According to Variety, Microsoft wants to reach $155 million worth of Halo 3 sales on launch day, toppling the $151 million achieved by Spiderman 3 during its opening weekend, which happens to be the current record holder for a movie at the box office.

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The summer of threequels is winding down, but there's still one more juggernaut third installment everyone will have their eyes on this year. Just don't look for it in theaters.

The videogame "Halo 3" hits store shelves Sept. 25, and Microsoft is positioning it to be the most successful debut of any entertainment property ever with an extensive multiplatform advertising blitz geared to generate debut grosses topping even the biggest of summer tentpole pics.

In its first 24 hours of release in 2004, the second installment of the sci-fi shooter earned $125 million. That number forced many nongamers to take the vidgame biz seriously for the first time.

With "Halo 3," Microsoft's Xbox unit wants not only to top the 2004 figure but to reach $155 million in a single day -- besting the $151 million opening weekend for "Spider-Man 3," the current record holder for a pic at the box office.

Officially, of course, the software giant is hedging its bets.