No ban for Halo 3 early birds

By Robert Purchese Published 20 September, 2007

Lucky bleeders play on.

Microsoft has issued a statement (you have probably already seen) saying you will not be banned from Xbox Live for playing Halo 3 ahead of its official launch next Wednesday.

Copies of the game went on sale at UK retailer Argos yesterday, with many of you getting your hands on one.

Many feared their Live accounts would be in jeopardy after misleading comments were posted online, claiming anyone so much as running through the single-player element would have the Gamercard associated with the progress banned.

Microsoft has since come out and said it will also not penalise the retailer, as it is satisfied it was a genuine mistake.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (36) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • GamesConnoisseur #1 5 years ago

    Bastids!

  • bioreit #2 5 years ago

    Just wish I'd been one of the lucky few to get hold of a copy.

    /Shakes fist at efficient staff in local Argos. Why me? WHY!?!?!

  • BadDevotions #3 5 years ago

    i am glad i didn't get mine early - i am still wading through bioshock :D

  • pinhead #4 5 years ago

    /Goes back to Bioshock

    /looks forwards to the midnight H3 launch having booked the following day off work much to the disgust and derision of girlfriend.

  • Rich72 #5 5 years ago

    booked two days off. my girlfriend thinks i'm a loser! she may be right but what the f*ck does she know about owt?

  • Rich72 #6 5 years ago

    any one know any east london stores opening at midnight?

  • pinhead #7 5 years ago

    Rich72: two days off.

    Why did I not think of that! Curses.

  • Les #8 5 years ago

    Great PR move. That's at least the third headline in two days.

  • morriss #9 5 years ago

    I'm writing a letter to my MP then. SOMEONE HAS TO DO SOMETHING!!

  • Carrybagma #10 5 years ago

    I liked Sid Nice's system update warning.

  • Inspirius #11 5 years ago

    Are you allowed to have a girlfriend and attend Halo 3 midnight launches? Won't the universe implode?

  • Darren #12 5 years ago

    Microsoft claim a "few" copies were sold by Argos and EG claim "many" people got hold of a copy!!! LOL

  • homerramone #13 5 years ago

    Aint microsoft great. 'We wont punish you cos someone else fucked up'

  • Eighthours #14 5 years ago

    Does anyone have a link to the statement?

  • onyxbox #15 5 years ago

    bioshock was 50% dissapointement (combat) and 50% amazing (atmosphere).

    if that game gets game of the year then I must be missing something.

  • crazyhorse174 #16 5 years ago

    bioshock was 50% dissapointement (combat) and 50% amazing (atmosphere).

    if that game gets game of the year then I must be missing something.

    I actually agree...

    /cowers in fear.

  • JavaJawaUK #17 5 years ago

    Sheesh . . .

    Why not just lock it for the next week? Now I have to dodge the landmines of spoilers littered all over t'internet . . .

  • Rirekon #18 5 years ago

    Meh, I still don't get this need to be the first to play games. I'll pick up a copy when I'm convinced it's actually doing something new rather than reskinning the pile that was Halo 2

  • morriss #19 5 years ago

    Bioshock is one of the best games I've played for a good couple of years. It's relevance to Halo is roughly zero.

  • CasperCCC #20 5 years ago

    Two days? Pah! I've got three. I tried the Argos trick, but I'm secretly glad it didn't work. Wednesday is going to start with a fry-up, then a trip to whatever games retailer in E London opens first.
    And from then until Sunday, it's pretty much Halo and smokes...

  • ProtoformX #21 5 years ago

    I'm not entirely in agreement with that. Whilst Argos may not have intentionally broken the street date for Halo 3, they have still done so and so should be punished for their stupidity. If you introduce punishments for mistakes, then people will stop making mistakes.

  • DonLimey #22 5 years ago

    Aside from the is it great/over hyped/cr*p debate its nice to know that people can still get excited by "events" like this. The hype and advertising campaign (which I think was spot on for Halo but could understand people not liking it) has helped this even more for me.

    Although there are some great games starting to come through on all systems nothing feels as big as Halo's imminent launch. Microsoft & Bungie should be applauded for this if nothing else. As good or bad as Mario Galaxy or MGS4 end up being their launches won't seem as big an event (especially outside of the gaming comunity.)

  • Calgon #23 5 years ago

    LOL I think I get where this Bioshock hate comes from... its all about the game of year title?

    Average combat? I hope I find you are wrong when I get to play it but even so if its anything like SS2 then you simply arent playing it right(like Rab from CV pointed out from Bioshock which eased alot of my concerns. The way he started out with the anti-hype in that review and the way it ended once it clicked with him just told me everything I needed to know, when you play it as intended theres great fun to be had). Theres was alot more in SS2 to experiment with than half the games released even today, but if you play it as an average shooter you wont see it. What makes combat not average if what you mean is the straight up shooting side of it?(which Id agree even SS2 wasnt that type of game, it was never dull though and just as satisfying, it felt kind of RPGish in a good way... Im not normally one for RPGs either)

    Well Im going to play that game, I do wish the haters would shut up in every thread though... the devs there are some of the best around based on what Ive already played theres no way I beleive the game isnt every bit as good as the well seasoned reviewer have all said it is. Maybe its because they feel with choosing 360 as the lead platform, the developer is now "juz like teh 3ViL M$".

    While Im at it why is it that people who think halo is overrated come out with "its average compared to PC shooters". A) Half of the 360 user base are or were PC gamers B) More money is to be made on consoles(they do sell more units at full price) so why do you think it is none of the same devs half been half as successfull?(ie the games they have released on consoles and also whats stopping them releasing the "awesomeness" on a console?)Its not easy. Give credit where credit is due they must be doing something right.
    Edited by Calgon at 21/09/07 @ 03:57

  • RazorObsession #24 5 years ago

    lucky basts.

    Been avoiding everything to do with halo 3, successfully thus far, as i saturated myself with hype for halo 2 and ended up hating it so much my eyes bled. maybe the fact that it was shit also had a lot to do with it, but riding the hype wave didn't help one bit.

    i also avoided the bio shock hype, and being a sysshock fan, i knew exactly what i was getting into, loved every second of it, but the game is supposed to be played on the hard setting. any other difficulty and your missing the point entirely.

  • mkreku #25 5 years ago

    I was a bit disappointed with Bioshock too (too shallow). That doesn't stop me from being intrigued by Halo 3 though :p

  • Monkey-Wizard-Ken #26 5 years ago

    I want Halo 3 damn it!

  • dr_swin #27 5 years ago

    c'mon you argos raiders - any early impressions?

  • chicknstu #28 5 years ago

    People, it's out in 4 days! Chill out!

    Why would they get banned? It's the retailers mistake, not theirs. They could have picked it up and played it completely innocently.

  • smoothpete #29 5 years ago

    I finished the single player campaign last night! :D

  • andromeda #30 5 years ago

    please stop the bioshock rants.

    just cos you've finished it and didn't find the combat as awesome as Halol doesnt mean you can taint it for others.

  • Razz #31 5 years ago

    \o/

  • Razz #32 5 years ago

    \o/

  • SHPanda #33 5 years ago

    "Lucky Bleeders"? Only if you find overrated drivel like Halo good.

  • smoothpete #34 5 years ago

    trollol

  • VicViper #35 5 years ago

    The only thing about halo that is awsome is the story, Other than that the weapons feel to light and rubbish, I think plasma and laser weapons are rubbishy and feel like bad sci fi. In my defense I am buying it and have it on preorder but if there was a way to create a unholy union of halos story, characters and setting and killzones more grounded and real feeling weapons (reload animations included) I'd be a happy gamer.

  • kangarootoo #36 5 years ago

    @ProtoformX

    The idea that someone should be punished for stupidity (something that is by definition beyond the control of the perpetrator) is one of the more sorry aspects of human society.

    Protected from stupidity, guided in spite of stupidity, but punished? To what purpose exactly?