Today I learned that Bungie and Microsoft once released an official branded condom to promote the launch of Halo 2. I honestly wish it were possible to unlearn that information.
As shared by Xbox Collector on Twitter, the official Halo 2 condom was released back in 2004 and is considered one of the rarest items for only the most diehard of Halo collectors. According to Xbox Collector, there is maybe only one other Halo 2 condom still in existence. Did the others all get... used? I would rather not think about that, thank you very much.
What really gets me about this is that there are a couple of slogans printed on the packaging of these condoms that take on a seedy new context just because of where they are. "Play Together" would usually be a lovely thing to hear from a video game company. Printed on a box of condoms, it turns into an amorous proposition.
Advert
And putting "Coming Soon" on the front? They knew exactly what they were doing there. Somebody got paid for that, for the love of god.
Mercifully, the Halo 2 condoms were the end of Microsoft's brief sojourn into the world of prophylactic devices - although they did serve as the grim inspiration for a set of unofficial Halo 3 condoms that encouraged users to "finish the f*ck". Now there's a legacy to be proud of.
Here's hoping Halo Infinite can launch this year without any of this nonsense. If nothing else, this serves as a welcome reminder that video game marketing has come a long way in the past decades or so.
Featured Image Credit: Microsoft/Xbox Collector Via Twitter
