is the latest in a long line of titles, but it's the first time a numbered entry has been developed by anyone other than original creator Bungie, with new studio 343 Industries taking the reins for the first time. So far, the commercial and critical success of Halo 4 would suggest that fans had little to worry about.