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The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) has been running quite a few stories on the release of Halo 3, all of which seem to be extremely positive with titles like “Microsoft’s ‘Halo 3′ Game Meets Approval of Critics” and “Casual Gamer Takes a Turn At Halo 3 to Judge the Hype.” One of the articles cites Halo 3’s high score on Metacritic (an aggregator of reviews) and then speculates that the critics’ acclaim caused the boost to Microsoft’s shares yesterday (which rose 43 cents or 1.5%) and explained the nearly doubled volume of stock trading.

Another article focuses on a non-serious (casual) gamer who also happens to be a reporter for the WSJ. He mentions that he is also in the older demographic (late 30s) that the gaming business is wanting to engage with its products. He didn’t have a single negative thing to say about the game (unusual for a reporter). His conclusion: “In all, Halo 3 is an impressive title that’s a reminder of how serious a contender Microsoft has become in the games business.”

In related news, Nintendo this week passed Canon to become Japan’s second most valuable company currently trading, behind Toyota. Investors believe that demand for Nintendo’s Wii and DS will remain strong into the year-end shopping season. It’s good to be in the gaming business, apparently.

If you’re interested in Halo 3, check out our wrap up of Halo 3 deals.

*Update* Check out the latest positive buzz via the New York Times article “Halo 3 Arrives, Rewarding Gamers, and Microsoft.”