2008 Woodie Awards
'Halo 3' dominates game scene
Benjamin Billman
Issue date: 9/27/07 Section: Intermission
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At the stroke of midnight, "Halo 3" was unleashed worldwide in video game stores. Gamers stood in line for hours to get first dibs on the game.
Brothers Owen and Will Imholte rented out two theaters in Parkwood 18 to put the game on the big screen.
The Imholtes took advantage of an advertisement they saw at Parkwood 18 months earlier.
After they presented their idea to Parkwood 18, staff members began helping to make the project become a reality.
When asked about gamer response, Will Imholte said it was difficult to get the word out, but once people started talking about "Halo 3" on the biggest screens in town, more began signing up.
The brothers did not expect the hardcore gamers to attend, since they would most likely be at the game stores buying their copy and heading back home to play it.
"To be truthful, it was probably a good thing there weren't many of them there, as they would have most likely monopolized major parts of the game," Will Imholte said.
What they were looking for were the border crossers; the people who have played "Halo" because of the games ability to draw people together.
The "Halo" games are known for their simple controls and for their intriguing single-player campaigns.
But for many people, the "Halo" games are known more for their multi-player maps. There have been few other games in history that have provided this much opportunity for people to play together so easily.
"Even if you don't buy the game, find a friend and hook up multi-player," said 17-year-old Tech High School student Terry Hampton. "You will enjoy it because it is such a great way to have fun with your friends."
Hampton was part of the first multi-player campaigns put on by the Imholtes, winning with 17 kills, with second place earning 15.
The "Halo 3" release date was much more than just several game stores around the country putting out the game.
CNN reported "Halo 3" (the game described aptly as the "Star Wars" for the thumb-stick generation) shattered entertainment release records, including records set by such films as "Harry Potter," "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Lord of the Rings."
Before the release date arrived, there were more than 1.5 million copies already in circulation, crushing the records set by the last most pre-sold game of all time, "Halo 2."
Just before "Halo 3" was released, the game's gross was above $160 million, surpassing the weekend total for "Spiderman 3."
Shouts of excitement, cheering and applause occured when the "Halo 3" logo first appeared on the big screen.
The gaming progressed in five-minute intervals, with the order of play determined by raffle drawing. There were prize raffles that included a seven-foot Master Chief cardboard cutout.
For those unfamiliar with the game's storyline, Master Chief is an enhanced human known as a Spartan, who is meant to be the Earth's defense against an attack by the Covenant, a coalition of alien forces including Elites, Grunts, Brutes and Jackals.
They have been waging war with humans for some time. In "Halo 1," Master Chief discovers and eventually destroys Halo.
Halo is a super weapon capable of destroying a large section of the universe to protect it in the undeniably logical thoughts of the Covenant forbears from the Flood.
If the Flood have no food, they can't eat and they will die. And, they feed on all living things.
In "Halo 2," signs of dissension appears in the Covenant ranks, with a coup being orchestrated by the Brutes to take over leadership. Master Chief is back to his old tricks, this time beating back a Covenant attack on Earth and following it up by charging after another Halo.
The "Halo 3" previews begin with the Earth being beaten down and only small pockets of survivors remaining.
The player's job is to push the Covenant off the planet and save humanity once again, and according to Bungie and Microsoft, for the last time.
Truly a remarkable game, if not for its superb game play, both single and multi-player, its easy controls and its interesting storyline, then at least for the way it brings people together.
Best Buy sponsored a three-day membership from Sept. 25-27 that allowed anyone with an Xbox console, broadband connection and "Halo 3" game to play online for free.
The Xbox Live Gold Membership did not require users to have a standing membership.
"If you can't afford it, find a friend with it and play with him," Hampton said. "It's worth it."