Redmond, Wash. - Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) said this week that its entertainment and devices division, which includes its Xbox video game business, reported a profit of $165 million in the company's fiscal first quarter, fueled in large part by the release of "Halo 3" for the Xbox 360. The profit compares with a loss of $142 million in the same period a year ago. Revenues at the Xbox unit were also up 91%, to $1.93 billion.

Redmond, Wash. - Microsoft announced on Thursday that "Halo 3" for its Xbox 360 video game console racked up over $300 million in sales during its first week, which figures as one of the biggest entertainment product launches of all time.

Following Friday's post on the top gadgets in the run up to Christmas, today I reveal the most searched for entertainment products. The most noticable trend is the massive increase in searches for entertainment downloads, which currently outstrip searches for CDs by a factor of 27 and DVDs by a factor of 13. Searches for downloads accounted for 35% of searches for entertainment products, almost double the amount for books, and five times more than games.

Disney’s High School Musical franchise tops the list of entertainment products, followed by searches for the Halo 3 and Fifa 2008. Hip hop superstar Kanye West is the most popular musician, receiving over three times as many searches as his rival 50 Cent

Redmond, Wash. - Microsoft has announced that its "Halo 3" video game for the Xbox 360 console racked up $170 million in U.S. sales on Tuesday, more than any movie or album has generated on its first day on sale, making the game's release "the biggest day in entertainment history," the company said.

Halo 3 shipped on Monday at midnight, and there were launch parties at Microsoft campuses around the country. These are pictures from the Mountain View, California location.

London - Microsoft's anticipated Xbox 360 title "Halo 3" has been leaked online and is available for download from a number of file-sharing sites in advance of its official release, according to published reports.

Redmond, Wash. - Microsoft said on Thursday that pre-orders for its "Halo 3" game for Xbox 360 in North America have now surpassed one million, making it the fastest-selling pre-order video game ever, according to the company. The company, which will release the game in September, also announced upcoming promotions with partners including Mountain Dew, 7-Eleven, Pontiac, Comcast and Burger King.

Beverly Hills, Calif. - Online celebrity news and entertainment site No Good TV (NGTV) said on Tuesday it partnered with Microsoft on a promotion that will give celebrities the chance to challenge each other in the beta version of "Halo 3" for the Xbox 360, in advance of the game's release on Sept. 25. The in-studio face-offs will be broadcast on NGTV.com as well as on select Xbox sites later this summer.

Los Angeles - Microsoft Game Studios and developer Bungie Studios announced on Wednesday that the final chapter in their "Halo" game trilogy, "Halo 3," will ship to retailers on Sept. 25. The companies launched the multiplayer beta of the game on Wednesday, alongside a special Halo-themed edition of Microsoft's Zune portable media player. The previous installment of the game, "Halo 2," generated a record $125 million in sales in its first day on sale.

Redmond, Wash. - Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios announced on Tuesday that the multiplayer beta for their forthcoming Xbox 360-exclusive title, "Halo 3," will become available via the Xbox Live online game service on May 16, and run through June 6. Three multiplayer maps will be available to gamers who secured admission to the "Halo 3" beta through various promotions.