Fan revels in all-night 'Halo 3' play
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 09/26/2007
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When one Purdue student brought home his copy of "Halo 3," he washed his hands and then screamed while he opened the box.
Michael Booker, a junior in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was one of the millions of people who purchased the Xbox 360 game "Halo 3" at midnight Tuesday and rushed home to play it.
"I've been playing all night," he said. "I slept for an hour."
Sleep wasn't the only thing Booker lacked. He was starving by afternoon from not eating a real meal. Since getting home at 12:06 a.m. Tuesday, all he had were granola bars, fruit snacks and water. He didn't rebuff all human necessity, however, choosing to take rushed bathroom breaks between rounds.
Booker also skipped two classes in favor of the sci-fi saga. But it's not the first time he's dropped everything for "Halo."
"In high school when 'Halo 2' came out I missed my senior pictures and two days of school," Booker said. "The excitement is like a kid on Christmas."
Although Booker's roommate stayed up watching Booker play for a few hours Tuesday morning, he doesn't share Booker's passion for the game.
"I think he's an addict, man," said Jovan Toliver, a senior in the School of Management. "He might need classes � �Halo' anonymous classes.
"I had to hear him talk about it all through the (Monday night) football game I was trying to watch," Toliver said.
But all the sacrifice is OK with Booker, who was enjoying playing the game on his black and gold Xbox 360, the colors of his fraternity. He shouted at the screen and to his roommate while mowing down opponents.
"Are you watching this, J.T.?" he said. "It's like a Mike Book massacre."