Nile Rodgers' Sumthing Else Music Works is planning an aggressive retail campaign for “Halo 2: Original Soundtrack,” the companion to Microsoft Game Studios' new Xbox title. The “Halo 2” game and album are due Nov. 9.

As of Oct. 21, “Halo 2” game pre-orders had set an industry record of more than 1.5 million, and they could ultimately top 2 million, according to Peter Moore, corporate VP of worldwide publishing and marketing for Xbox.

The original “Halo,” developed by Bungie Studios before it became part of MGS, is the top Xbox title, selling more than 5 million copies worldwide.

The bulk of the “Halo 2” soundtrack features new symphonic compositions by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori. The pair penned the original “Halo: Combat Evolved” soundtrack, which has sold about 40,000 copies according to Rodgers.

The set also features new material from top rock acts. Included are “Blow Me Away” by Hollywood Records' Breaking Benjamin and “The Odyssey,” a four –movement suite by Epic's Incubus, plus bonus track “Connected” by Island Def Jam's Hoobastank.

Rodgers produced the album; he also wrote, performed and co-produced the track “Never Surrender” in collaboration with songwriter/remixer Nataraj. “It's a mash-up mix of the ‘Halo' theme,” Rodgers says. This exclusive cut and a new version of Halo theme “Mjolnir Mix” feature guitar work by Steve Vai.

“'Halo' is the only videogame that ever inspired us to write a whole suite,” Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger tells Billboard . “Now if we could only stop playing ‘Halo,' we might actually be able to write another one.”

Epic is placing a sticker on its forthcoming Incubus “Live at Red Rocks” DVD to highlight the inclusion of “The Odyssey” segment “Follow” from “Halo 2.”

Ben Burnley of Breaking Benjamin says “Halo” is his “favorite all-time game” and that the band plays it “all the time” while on tour. “It's like a dream being able to contribute music to the game and soundtrack,” he adds.

“Blow Me Away” is also available at nilerodgers.com and music.msn.com.

“These players each have the unique ability to improvise and embellish Martins' ideas, “ Rodgers says. “Therefore we are all connected, hence the original composition provided by Hoobastank.

“We've been working on the ‘Halo 2' music for more than a year,” he continues, “and as the release date got pushed back, we had to rethink the musical concept to reach out to different artists.”

Promotional inserts for the soundtrack will go into the first 3 million copies of the game in North America.

Xbox is also including the soundtrack in its on-air radio messages and giveaways for “Halo 2,” which will be heard on modern rock and R&B/hip-hop stations in the top 40 markets.

“Retailers are jumping on the opportunity to cross-market our soundtrack with the game,” Sumthing Else president Andy Uterano says. “At Musicland, we'll have an endcap for the CD and game.”

Other chains participating in endcap or listening-station promotions include Circuit City, Tower and Fred Meyer. Best Buy will promote the game and soundtrack in programming on the Music Choice cable and satellite TV service.

Also in the works are creative programs with Wal-Mart and specialty chains GameStop and EB Games.

The Toys “R” Us chain is among more than 6,500 U.S. retailers that will hold “midnight madness” sales for “Halo 2.”

The game will be available at midnight Nov. 8 at the Toys “R” Us location in New York's Times Square, where the first 2,000 “Halo” purchasers will receive the soundtrack as a free bonus premium, according to Uterano.