12:24 a.m. That's it, we're headed home. So, what was Microsoft thinking doing this on a Monday night? I have a 9 a.m. meeting and I've gotta play at least for the first level or so...

12:07 a.m. Kate is inside right behind Bill (she got to shake his hand earlier). She buys a game for our friend Justin, and I run to get my pre-order. We're out in 11 minutes, flat. This guy seems rather happy to get his game and a helmet.



12:05 a.m. Finally inside. All the media is clustered around the first cash register waiting for Bill Gates to hand out the first game. I have to stand on top of the counter of another cash register to see over the cameras to get the shot. The guy (his name is Ritesh) is paying in cash. It's like that Visa commercial when the person paying cash grinds the line to a halt. Everyone's waiting, and waiting... and finally he gets it. Then the media ambushes him on the way out. (Interestingly, he wasn't the first in line outside -- but I think Michael and his dad had the game preordered, so that was a separate line.)



11:50 p.m. The Bungie buses are pulling up packed full of 115 employees who spent three years on this game. They looked jazzed to see the crowd, which stretches a few city blocks. People are chanting, "Bungie! Bungie!" They walked down the line, and some kid asked one guy what his job was at Bungie. The guy said, "I don't want to give it away, but you'll hear my voice in level 6."



11:45 p.m Bill Gates is in the house. The crowd goes crazy, the media is pushing and shoving, and Bill looks like he's staying up waaaaay past his bedtime.



11:25 p.m. Warren Moon is working the crowd, giving out autographs. "Who is this guy?" is heard up and down the line of 20-somethings.



11:20 p.m. The Bungie developers still aren't here. Apparently they're having a big party over at the office and are late getting here. "They wouldn't miss it for the world," says Bungie community lead, Brian Jarrad.

10:45 p.m. Now Best Buy is giving out a bunch of inflatable gaming chairs. Sheesh. Ok, it's gonna get busy again, so it'll be a few minutes before I'm back.



10:30 p.m.The Mariners' Alan Jones just came through. The Microsoft folks tell me the Bungie developers and Warren Moon are due in at 11 p.m.

10:14 p.m.The line just moved up a notch and people are extremely wound up. For some reason, they gave out a bunch of those inflatable tubes (that people slap together at basketball games) and now people are beating each other with them. There's so much free stuff, some people are having trouble carrying it all. I'm even chewing Halo 3 gum right now, if you can believe it.



10:10 p.m. I just talked to the guy, Braden, who was playing Kelly Jennings and two other guys on multiplayer. He won with nine kills -- Kelly had three. "He wasn't very good," Braden said. "But I don't care how he plays Halo as long as he keeps winning Seahawks games." Now that's the quote of the night, folks.

9:42 p.m. Ok, everyone is going crazy over the Halo 3 swag they're throwing into the crowd. Especially the posters. CRAZY, I tell ya. Two guys next to us now have EIGHT free t-shirts. I'd say the crowd is close to 1,000 now -- the line is across the front, down the side, and halfway to Home Depot along the back fence.



9:29 p.m. Sorry for the break, lots of stuff going now. Master Chief has arrived. I caught a photo of him in back with some kind wardrobe malfunction. These ladies are trying to fasten the armor around his arm before he made his big appearance to the cheering crowd outside.



And the Seahawks cornerback Kelly Jennings just arrived to play a little multiplayer with some lucky people in line. Game looks very sweet, although they wouldn't let us take pictures of the screen. Stupid moment: radio reporter throws out the question, "So how is it?" just ten seconds after the game began.



9:20 p.m. KUBE 93 moved their DJ booth closer to the front door, but not before they interviewed Kate about why this woman was standing in line. She explained she's helping me hold my spot. He asked if I was "white and nerdy," and she said yes. Hmmph.

8:55 p.m. The line now stretches all the way down the side of the Best Buy. So I'd say about 400 and growing fast now the festivities are about to begin.

8:41 p.m. Just scored a Halo 3 t-shirt. The Microsoft folks are handing them out along with hats and other stuff. Meanwhile, my wife Kate is hanging in there, now on page 47 of the book she brought. Unfortunately for her, the KUBE 93 DJ is setting up right in front of us. It's gonna get loud.

8:04 p.m. So everyone's standing around trying to keep warm and ten Mountain Dew people come running out of nowhere yelling, "Get on your Game Fuel!" They're throwing t-shirts all over the place and giving out hand massages. Hand massages? Yep. Lots of jokes flying around about this one.



7:40 p.m. Just talked to a Microsoft guy. Events will get underway around 9 p.m. with the Bungie folks and Seahawks Kelly Jennings and Warren Moon. They'll be picking people out of the crowd to go inside and play head-to-head with the Hawks. Also, the rumor is Bill Gates will make an appearance closer to midnight.

7:25 p.m.So far, about 150 people in line now. It looks like everyone is going to show up around 9 p.m. or later, since thousands of people pre-ordered the game from the store (and therefore are guaranteed a copy.)

7:15 p.m. Food! The Microsoft folks are handing out free hamburgers, fries and cupcakes, and these gamers are snarfing them down.



6:55 p.m. About 100 people in line now, including a guy in a shopping cart and another playing a guitar. Right smack in front is 15-year-old Michael and his dad Larry. They've been camped out here since 4:30 p.m. yesterday. "We had a homeless guy come over here and entertain us," Larry said. Added Michael, "He totally took my sleeping place." A homeless guy at the Bellevue Best Buy?






6:32 p.m. The G4 reporter just did a live shot, surrounded by guys waiting in line. A Bungie developer came over for a live interview and a little trivia Q&A. Then the live shot ended when they all hummed the Halo theme song together. Hmmm. Says a guy next to us, "I wouldn't be caught dead doing that on TV."



5:55 p.m. We just arrived and set up our two chairs in line, right in front of the KING 5 crew. Just to the left is a crew with G4 TV, the video gaming cable channel. There are about 50 people here so far -- with expectations that the number will grow to 1,000+ before the night is over.

My wife Kate is here with me, and I think she's second-guessing it already: she's the only woman in line so far. I'm gonna end up owing her big, but I won't hesitate to remind her that years ago she was the one that bought me an Xbox. For Valentines day, of all things.



She looks a little annoyed.