Crowds target Halo 3

WHEN the rattling doors of video game retailers across the globe opened at midnight on Tuesday to excited gamers, so too was a new chapter opened in the book of cultural phenomena.
It was launch night for one of the most hyped video games in history, Halo 3.
But more so, it was a chance for video games to shed their unwritten association with pimply-faced teenagers and show that gaming is a viable entertainment platform reaching the masses, arguably on par with the movie industry.
Come 10.30pm on Monday night there were no less than 100 loyal video game fanatics entreating entrance to EB Games at Westfield Fountain Gate.
Halo 3, the final instalment of one of the largest video game franchises ever, has been breaking sales records across the globe and has been predicted to change the world’s view of the interactive gaming industry forever.
Not only did its predecessor Halo 2 net over $140 million worldwide in the first 24 hours of sales, but it was announced in late August – a month before its release date – that Halo 3 had already exceeded one million presales in North America alone.
This rapid growth in sales figures represents the exponential growth of the trilogy’s fan base, but fans weren’t the only ones to show up at Fountain Gate for the midnight launch.
Fatigued mums, dads, and partners were there in numbers showing their support.
Whether they played the role of chauffeur, treasurer or legal guardian (due to the game’s M15+ rating) they were still there and knew what Halo 3 and its impending release meant to their loved ones.
After fans collected numbered tickets they formed a queue of more than 50 metres in length.
The air was tense and you could practically hear the racing hearts of 150 eager bodies.
The countdown to midnight was recited through a PA system from the store front and gamers were let through the door in groups of four to pick up their copies.
As soon as they had the game in their hands fans quickly made themselves scarce without a doubt fleeing home to finish the fight.