Credit to games industry news site Kotaku for tracking this: When the NPD Group released February video game sales figures last week, Wii Fit, the fitness game for Nintendo's market-leading console, sold 644,000 units, topping the software charts.

And that was enough to surpass "Halo 3," in lifetime sales. The blockbuster from Kirkland-based Bungie Studios, exclusive to Microsoft's Xbox 360 console, has sold 5.9 million units in the U.S. since launching in September 2007.

Wii Fit just hit 6 million, NPD Group told Kotaku. Wii Fit passed "Halo 3" despite costing $30 more (it comes with a balance board, the creation of which I detailed in this story) and launching eight months after "Halo 3".

After three straight months of declining video game console sales, Sony is hoping to start 2009 with a bang as one of the most-anticipated titles for the PlayStation 3 hits stores Feb. 27. With "Killzone 2," the company hopes to showcase the power of its game console and take some momentum away from Microsoft's Xbox 360.

A week ago, Microsoft announced its first companywide layoff, letting go 1,400 people as part of a plan to cut up to 5,000 jobs in the next 18 months. But the company made clear it would continue hiring, perhaps 2,000 to 3,000 people, in strategically important areas. And judging by its U.S. online jobs site, it intends to. A search of the site for positions in Washington state brought back 72 openings posted since Jan. 22, the day the layoffs were announced.

Desirai Labrada and John Henry met in December 2004 on Xbox Live. They were playing "Halo 2," the blockbuster second installment of the game series from Kirkland-based Bungie and Microsoft that helped fuel growth of Microsoft's video game business. She was in New York, he was in Florida. They logged on daily to play together, blasting away as love blossomed.

Now, they're planning a "Halo"-themed wedding for a gaming show in January. And their school -- Full Sail University, an entertainment-focused institution near Orlando -- sent out a press release to announce it. (Engagement photo of Labrada and Henry distributed by Full Sail University.)

GamesIndustry.biz reports that Kirkland-based game studio Bungie expects "Halo 3: Recon" to be its last installment in the blockbuster trilogy, which has probably done more for Microsoft's video game console business than any other title.

LOS ANGELES -- A post on video game news site Joystiq shows what is described as a Wal-Mart inventory listing for something called Halo "Blue," due out, perhaps, Sept. 30. So what is it? Add that to the list of questions that may be answered at Microsoft's E3 press conference in two and a half hours.