Last night was the night that the "Halo 2" hype reached its climax. I guarantee that we’ll make that by 4 p.m. "There was a commotion about the film "The Incredibles" making $70 million over the weekend. It is very clear to us that this kind of entertainment is usurping others," Moore said.
"One of the things we’ll look back on in 24 hours is what size is the industry. Halo nation is a fascinating cultural phenomena," he said.Īnd this phenomena, according to Moore, is nothing less than revolutionary as far as redefining the entertainment industry. "I've been in this business for five or six years and I have never seen a single title get this much attention. To Halo fans, he's probably better known than their local congressman. Moore is the Corporate Vice President of Worldwide Marketing and Publishing for the Home and Entertainment Division of Microsoft and is an anomaly in his own right a corporate executive that actually has facial recognition. Inside Toys R' Us in a swanky "Halo 2" launch party, Microsoft's Peter Moore eagerly worked the crowd of assorted celebrities and gathered media. (MSNBC is a Microsoft-NBC joint venture.) Priced at $49.99 or $54.99 for the "collector's edition," the pre-orders represent a hit nothing short of phenomenal in gaming (and entertainment) history. 9 launch date back in May, the game has racked up over 1.5 million pre-orders. Since game developers Bungie and Microsoft announced the Nov. Noted for its graphics, its storyline of an embattled human race battling the dreaded alien "Covenant" and its fast-paced multiplayer component, the title has an almost religious quality within the video-game community. "Get a life, you freaking losers!" yelled another passerby.įor anyone hiding under the rock these past few months, "Halo 2" represents the long-awaited sequel to the best-selling Microsoft Xbox video game of all time. "Halo 2! Halo 2!" yelled the sign bearer. "Excuse me, what is this line for?" asked a passerby to a young man bearing a "Save the earth!" sign. the crowd was so large even the crusty city dwellers were starting to take notice. New York City’s Time Square has seen everything from 25 cents peep shows to rampant "Disneyfication," but the hundreds of screaming males lined up late last night outside the Toys R Us on 44th and Broadway represented a Times Square first: The video-game release street party.īy 10 p.m.