Bill Gates Enforces M-Rating in Midnight Halo 3 Sale
Bill Gates Enforces M-Rating in Midnight Halo 3 Sale
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.
A PUBLICATION OF THE ECA
SUBSCRIBE
LOGIN / REGISTER
Crispy Gamer
GamePolitics ShoutBox
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:32pm
Aliasalpha: Ding dong the witch is dead eh? Maybe we'll finally be treated as adults here and women can have small tits again!
Aliasalpha: Ding dong the witch is dead eh? Maybe we'll finally be treated as adults here and women can have small tits again!
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:28pm
JDKJ: Survey says no opinion either way. But approval is high among wombats.
JDKJ: Survey says no opinion either way. But approval is high among wombats.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:25pm
BearDogg-X: JDKJ: What does the wallabies and crocodiles think of Skippy?
BearDogg-X: JDKJ: What does the wallabies and crocodiles think of Skippy?
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:24pm
Andrew Eisen: Beardogg-X - Not staunchly, no. However, only one AG has gone on record as supporting an R18+ rating. The rest either stated no position or declined to comment.
Andrew Eisen: Beardogg-X - Not staunchly, no. However, only one AG has gone on record as supporting an R18+ rating. The rest either stated no position or declined to comment.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:23pm
JDKJ: Of 437 koala bears surveyed, 420 disagree with choice of Skippy for interim AG.
JDKJ: Of 437 koala bears surveyed, 420 disagree with choice of Skippy for interim AG.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:21pm
BearDogg-X: With Atkinson stepping down, the question now becomes was there any other AG besides him that was against R18+? His stepping down does make R18+ more likely to be approved.
BearDogg-X: With Atkinson stepping down, the question now becomes was there any other AG besides him that was against R18+? His stepping down does make R18+ more likely to be approved.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:18pm
Andrew Eisen: Well, Adelaide readers seem pleased with Atkinson's decision. 420 out of 437.
Andrew Eisen: Well, Adelaide readers seem pleased with Atkinson's decision. 420 out of 437.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:15pm
JDKJ: BREAKING: Vacant Aussie AG post to be filled by Skippy, the Bush Kangaroo.
JDKJ: BREAKING: Vacant Aussie AG post to be filled by Skippy, the Bush Kangaroo.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:12pm
Andrew Eisen: Flamespeak - Gamecube and Xbox came out in late 2001 with contollers pretty similar to the Dual Shock. You never know thoug. This Fall may be when the standard controller changes from the Dual Shock to a motion wand. *shudder*
Andrew Eisen: Flamespeak - Gamecube and Xbox came out in late 2001 with contollers pretty similar to the Dual Shock. You never know thoug. This Fall may be when the standard controller changes from the Dual Shock to a motion wand. *shudder*
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:09pm
Flamespeak: at a quicker rate these days.
Flamespeak: at a quicker rate these days.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:09pm
Flamespeak: I believe that was launched in the first part of 1998. 2 years seems kind of fast too, but then again the world seems to move
Flamespeak: I believe that was launched in the first part of 1998. 2 years seems kind of fast too, but then again the world seems to move
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:05pm
Andrew Eisen: Flamespeak - Not when you consider Sony's been using the same controller since the PS1.
Andrew Eisen: Flamespeak - Not when you consider Sony's been using the same controller since the PS1.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:03pm
BearDogg-X: Andrew Eisen: I meant that it won't take as many people to change their votes next election. Besides that, it's become a moot point now that he's stepping down as AG as soon as the election's over.
BearDogg-X: Andrew Eisen: I meant that it won't take as many people to change their votes next election. Besides that, it's become a moot point now that he's stepping down as AG as soon as the election's over.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:02pm
Flamespeak: Seems kind of early considering the PS2 didn't launch until well into 2000.
Flamespeak: Seems kind of early considering the PS2 didn't launch until well into 2000.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:01pm
Andrew Eisen: Fleamespeak - I'd say since around the turn of the century.
Andrew Eisen: Fleamespeak - I'd say since around the turn of the century.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:01pm
BearDogg-X: BREAKING NEWS: Atkinson will step down as South Australia Attorney-General; will remain in Parliament
BearDogg-X: BREAKING NEWS: Atkinson will step down as South Australia Attorney-General; will remain in Parliament
Posted 03/20/10 at 09:59pm
Andrew Eisen: BearDogg-X - Not sure what your point about Atkinson having only 8500 votes is, seeing as that's around 65% (of the total votes counted at the time).
Andrew Eisen: BearDogg-X - Not sure what your point about Atkinson having only 8500 votes is, seeing as that's around 65% (of the total votes counted at the time).
Posted 03/20/10 at 09:57pm
Flamespeak: I remember when the NES controller held that honor and the stand alone one button joystick before that.
Flamespeak: I remember when the NES controller held that honor and the stand alone one button joystick before that.
Posted 03/20/10 at 09:56pm
Flamespeak: artistic rendering of things associated with gaming? Even GP has a rough version of one in their logo.
Flamespeak: artistic rendering of things associated with gaming? Even GP has a rough version of one in their logo.
Posted 03/20/10 at 09:56pm
Flamespeak: Just out of curiosity, when did the PS2 controller become the 'standard' for video game controller representation in most
Flamespeak: Just out of curiosity, when did the PS2 controller become the 'standard' for video game controller representation in most
Copyright © 2007 ECA. All rights reserved.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
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.
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 ;)
Hooah! Jack Thompson
Look Thompson, we're all as glad as you are that Mr Gates did the right thing even if it was in jest, but please don't take credit for it, the man just has common sense and was following store policy.
(assuming this one is legit)
I highly doubt that someone as famous as Bill Gates only enforced the rating because you told him to.
What ever communication you sent him probably automatically went into the trash/spam filter, never to be seen or read.
By the way, how is blocking the sales of Halo 3 going?
...
Which... granted... isn't saying much...
Think that all you want, it won't make it true. You never had anything to do with it then and you'll never have anything to do with it ever. I wouldn't be suprised if Bill Gates had you in his Spam filter.
September 25th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Looks like I got to Bill Gates on the “Mature” rating. You’re welcome, America!
Hooah! Jack Thompson
you can say what you want to say, but the truth is different anyway.
Lol, that's also the first thing that came to my mind. Master Chief there looks like he overdid himself in his Halo 3 taping or something. XD
Nice one by Bill Gates. That's something interesting to see. XD
Please stay out of this. Doesn't your public nuisance complaint say the game doesn't come out until one month from now?
It's not him. Although the fake is saying the same exact thing he WOULD say, and it's pretty sad that it's so darn easy to sound like him that anyone who bothered to even skim through his wikiquote page could pull off a reasonable facsimile. (sp?)
That being said, Linux rules! Steve Ballmer sucks!
I live in Washington state and I am going to assume this took place at the best buy in Bellevue where they had a big release party. It that's the case not only did Bill check ID but there was a rather large printing in the local best buy ad that stated they would be checking ID.
No this wasn't a victory for you. You wanted to try and prevent it from being released at all via the public nuisance laws. It was released therefore you failed. But in all honesty its been so long since you've won anything you probably forget what it feels like.
Exactly. Why admit defeat when its easier to change your story so it looks like you still won anyway?
I certainly wouldn't wanna play HALO 3 against Jack (or Checkers, or Chess, or Go Fish, or Parcheesi, or Clue, or... )
Oh, and I thought the guy was going to stop posting here. Big whoops, Jack?
Oh, and I thought the guy was going to stop posting here. Big whoops, Jack?
He occasionally insults Dennis' journalism, though.
You forgot "unsuccessful anti-video game attorney" in your name again.
I also agree it would have been cooler if he was underaged and rejected.
.......WTF did you even do?
He urged Bill Gates not to sell Halo 3 to minors. The kid happens to be 17, and therefore a minor. Jack loses.
The Halo series is one of the most mild M-rated titles on the market and people are making a shit storm about. Also it's not the stores' job to do this. Best Buy is just hurting themselves.
If anything, he was mocking you.