Microsoft has announced that Halo 3 has earned more than $300 million in sales in the week following its September 25th release, making it what the company says is the fastest-selling video game of all time. The announcement comes on the heels of Microsoft's stated $170 million in sales for Halo 3 within its first 24 hours. According to Microsoft, initial reports from retailers worldwide show console sales have nearly tripled compared with the weekly average before the launch of Halo 3. The company also says Halo 3's first week drove a record number of Xbox Live Gold memberships. Microsoft adds that more than 2.7 million gamers have played Halo 3 on Xbox Live in the first week, representing nearly one-third of the 7 million Xbox LIVE members worldwide. Additionally, within the first day of its launch, Microsoft says Halo 3 players worldwide racked up more than 3.6 million hours of online gameplay, which increased more than elevenfold to 40 million hours by the end of the first week, collectively unlocking nearly 30 million achievements. Said Microsoft chair Bill Gates, "The launch of Halo is an important milestone for Xbox 360 and for video games as entertainment and as an art form. Halo 3 embodies our vision for the future of entertainment, where some of the world's greatest creative minds will deliver a new generation of interactive storytelling."