September 25, 2007
Microsoft founder and chairman Bill Gates carded the first guy in a retail line to buy Halo 3. Himself. Personally.
As reported by Reuters, Gates was on hand at a midnight launch event at a Best Buy near Microsoft HQ in Redmond, Washington:
Bill Gates was cheered by a crowd of more than 500 people when he emerged from the store to shake hands.
Gates personally sold and autographed the first copy to Ritesh David, a 17-year-old who was stunned to find himself being served by the richest man in America.
"I gotta check your ID to see if you're 17," Gates said, in a joking reference to the game's "mature" rating, meaning it is intended for customers 17 and older.
Comments
Ahem. There's a message there I think.
Ahem.
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
Anyone else wonder if maybe he is on sting missions right now with his 15 year old son going to different stores to try and get the game with out ID. To prove to the world how the age checking system does not work.
If he had refused to sell it I doubt it would have been a disaster... if anything, it would have enforced the idea that the industry is serious about not selling to minors.
Gates (to Parent): “I gotta check your ID to see if you’re 17.”
Parent (showing ID): Okey doke, but it's not for me, it's for my daughter.
Gates: Uh, ok. So long as YOU are over 17. Uh, you know this game is rated...
Parent (cutting him off): M, yeah, I know. For Blood and Gore, Mild Language and Viloence. I'm not dumb as the politicians and certain other individuals and organizations want the General Public to think Parents are. I know about the ESRB, GameSpot, and several dozen other review, preview, and informational resources. I also know my OWN child better than any of them. And... (goes into a 20 minute rant about being educated about video games, movies, TV, music, and where to find information about each product and knowing their child better than anyone else and not needing their Parental Rights overridden by tin-pot-dictator-wannabes.) Oh, and it's great to meet you Mr. Gates. I'm a big fan of Microsoft, except for... (goes into another 20 minute rant about buggy OSes, EULAs that violate consumer rights, and several other issues of importance).
Gates: Uh, yeah, ok, great to meet you too. Uh, yeah. :: Walks out stunned by such a well informed, and talkative, Parent and consumer.
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yamilg/1433360467/
Always loved Microsoft's sense of humor about that whole thing.
Halo 3, your so damn Tempting! So Very Damned Tempting!!!
I think Jack is willfully ignorant of these policies. "Any kid can run in and buy these things!!!" That's an utter lie Jack.
HAHAHAHA! I love it! :D
Jack Thompson, go shut yourself in the cooler.
Not planning on any sudden flu viruses, but picking my copy up during lunch.
Funky - for the life of me I can't remember ever being carded for a game. Then again I'm in my mid 30's, and people my age don't shop the same way teenagers do. (Clerks have a tendency to zero in on us. I suspect it's because we have discretionary income, usually know what we want and don't have to ask mommy for the money - but not being in retail - I don't know for sure.)
I'm 27 and i still get carded for 18 rated things here in the UK. Even for gaming magazines where the demo disc got a rating ^^
My personal experience here is that shops do a fine job enforcing ratings.
How much is that thing going to fetch on eBAY??? =)
In all seriousness though, this was a really great thing for Gates to do. Not only for Halo 3, but for the industry as a whole. If the founder of Microsoft can take the time to card someone for an M game, then certainly an $8 or $9 an hour employee can.
I guess it's good publicity. Good press, and high profile.
But forgive me if I can't muster up goodwill toward the richest (or 2nd) man in the world who is playing at being a retail clerk for one night to get his picture in the papers. Try living off those wages, Bill. Then we can talk.
"Try living off those wages, Bill. Then we can talk." -- Well, if he did that, then we wouldn't have one of the greatest philanthropists in US history, now would we? He's given away *BILLIONS* of dollars to charity, I'd love see some Best Buy employee do that if he woke up with Gates' money tomorrow.
LOL, that's great. :P
@PlayItBogart
It does, but he's like a cockroach and doesn't know when to quit...
@Onidragon:
Who said anything about our nation's youth? Jackass is only in it for the money.
@AJ:
I thought he was 0 for... 7? 8? 200 trillion? It's gotten so bad I've lost count.
I'd prolly get Halo 3 eventually, but I don't have a 360. My brother's is RROD'd though so I'll at least have to wait till his is working again.
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd160/somestickguy/HitlerThompson.jpg
I made it today. My first ever photoshop!
Hey, if he can commpare people to Hitler and Saddam, so can I.
Totally worth invoking Godwin's Law. Find that photoshop contest he was having a legal hissyfit about, and you'd prolly win hands down! :P
Thanks! But.. I'm gonna sound like a total idiot but...
What's Godwin's law?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_Law
Basically, whenever someone in a forum or blog makes a generlized comparison to Hitler or Nazis the conversation is now dead.
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary
Now if only you and Ms would fix some of vistas bugs.
but seriously, this is great, I love it when the big wigs meet with the common people. Reminds us and them that there still human.
And the icing on the cake is that he enforced the rating. In your FACE jack.
Good job bill, good job.
Besides, it's only fair cause "Gamers are terrorists," remember?
You can find them at the Microsoft rummage sale, since the Halo movie isn't getting off the ground ;)
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary
Hooah! Jack Thompson