You need to compare it on a monthy basis, rather than a weekly basis.

NPD Figures for Each November - Source: NPD via VGCharts.com

2001 (launch) - 722,177
2002 - 468,000
2003 - 490,000
2004 (Halo 2) - 708,000
2005 - 195,000
2005 (X360) - 326,000
2006 (X360) - 513,000 (est)

So you can tell that H2 definately had an effect. It was 218k units higher than any other November for the Xbox, and still 195k more than any Microsoft November incl. the X360.

mrstickball makes a very good point, it is much clearer when you compare it against itself instead of other systems

So it is fairly safe to assume or estimate 150-200K sales in the month of November *primarily* from the Halo 2 launch. My question then is what does that tell us about Halo 3? Do we think it will do the same, more, less? And second, for the upcoming crow eating contest, what will be considered as "having moved consoles?" Obviously if sales are only up 25-50K units for the month of October, it would be hard to argue that it isn't just people jumping in because of known new hardware and/or the price cut and/or some combination thereof. I'd say a 100K bump would qualify as having "moved" units....

kber81 said: Wow... I have to say I'm shocked... It really doesn't move hardware... 2.5 million units sold and only 70k extra boxes?

Individual games don't move as much hardware as some tend to think. 

On a side note, are you really still playing Resistance and Virtual Fighter 5?  Isn't there anything else available?

Just as a sidenote, November of 2004 was the only profitable month for the original Xbox. Was that the result of Halo 2? I would venture probably.

Personally, I would expect a smaller boost from Halo 3 ... Halo 2 was released for a system which was less than half the price of the XBox 360, at a time when people need to buy something for their 16 year old son for christmas. Over the next (several) months you may see somewhat higher numbers for the XBox 360 because of Halo 3 but I don't expect much of a Week 1 boost in sales.

 But now that the serious is well established here in America. You will see a quite of a difference between what you saw with Halo 2 with the Xbox and what you will see with Halo 3 for the Xbox 360.

@ kber 81... that's exactly what i was thinking...the 360 might not pass 320K in the Halo 3 launch month :O

That would require all of the sales bumps to happen in the course of 5 days which we all know isn't realistic, now is it?  Look at the Launch date of the game...  I would expect to sell *some systems* at launch of the game but I would expect the sales bump to come on stronger in october and carry some momentum through the holidays.  Microsoft has Mass Effect and PGR4 coming this holiday along with a stellar lineup of multi-platform games so it's going to be hard to separate "Halo 3 inspired" vs. other reasons for buying hardware. 

My thoughts exactly, kn. While September might not be a monster month for the 360, its year-over-year sales will be much higher in 2007 from September-January and it will be largely due to Halo 3 (along with Mass Effect and Lost Odyssey).