Eh.
I think Halo, for what it has done isn't the most inventive, or best, by any means.
But what Halo has done is transcend what normal FPS games do, and that's have longevity, and an actual player base.
Not many games are out there (on consoles) that you can go out, pick up a copy of 3 years after it's out, and find a good, thriving online community.
I mean, Goldeneye never really did anything "OMG AMAZINGZ" and is an old throwback to poor FPS concepts. Yet at the same time, it's very beloved. Not for it's innovation, but the fact that everyone played it, and thrived off of what was there.
And again, good example - GTAIV. XBL reports that Halo3 has surpassed GTAIV for 2nd most played game on XBL. Despite GTAIV selling 5m+ copies, MGC reports that twice as many people play H3 online. Amazing.
Back from the dead, I'm afraid.
