Midnight madness for 'Halo'

Dane Thomas took a seat shortly after 5:30 p.m. Monday outside the front doors to the Best Buy store near Lombard. With only an iPod to keep him company, the 21-year-old Naperville man ensured himself more than six hours of solitude.Oh, and the first copy of "Halo 3" to be sold at the store shortly after midnight, as well as an inflatable chair emblazoned with the popular game's logo -- a token gesture of appreciation for his loyalty."I had nothing better to do tonight," Thomas admitted Monday, more than three hours into his wait, as others began joining him in line outside the store.Fans of the popular video game franchise lined up at dozens of stores all over the suburbs Monday for the release of the latest -- and presumably final -- installment of the "Halo" series.The new game is expected to be one of the year's biggest sellers, and a key arsenal in Microsoft's attempt to influence the entertainment choices for the living room."Halo 3" follows the exploits of a genetically altered super soldier called Master Chief as he battles an alien race called the Covenant.Rene Baron, the Best Buy store manager, said his location received more than 1,600 copies of the game and could sell up to 150 copies during the midnight launch alone.So why would anyone line up hours ahead of time to wait for a copy that isn't expected to sell out?"The hype," answered Nik Distler. "And the inflatable chair.""It makes you feel (like a) hardcore (fan)," chimed in Distler's buddy Miles Winter.Both 19-year-old Hinsdale residents, who were among the growing crowd outside the store near Lombard, said they'd likely be foregoing work and school obligations to spend the wee hours of the morning playing the game.Indeed, it's that hype that has helped Microsoft sell 14.8 million copies of the first and second installments of "Halo" since the original game's release in 2001. The company said "Halo 2" sold $125 million the first day it went on sale in 2004, and its expecting to top that amount with "Halo 3."Microsoft says it has already pre-sold 1.5 million games.Among that list of eagerly awaiting games are 15-year-old Joe Korb and his younger brother, Danny.The Wheaton boys got their dad to pre-order the game months ago and scouted out the local GameStop store in town hours before the midnight release to figure out just how big a crowd will be clamoring for the game."The manager said the store was going to be pretty crowded tonight," Danny said.Earlier that day several area GameStop retailers hosted "Halo 2" tournaments and re-opened at midnight to distribute pre-ordered copies of "Halo 3."Teens were already milling about outside the store in the Danada shopping complex shortly after 8 p.m. as the store clerks inside were being briefed on what to expect.Fans who couldn't make it to the midnight releases, are already scouring the Web, posting ads on sites such as craigslist, soliciting for their very own copy of the game.So with that all enthusiasm to be the very first gamers to play "Halo 3," would Danny and Joey even get a chance to play their copy so late on a school night?"It depends," said their dad, Chris Krob, "on what time they get their game." 512355A line forms for the Halo 3 midnight release at Best Buy in Downers Grove.Bev Horne | Staff Photographer