Student gamers ecstatic over release of 'Halo 2'

Campus video game enthusiasts were thrilled by Tuesday's release of Xbox's "Halo 2" — the sequel to the bestselling Xbox first-person shooter "Halo," which has sold an estimated $149 million in copies since November 2001, according to the Associated Press.

"I was waiting for [Tuesday's] release for almost a year," Arjun Reddy '08 said.

Microsoft estimated first day sales of "Halo 2" at 2.4 million copies, which places the game among the bestselling ever over a one-day period, according to the AP.

"'Halo' is a video game that takes over one's life. It can be played for hours at a time," Reddy said.

Reddy and roommate Jason Sheltzer '08 have founded a social group on thefacebook.com entitled "Halo = Severe GPA Drop."

They say "Halo" has transformed their suitemates from gaming neophytes into true thumb warriors.

Reddy, who was not an avid gamer until he took up "Halo," said, "The first week of school, my roommates were like 'We don't play video games.' I got them to play 'Halo.' Now they're addicted."

According to Bungie Studios — the Microsoft subsidiary that developed the game — "Halo 2" is "a story-driven action game featuring multiple weapons, vehicles and scenarios."

Different playing modes, an arsenal of exotic virtual weapons and many difficulty levels make "Halo" a potent means of procrastination.

University students have compared the "Halo" games to other first person shooters such as Nintendo 64's Goldeneye 007.

"What sets 'Halo' apart is the unique controller setup. You have to be able to use both thumbs at the same time," Reddy said.

Players select between following the main character, Master Chief, through a series of missions in campaign mode or battling other players in multiplayer mode.