Halo 3 won’t be out until September 25th, but the hype machine is already well in gear.  Microsoft has just announced that pre-sale numbers for Bungie‘s upcoming behemoth have already exceeded one million copies.  Chris Di Cesare, Microsoft’s director of creative marketing, says, “This September, Halo 3 will push video game entertainment into the forefront of mainstream culture.”

And he’s not kidding.  Microsoft is backing up its big gun by way of some big merchandising deals with major brands.  For starters, Pepsi is releasing a Halo-branded version of Mountain Dew, called Mountain Dew Game Fuel.  7-11 is getting in on the action with Halo-themed Slurpee cups, as well as a Doritos promotion.  Not wanting to be left out in the cold, Burger King will be doing its own in-store promotions, Pontiac is launching a Halo 3- themed contest, and Comcast will offer its subscribers all kinds of downloadable Halo goodies.  Phew! A marketing campaign of this depth and scope is truly unprecedented in the gaming industry.