Students fall under the Halo effect

Somewhere in the dark parts of the world, millions have spent the past few weeks killing one another. Using all manner of advanced weaponry-from assault rifles to rocket launchers-these rogue insurgents have engaged in countless acts of violence, their killing sprees unchecked by all but their fellow vigilantes.

Fortunately, save for the errant case of "Gamer's Exhaustion," most of these casualties occur only in the digital realm, on battlefields with names such as "Valhalla" and "High Ground."

The game is Halo 3, one of this year's most important titles. Since its debut on Sept. 25, the Microsoft-owned franchise has set numerous records, including the single-day media release record formerly held by Spiderman 3. Propelled by a wave of full-length commercials and product cross-promotions, Halo grossed over $170 million in its first 24 hours, compared to Spiderman's $150 million.

The advertising onslaught has subsided since then-Mountain Dew's foul-tasting "Game Fuel" seems to be thankfully disappearing from shelves-but the game's popularity remains firmly established within the gaming community. According to Bungie Studios, Halo's developer, well over one million people play the game online each day, easily making it Microsoft's most popular online title.

It comes as no surprise, then, that the first-person shooter's presence is being felt on-campus. Few Quad is in the process of planning a video game night, most of which will likely center on Halo 3. Hundreds of students have registered their Xbox 360s on Duke's network, enabling them to access Xbox Live, Microsoft's immense multiplayer network. The server instantly connects players from across the world, assigning them to matches based upon their personal rule preferences and skill level.

Duke Senior Chen Li is one of the millions who play over Xbox Live on a regular basis. Though, like many people, Li bought the game to "finish the fight"-a reference to the single-player campaign's conclusion of the Halo trilogy-online multiplayer was the game's biggest draw.

"The multiplayer keeps me playing," Li said. "You might have a good game, but it's no fun if no one's playing. Halo 3 retains its replayability because it has the most people online."

But for some, this widespread popularity has some deeper social implications.

"Why are first-person shooters so popular?" asked Mark Olson, director of New Media & Information Technologies for the John Hope Franklin Center, in an e-mail. "It's deceptively simple-they're fun... But as the lines between social space and game space became increasingly blurry, the most interesting questions about games pertain to the outside experiences of the people who play them."

And in many ways, the virtual world of Halo has had some serious effects on the real world. No longer just a solitary recreational activity, video games now serve as a legitimate social venue for some.

"I probably spend about two hours a day getting hot on the Box," Junior Chris Kavcsak said between games of slayer pro, one of Halo's many game modes. "It's the best way to spend time with my friends without having to hang out with chicks."

Kavcsak, who lives on Central Campus, spends a good deal of his free time playing with friends over Duke's network. The use of the network enables the group to play against one another from separate rooms, with games as large as 16 people spread over four televisions. One of the best features for students is that systems can be linked from anywhere on-campus.

"It's just as easy to play with friends from other dorms as it is to play with someone in my room," Li said.

For Duke, it's unclear how much network bandwidth all this gaming is consuming. The Office of Information Technology is taking steps to determine how many consoles are active on Duke's network, but with over 70,000 registered addresses, determining an exact number is a difficult task. They hope to have systems which enable them to do so within the year.

In the meantime, most students plan to continue taking full advantage of Duke's network.

"I played Halo 2 online until now," Kavcsak said, "And I'll probably play Halo 3 until the next one comes out."

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