Halo 2 Midnight Madness
- November 08, 2004 23:20 PM PST
- Email this!
Fans gather outside game stores across the country to be among the first playing Halo 2.
If you are a Halo 2 fan in San Francisco tonight the place to be is the EB Games off Union Square. Located at 151 Powell Street the store is one of the many locations across the country where Halo 2 is scheduled to go on sale at midnight.When we arrived shortly after 9 pm the line numbered a mere 20 fans but within an hour the line had more than doubled in size and it is expected to grow even more by the time the doors open at midnight. The first fan has been in line since 6:30 in the evening.
Store manager John Cross said he couldn't give out specific numbers in terms of pre-orders or number of copies available at the store, but he did vow to make sure that everyone waiting in line got their copy of the game.
"I'm not going to close the door on people," said Cross. "Hopefully we'll be done by 2 am."
The crowd was fairly sedate at first, but at the minutes ticked down the excitement grew. In addition to GamePro, GamePro.com and GameStar, representatives from IGN, GameSpot, GameSpy, XBN and TV Channel 5 were on the scene. As the members of the press started interviewing the crowd, those waiting in line became quite vocal in their love for the game.
In order to keep things under control, Cross wandered down the length of the line, handing out numbered flyers. Each flyer had a selection of Halo 2 merchandise available and eager gamers were asked to mark their selections so that when they entered the store everything could be processed quickly and efficiently.
According to Cross, the crowd would be allowed into the store 10 fans at a time. As each group left, the next would be allowed inside. Cross said that the store was staffed for a normal shift, with one exception.
"We have a security guard tonight," Cross said.
