Halo 3 rides hype into US retailers
SAN FRANCISCO–Nearly two and a half years after Bill Gates almost casually revealed its existence, Halo 3 finally arrived in North American stores. Some analysts estimate that over 4.2 million copies of the game were shipped to retailers, and Microsoft claims over 1.6 million units have been preordered.
Given the staggering amount of hype, many felt they had little choice but to buy Halo 3. For weeks, gamers were beaten over the head by Microsoft’s $10 million marketing campaign, which promoted the game with cudgel-like subtlety. Even before launch day, Halo 3 achieved a level of media saturation typically reserved for Hollywood blockbusters, with the likeness of its hero, the Master Chief, appearing on everything from snack chips to NASCAR racers. To kick off Halo 3’s retail sojourn, Microsoft held four official launch events in Seattle, Miami, Los Angeles, and New York City. But Microsoft’s PR blitzkrieg could be felt at most of the 10,000-plus midnight sales going on across the country. In San Francisco, the biggest such event was at the EB Games on Powell Street, a block away from the world-famous Union Square. Though the busy thoroughfare–the start of a cable car line–was not closed off, there were two police officers on hand to keep order.
“I have no idea what they’re selling in there, some sort of game, I guess,” said one San Francisco Police Department officer, keeping an eye on the crowd. “They just paid us to show up and work private security. We’re not here on city business or anything.”
As the hour of midnight approached, the least flustered of the four EB managers on hand began rolling out large boxes stamped “Made in China.” At about 11:50 p.m., the boxes were unsealed, and numerous copies of the regular and scratch-prone limited editions of Halo 3 piled up behind the counter. After the strategy guides were heaped on either side of the register, the legendary editions of the game were unpacked. As the clock struck midnight, the first of the huge black boxes containing a legendary edition was handed over the counter to Krug, who by this point was sporting a Game Fuel T-shirt and a dazed smile. “YEAAAAH!” he screamed, posing for press pictures, before running out through the swelling crowd, holding the game over his head. With his two friends in tow, he took off whooping, running toward Market Street. As Krug’s frame faded into the darkness, one bystander turned to another and caustically commented, “That guy is going to get so mugged tonight.”
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