Legions of crazed fans camping on the sidewalk to get a good place in line. People skipping work and school. Near-riots to get a hold of prized merchandise.
What could it be? The arrival of iPhone 2.0? Red Sox playoff tickets going on sale? A new generation of Cabbage Patch Dolls?
No, it's all about a video game.
Correction: Not just *a* video game. it's *the* video game of the year, for many people.
I'm talking about Halo 3, a first-person shooter for the XBox 360 that already has a huge built-in following, owing to the fanatical dedication of players who own Halo and Halo 2 on older consoles. This constituency has been whipped into a frenzy by the prospect of the latest installment appearing in all its high-resolution glory (or, should I say, gory) on the Xbox 360. The fact that Microsoft has been stoking the Halo 3 hype machine for well over a year hasn't hurt either. You can see a short video about the Halo 3 release below:
Of course, Microsoft is loving it. The company hasn't seen anything quite like this since the Windows 95 launch, and they're using the Halo 3 release -- and any other ammunition they can get their hands on -- to twist Sony's tail over the continued PS3 slump.
Enjoy it while you can, Microsoft. You sure won't see crowds lining up to buy the next-generation Zune this Christmas ...