Halo 3: Microsoft to replace damaged games

Microsoft has been forced to offer replacement Halo 3 games within hours of launching the much-hyped Xbox 360 game.

Not long after thousands of fans walked away from long queues with the software giant's most eagerly awaited computer game, reports of scratched video game disks flooded the internet.

Microsoft faced a flurry of blogs claiming that the scratches were a result of the game's special limited-edition packaging. In response, the group told its customers on the Xbox website, "if, for any reason, you have a damaged Microsoft Xbox 360 disc and (would) like to replace it...you will need to complete the program form".

Customers have until December 31 to send their damaged disks back to Microsoft, which warned that the replacement games would take four to six weeks to deliver. The game went on sale in Britain at midnight last night. Prices in the US start at around $60 (£30), yet the same basic edition of Halo 3 in the UK is on sale for £49.99. Retailers Amazon and Game, however, are offering it online for around £39.99. Last month, Microsoft finally caved in to Xbox 360 games console price cuts in the UK, just weeks after Nintendo turned up the heat by lifting its profit forecast for the year by more than 40pc on the back of soaring global sales of Wii and DS devices.

The news of damaged Halo 3 games will come as a blow to Microsoft, which recently admitted it will have to spend up to $1.15bn repairing defective Xbox 360 consoles and extending their warranty policies.