Campus gamers excited over the release of Halo 3
By Garrett Eagan, McDaniel Guru
September 25 is usually just a normal day to many people, especially students. Being a Tuesday doesn’t carry too much excitement on a college campus. However, September 25, 2007, will be remembered for excitement, anticipation, and a long-awaited end to the wait.
Bungie Studios released Halo 3, the final installment of the Halo Trilogy on Tuesday, September 25. The first person shooter has broken several sales records since its original release of Halo, Combat Evolved, in 2001.
At $66 a copy, a record setting 1.7 million copies were preordered for the release date of Halo 3, surpassing Halo 2’s number of 1.5 million copies preordered.
Gamers around the globe lined up on Monday awaiting the chance to get the first copy at the stroke of midnight. Halo 3 also broke the record for sales in the first 24-hour period, pulling in $170 million in sales. And this popularity doesn’t stop at the perimeter of campus.
“The game is pure insanity…a lot of people have been anxious to get it,” said junior Jordan Barton.
Like Barton, over 50 McDaniel students have purchased the game so far, vowing to “finish the fight,” a slogan that Halo 3 has coined for its title. But the “fight” didn’t just start at the release of Halo 3, it’s been happening for quite awhile.
After an overwhelming turnout last spring during WMCR’s Game Night, it was evident that Halo is more than just a game. Nearly 30 students participated in the event, playing Halo 2 in individual, teams of two, and teams of four games. It was the first time people actually got a glimpse of the Halo craze.
“The popularity of the game series is straight crazy…obviously from the number of people who play daily,” said junior Brent Toms.
Like many other players on campus, he plays Halo on the college network or on XBOX Live.
The college has allowed students to play on XBOX Live since last spring, and 25-30 students have signed up for it.
“We get on Live every day,” said junior James Isaminger. “[Halo] 3 like [Halo] 2 is really intense…I’ve devoted about 2-4 hours a day to it so far, depending on the connection.”
Isaminger, one-fourth of Team MerkHouse, the squad who won at the WMCR Game Night, sees Halo 3 having new-found popularity around campus. He’s not alone as people admit to their new addiction.
“I used to think Halo was mostly for nerds, but I honestly have really gotten into Halo 3… something that really shocked me,” said junior Matt Teter.
With the growing number of players on campus, it’s hard to think that the game’s popularity will die out any time soon. And as for showcasing Halo 3 talent?
A spokesperson for WMCR confirmed that there will be two WMCR Game Nights this year—one for Halo 2 and the second for Halo 3. All that’s left to do is hook up the sticks and start playing.