Were You Fired Because of Halo 3?
Monday night, Sept 24th, 11:30 PM. For many, this is the time where you are either in bed, or preparing to go to bed soon. All so you can wake up, hit your 8-5 job the next day with plenty of rest. But since you are in line at a local game store, waiting for the release of Halo 3. You are thinking; “I won’t have it in my hands for another hour with this long line, and the only reason I am staying up late to get one of the first copies is so I can play it all night.”
So you stayed up all Tuesday morning playing the game. Campaign mode, xBox live, system link with all your friends that have a 360 and a new copy of the game too. 6:00 AM rolls around. You might be able to get an hour of sleep in before heading to work, maybe just little more since your dedication to the game means sacrifices; no morning shower, no breakfast unless it’s packed with caffeine, wear the same clothes you have been for the last 24 hours. You don’t care if you look like crap, aren’t productive for a day. The only light at the end of the tunnel is a power nap on your lunch break, and the feeling that you can just go home and crash for a few hours before you meet up with your friends online yet again night.
Not.
That was a not joke. I told a story about the scenario you too were planning on likely, but that’s not how it ended up right? You played hookie, you snuffed work, called in sick, or in the thick of trying to memorize the new maps, and the new button set up for reloading your weapons and switching between your arsenal of mine variations you totally forgot you had a job.
Halo 3 wasn’t released in secret. It’s been all over the news for weeks. Commercial spots on TV are prolific, and it’s pretty hard to buy a slurpee (which you know your boss buys daily) with out seeing Halo 3 and the release date all over it. I really enjoy this more than v.1 and v.2, ( though my idea for Halo 3 Features wasn’t implemented), I still will probably play it quite a bit for the next little while, (making sure it doesn’t affect my performance at work like you didn’t).
Update.exe: Halo 3 broke the single day entertainment releases of all time. The previous was held by Spider Man 3, with 151 million dollars. Halo 3 took in $170,000,000.
Question: Have you been reprimanded, written up, or even fired basically because of your dedication for Halo 3? Was it traumatic? Lets hear your story in a comment. Share your gamer pain.
I found this post after searching around the interweb (thanks again Al gore!) for some write ups of the halo maps. Something physical that I could maybe tape to the floor while I’m playing. While I am disappointed that you didn’t offer these Halo 3 Map writeups or anything, I guess I should thank you for reminding me I have a job…… I haven’t gone to work in two days.
I’m actually taking my vacation early this year. Thanksgiving is out the window and Christmas will have to be cut short- but using my PTO for Halo 3 is like a holiday in and of it self!
I have forgotten about school. 2 Days have been missed on top of the week I took off for haveing a bad cold. God released me from my cold-curse to obtain Halo 3 which was purchased at 12:23:13 am. I’ve been un-sick since.
I have a problem talking in my sleep. Especially about what has been on my mind recently. This isn’t much of a problem. I am single- no one hears me.
After a 7 hour Halo 3 sting starting right after it was released Though- I get into work, make an excuse about why I look like crap (I am in sales for Verizon Wireless in Henderson, NV), try to go home early and all that….. but I guess some of my coworkers just called in sick rather come in like I did. (they played halo with me). I wasn’t able to go home. Just me and the manager of the store.
A few hours into the morning, I go to the back room to “get some display phones”….. rest my eyes for a bit I mean- and being someone who doesn’t have that much control over my body that I can stay awake I dozed off, sitting in his chair in his office.
He comes in only to find me asleep. (store started filling with customers), . He turns on some loud music, but it did nothing. I was out for the count. Gone for good. Someone new comes into the store though so he runs back out to the sales floor. They noticed quite the lack of employees- and someone actually mentioned the release of Halo 3 was the night before/morning of, as a joke, not realizing that’s exactly why none of us came into work. (this all happened on Tuesday sept. 24th)
He gets some more details from the people in the store, not realizing the largest game release in history started 11 hours earlier. Apparently some of the customers found this amusing that Halo 3 was affecting the store so much- and they also started teasing him for being naive enough to believe that 2 mid 20’s males were both sick, and the one sthat came in is asleep in the managers office.
Abosuletly furious, he runs in nearly picks me up and rips my collared shirt- scaring me half to death. I don’t know what’s going on- so I started yelling dib’s for on the sniper rifle and something about getting beat down or head shot or something. He drags me out front, pushes me out the door; and both the guys that called in sick and I are all currently un-employed.
Like x96x up there, I see it less as not having income, and more of an opportunity to live frugally…. (or I may just play Halo 3 all day like I did the rest of tuesday and all day wednesday).
i went to work late wednesday afternoon only to find my boss called in sick.
Hehehe. Get your boss fired for playing Halo 3. That would be a good story.
i didn’t exactly call in sick. I called in and was forthcoming with my predicament; i played HALO3 all night long and just didn’t want to come in. Honesty didn’t work for me in this situation. more than just being mad that my job wasn’t my priority, my damn boss sent out a mass e-mail to my office defacing me as an employee and person “lack of judgment”, “immature habits”, “all for a stupid game” etc. and though everybody is a little weirded out by his decision to say something so-o publicly about it, they really didn’t treat me the same so I quit.
i smell a small lawsuit in the winds of the future. thanks halo3! you let me play 12 hours a day, make me quit my job, and now I get to sue my old job so i don’t have to work anymore, and basically get paid to play 12 hours a day for the next few months.
WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS THIS: HAS REQUESTS FOR WELFARE AND UNEMPLOYMENT RISEN SINCE THE RELEASE OF HALO3 ???
I work for a company that builds computers for large businesses and corporations. It’s a good gig, and gets the bills paid, but I found it funny come the morning of the 25th. My boss, and both salesmen had taken the day off. Also my co-worker who showed up about 3 hours late for work had a very interesting story about a water pipe breaking and drilling holes in drywall the night before. Later that day I was talking with our HR manager and she told me that the company I work for was actually founded to make money for pizza and drinks when they played games. That was 15 years ago, of course it is more business than games now, but every once in a while my boss is late to work because of a gaming night.
I too am guilty of playing Halo 3 longer than I should have on Monday night last week. Even last night (Sunday) I was up way late memorizing maps and working out my strategies with the new equipment (i.e. the blue shit that drains your shields).