Its currently a trend to release "preorder" numbers which are in fact retailler orders. Not sure if that is the case here, or if the number is just bunk. I assume it has no relation to actual consumer preorders, because the odds of 60% of all Halo 2 buyers (assuming these are American numbers, 50% otherwise) preordering at the same chain of stores 4 months before release are nonexistant. The game will obviously still be bigger than Gears and one of the biggest games of the year, probably #2 behind Pokemon. But presumably most Halo players are "casual" gamers, and they may jump to "the next big thing" if they're hearing even a little disappointment around Halo 3. The actual people complaining are probably more "hardcore" gamers who will probably buy the game anyways--the problem is the people they influence.
"[Our former customers] are unable to find software which they WANT to play."
"The way to solve this problem lies in how to communicate what kind of games [they CAN play]."
Satoru Iwata, Nintendo President. Only slightly paraphrased.
