While Microsoft has clearly positioned this month's release of Halo 2 for Windows Vista as a touchstone for the company's previously announced Windows Live initiative, the company has revealed that the game's release has been pushed back from its previously expected May 8 release until May 22. In a short statement, Microsoft officials noted that the delay was made in order to “make some improvements to the install experience and address other technical issues.” The Halo franchise has continued to be a phenomenal success story for Microsoft. Halo 2 was originally released in North America on November 9, 2004 for the Xbox following a record 1.5 million pre-orders. At the time, Microsoft gained significant press coverage by proclaiming that the game sold 2.4 million copies in its first 24 hours for a revenue total of $125 million – more than the total opening day gross the the movie Spiderman 2. The game continues to be one of the most played games over Xbox Live for both the Xbox and Xbox 360, accounting for over a half a billion games played. The Windows Vista port of Halo 2, originally developed by series creator Bungie, is being handled by internal Microsoft studio Hired Gun. This latest version of the game, which will only run on Windows Vista, is expected to include a number of new features not found in its console equivalent, including achievement points, a map editor, and of course support for Microsoft's Games for Windows Live, the extension of its popular Xbox Live service tailored for the PC market.