Microsoft's Halo 3 has racked up more than $170m in sales in the first 24 hours after launch.

The figure makes Halo 3 the largest single-day US launch in entertainment history, breaking records set by Spider Man 3 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Demand for the game has been unprecedented. Six weeks prior to release Microsoft had already recorded more than one million pre-orders, climbing to more than 1.7 million by the 25 September release date.

Promotions for the game included giant wax statues of Master Chief, the game's main character, and a Halo 3-branded 'game fuel' soft drink from Mountain Dew.

"The initial demand for Halo 3 has been astounding," declared Jim Hamburger, vice president of movies and games at US retailer Best Buy. "The game is on track to become the number one gaming title of all time."

The rush for Halo 3 also led to a record-setting day for Microsoft's Xbox Live service which recorded more than one million users on the first day of Halo 3 sales, its largest single-day load ever.

Halo 3 is the third and supposedly final game in the Halo trilogy. The first-person shooter franchise is largely credited with helping to establish the Xbox 360 on the gaming console market.