The first Halo 3 copy was sold on eBay, and the lucky buyer was none other than Bill Gates. Naturally, this has prompted a lot of fun comments and memes, with some users expressing curiosity about who actually received the game and others reminiscing about the good old days of receiving a special copy at launch.
Fun Fact and User Comments
“Fun fact: The guy who got the first copy got it signed by Bill Gates and a bunch of Bungie employees at the midnight launch,” one user says. “But he forgot to take the plastic wrapping off, so it’s unplayable without ruining the signatures.” Another says, “Guy could’ve sold it and bought another one, I suppose.”
“He’s the reason why I played the single-player campaign more than once,” one user jokingly writes, referring to Bill Gates’ appearance at the launch party. Another writes, “Bill Gates has been to my birthday party.”
Bill’s appearance at the launch party certainly made an impression on one user, who writes, “Bill Gates is at the Halo launch party, and I’m just sitting here eating spaghetti.” Another says, “Bill Gates decided to show up to the Halo 3 launch party and I’m not even invited.”
Most comments are of the nostalgic variety, with many praising Halo 3 as the pinnacle and lamenting the decline since then. “Halo 3 was the best,” one user writes. “Halo 5 was the worst,” another replies. “Halo 3 was the best,” the first writes again. “And then they made Halo: Reach.”
One user even battles between declaring Halo 3 and Halo: Reach as the best games in the series, before ultimately deciding that it depends on how you feel about the multiplayer.
Bill’s casual attire, wearing a hoodie, earns him a lot of praise. “Bill Gates wearing a hoodie at the Halo 3 launch party is all I need to know about the importance of this game,” one user writes. “W Bill,” another replies. “Why didn’t I ever get invited to any launches?” yet another user laments.
A few users appreciate the human side of tech geniuses, with one jokingly mentioning Mark Zuckerberg as the exception. “All these tech guys seem to be geniuses,” one user writes. “They’re not,” another replies. “They’re geniuses because they’re rich and famous, not the other way around.”
“Bill Gates just looks like Master Chief,” another user writes. “Like, if Master Chief just took off his helmet.”
“How did I not know this existed,” one user asks, referring to Bill Gates’ appearance at the launch party. “You’re not special,” another replies. “Everyone who cares about Halo has seen this picture multiple times.”
“I miss good games,” a user writes. “The gaming experience of receiving a special copy like this,” another says, expressing their longing for that bygone era. “Definitely a special moment in time,” another replies.
Many users express their nostalgia for the Halo series and praise Halo 3 as the pinnacle. Some make jabs at Bill Gates’ wealth, questioning why he even needed to sell the game. “I’d be more pissed if I was the one selling it,” one user writes. “Bill Gates is a famous Halo 3 developer now,” another says.
Others defend him, calling out the “typical Reddit” reaction and finding it disgusting. “The superiority of physical copies over digital games is a given,” one user writes. “Because moments like this can’t exist without the specialness of a physical copy.”
And one user has a very sarcastic comment: “Can’t wait to play this LAN on Epstein Island,” they write, referring to the island that has been linked to various powerful people and where, if the rumors are true, Bill Gates could be partying with his billionaire friends.
