On the plus side, if anyone's buying it for the single player only, they'll have enough time to buy it early, take it home, play through the entire campaign, return it used and still go vote.

How is releasing Halo 4 on election day any different from releasing a game on any other day? Many movies, books, and albums were also released today to no outrage, and a lot of people who you wouldn't consider to be the core gamer demographic play Halo. You could say that Halo represents video games in the public mind more than something like Valkaria Chronicles (which was released Election Day 2008 along with other titles), but the people who would say gamers are stupid because of this would have found something else about them to complain about.

Really? Really?!

Last I checked, buying a video game isn't evidence of spending an entire day playing it.

Huh?? I'm confused, Stan. Voting took me about 10 minutes (in the AM). That wouldn't interfere with my buying Halo 4 or going about my normal day. Neither activity -- buying Halo 4 or voting -- is an all-day activity, nor does one supplant the other in our consciousness. I don't even know what to say to this...

The only time to wait in line for hours is typically the day before release, if there is some kind of midnight launch event. I don't see how standing line on Monday night translates into not voting at all on Tuesday. By 12:40am on Election Day, I was home playing Halo. I had plenty of time to play the game and vote.

My local supermarket had a big sale event yesterday. Were they insulting their customers too?

Er, how about waiting a day and going out to vote because it's infinitely more important than playing a videogame on release day?

This coming from a Canadian so it doesn't really affect me, but really if you're torn between voting and playing a videogame then perhaps you really are the kind of immature person some segments of popular culture make you out to be.

Edit: by the by, the senate candidate who plays World of Warcraft won the seat. Did she think it an insult to gamers? I'd wager a guess of "no."

- You can do 2 things in one day.

- The game is available the next day as well.

- Order it and have it sent to your house, so it will be waiting for you when you get back from voting.

- Try and find a legitimate way to cast your vote early.

These are all points that overtake this unfortunate coincidence. Seriously? A great insult? Then so is releasing a major game along with another. Things coincide, it would seem like the mature thing to accept it and plan accordingly. Those 24 hours really don't mean a world of difference in the world of gaming. It does in that other world.

Perhaps I should write an article about Obama and Romney slapping me in the face for having elections on Halo 4 day.  That would make just as much sense as the above article.

I was compelled to register simply to reply to this author. Insulting Microsoft and placing any blame in their hands is simply ignorant -- and insulting to any intelligent gamer. In fact, you not only INSULT the gamer demographic by implying that we can only manage to do one thing in an entire day, but you irresponsibly place blame where it doesn't belong.

This is like saying that guns kill people, not the person holding the weapon. If this is the kind of content the Bitmob editorial staff chooses to promote, it's either for lack of genuinly interesting content or simple linkbait.

1) Read news other than that found on video game websites.

2) Order Halo 4 on Amazon, to be delivered on Election Day. 

3) Vote on November 6th. 

4) Open and play Halo 4 upon returning from the polls.

Was it that hard?

This has got to be some hardcore trolling.  And I say that as someone who doesn't play Halo.  I don't think Microsoft did anything wrong by releasing their game on election day.  In fact, they've actually used the IP to promote voting:

http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-uses-halo-4-to-promote-us-election-voting

Ummm, voting doesn't really matter that much unless you're living in one of the battleground states like Ohio, Virginia, or Florida. 

We were just talking about this very thing yesterday with a few friends and family. Our theory about this is simple.

Corporations don't like Democrats. They just don't. Democrats are for the people, Republicans are for the wealthy and corporations. Microsoft is a corporation. It is in Microsoft's best interests if a Republican is elected president. Less taxes, less regulation, more freedom to do what they want. If a Democrat is in office, it is the opposite.

College students, and a majority of young voters, typically have been polled to vote Democrat. Republicans know this, hence their great efforts to limit voting for College students nation wide and minorities. Both groups typically vote for the left. Those groups, especially College students and young voters, are also overwhelmingly attracted to games, and a game like Halo 4 is the ultimate prize.

So, we have the dozens of new laws by the right side of the political circle to thwart college student votes and minorities votes. We have shortened early voting, a ban on voting on campuses, and strict ID laws. And then Microsoft comes in, and releases their biggest game on the day voting is to take place. Obviously their intent was to try and keep as many young voters home and away from the polls. They don't want us electing another Democrat, after all. It was a brilliant plan. Nobody would question them.

Halo 4 is a huge game, and November is a huge month for big games. Microsoft knew they wouldn't take heat for it, even though their plan almost certainly involved snubbing out as many young voters as they could. There was only one problem with their plan. We know better. We aren't stupid. And we elected the president for a second term. Seems young voters aren't so brain dead after all. If Halo 4 can't keep us away from the polls, nothing can.

One of the biggest secrets in the industry is that LittleBigPlanet Karting was released yesterday (Nov 6) too.  Although Sony doesn't want you to know that.

What is this I don't even. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, I know played Halo 4 instead of voting. And I live in South Florida. The only insult here is that I had to wait a day to play it because I was standing in line to vote and then watching returns.

You do realize that had you bought Halo 4 and played on election day they had a daily message saying something to the effect of "Hey, be a good citizen, Go vote!" 

Really?!?  I think what is more insulting to the adult gamer is the insinuation that I would want or even have the ability to hole up and play videogames all day.  I have a wife, a kid, a job, etc.  Granted I had the day off from work to care for my duaghter who was out of school, but I still only played a couple hours even after going to my local midnight release.  I even went out to vote and watch the results all night with my wife.

"Microsoft Studios is implying that their core audience is composed of immature brats who are willing to avoid their civic duty for a simple video game."

This isn't/wasn't the case at all. If anything it's you, the author, who is implying this.