Sorry. i wouldn't consider the multiplayer FPS deathmatches or capture the flag as minigames. Just not the same thing.

I suppose you'd have a point with the single-player mode in all the Halos being a minigame, because they're really just short extra things people play around with for a miniscule amount of time compared to the multi-player variants, but definitely not the other way around. =P

i wouldnt try and pass it off the other way around--but i would like to know why its differnt b/c right now noone can give me a reason

Halo has been played for over 1billion hours on XBL, thats no minigame.

i bet that number has been topped by the total amount of time people have played mario parties--so i dont see time play--or playable as a valid defining moment