Mr. Pachter told NowGamer that Black Ops would beat out it's FPS rival due to releasing on more platforms. Xbox 360-exclusive Halo Reach launches worldwide on Tuesday.
"Because it will be multi-platform, I think Black Ops will outsell Halo Reach," Pachter confirmed. "Activision appears to agree with me, and the marketing campaign for Black Ops should be even bigger than the Halo marketing campaign."
Microsoft is reportedly spending 60 per cent more on promoting Halo Reach than it did on Halo 3, which became the biggest entertainment launch to date back in 2007.
That record was eclipsed by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 last year, but Pachter doesn't think the Halo franchise can reclaim the title. "[There's] not a chance that Halo Reach will launch bigger than MW2. It's single platform, MW2 was multi-platform."
Furthermore the analyst expects Halo Reach to shift around 6 million copies by the end of the year, rising to sales of 8-10 million in the first year.
"That represents 20-25 per cent penetration of the Xbox 360 installed base," Pachter explained. "To sell more, the game would have to resonate with the masses, which is definitely possible, but tough to predict."
As for the future; the next Halo game could be expected in as little as two years, and could change significantly in the hands of 343 Industries, said Pachter.
"Yes, I see the franchise evolving, and my guess is that we'll see the first title in two years. It's an open question as to whether the franchise can get any better, but I certainly expect something different in the future."
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