[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...&TM=45904.7

Halo 3 Draws Crowds
About 150 crowd local store awaiting a chance to play the fate of Master Chief.

Laurie Wink
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - The midnight release today of Halo 3, the last in a series of science fiction games, drew 150 pre-paid customers and a line around the Game Stop building at 5330 Franklin St.

Halo music was playing on speakers outside the store, keeping the adrenaline pumping while customers waited. The midnight release is similar to the build-up for Harry Potter book releases, except the Halo trilogy market is 17-to 35-year-old males says Christopher Wojciechowski, Game Stop manager.

He also compares the appeal of Halo 3 to the popularity of the Star Wars trilogy.

"It's all about the story," Wojciechowski said. "It's a very epic story, very fleshed out."

The customers at the head of the line at Game Stop were eager to get their hands on the new product. Chris Farlie, 21, Michigan City, had been waiting since 7 p.m.

"It's awesome. I can shoot aliens and kill them," he said.

According to John Sceigely, 18, of La Porte, it's all about the main character.

"They hyped it up a lot. Everyone wants to find out if Master Chief dies or not," he said.

The Halo series central character is Master Chief Petty Officer SPARTAN-117, also known as Master Chief. The super-human soldier is accompanied by Cortana as they fight against the enemy Covenant. The story takes place on the planet-like Halo.

The guys in line formed a bond as the countdown to midnight went on. They call themselves the Halo Nation, a brotherhood of Halo geeks. They showed off Halo paraphernalia including pins, key chains, wallets, belts, pins and T-shirts.

Customers must be at least 17 years old to purchase Halo 3, a mature-rated game with blood and violence. Game Stop asks for buyers' identification and those under 17 must be accompanied by a parent, Wojciechowski said.

Halo 3 can be played by up to 16 players at one time. Players set up an account with a "gamer tag" and can go online to play with anyone around the world, says Alex Pishkur, 17, Michigan City. They can increase their proficiency ratings from 1 to 50.

Pishkur was in line with his brother Tyler Granthim, 16, who had given him money to buy Halo 3 for him. Sceigely's underage brother Matt was also there to score a Halo 3 through his brother. There were no girls in sight Monday night, but the guys said a lot of them play online.

"Girls don't have a huge share of the market," Wojciechowski said. "But you have some really nice girls who want the violent games."

Those in the target market have jobs that allow them to afford the video game, priced at $60, and the video game console Xbox 360, costing up to $450. Pishkur said he had more than $500 invested in Halo so far.

The Halo video games were created by Bungie Studios, formed in 1991 by two University of Chicago undergraduates. Their company was purchased by Microsoft in 2000. The computer and video game industry sales were more than $7 million in 2005.

Wojciechowski said it's his job to try out all the games so he can inform customers, but he's not a die-hard gamer.

"Actually, I read books," he said.



Contact Laurie Wink at lwink@thenewsdispatch.com.

[JHeath]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...&TM=45904.7

"It's awesome. I can shoot aliens and kill them," he said.

And we wonder what's wrong with our society. ugh.

[mcstumper]

Yeah, losers. Of course, once my brother-in-law gets a copy I will at his place until 2am playing it. But that's different.

[Roger Kaputnik]

That is funny that they think lot of girls are online playing. In truth, these guys are getting played.