MICROSOFT HAS DECLARED the release of the latest instalment in its Halo video game franchise, ‘Halo: Reach’, “the biggest entertainment launch of 2010 in the US”.

The latest instalment in the mega-selling Xbox franchise, released on Tuesday, recorded over $200m (€153m) in sales in its first 24 hours of release, exceeding the sales of its predecessor, ‘Halo 3′, by a clear $30m.

Phil Spencer of Microsoft Game Studios said that “every major instalment [of the series] has grown in scope and popularity, firmly cementing the Halo franchise as one of the most popular entertainment properties in the world over the past decade.”

Comparing the launch to the release of the biggest Hollywood movies of the year so far – Iron Man 2, Toy Story 3 and Alice in Wonderland – Microsoft has declared the game’s unveiling the biggest-grossing launch of any entertainment product so far this year.

The release is the linchpin of Microsoft’s commercial plans for the second half of the year, as it seeks to fight its way back into the video games industry as Nintendo and Sony both eat into its market.

Microsoft will also launch a full-body motion sensing system, the Kinect, in November while Sony launched a similar product yesterday. Nintendo, meanwhile, will launch a new version of the handheld DS console next spring, allowing 3D gaming without requiring the owner to wear glasses.