Late Night

There's not many things that can drag me from the warmth of my house late on a cold, November evening. Halo is one thing that can.

I collected my copy of the Limited Edition from a local store that had opened at midnight (it turns out, just for me). In the town where I live there were no less than three shops with open doors in preparation for the launch of Halo 4 and the return of John 117. My store was empty, but the other two sported huge queues. It was a prominent reminder for me - if it was needed - that there's still plenty of life left in Microsoft's talisman.

It wasn't just the queue that illustrated the point, the excited chatter of assembled peers also did the same trick. Disparate lives converging for an hour, each with a common goal. A snapshot of the people we play with and against, next time seen behind a Spartan's helmet and lining us up in their sights.

There are similar midnight launches for many games nowadays, but none of the others hold the same appeal for me. Certainly not enough to inspire me to venture out late at night. But we each have our own tastes. Variety is, as they say, the spice of life.

Luckily, with no queue to hold me up, I was home and playing Halo 4 within minutes of its release. On my way home I walked past GAME, seeing a store full of people laughing and talking, excited about the experiences they were about to share. I almost wanted to go on in and talk with some of the familiar faces within. But I didn't. I had more important things to be doing.

Goodbye life. Hello Halo.