As Naz said (and I... simply assumed others could intuit): the problem isn't that it's a bad idea. It's a great idea.

It's just that it's been done before. A lot. For a long time. By multiple companies. And done better at that: Valve's engine's have not only allowed playback, but rewind options for some time now. 

So my problem isn't that this idea is bad, or that it wasn't innovative at some point in time. The problem is that it's a great idea that's been done multiple times by other (very succesful) companies, that they've been doing it for a long time, and at least a couple of those companies have included more features in their playback than Bungie did.

Of course, none of these companies have produced games on the Xbox, PS2, Xbox360, or PS3. Which is the problem here, I think, and what makes me so angry.

As a PC Gamer, nothing bothers me more than to see professional gaming journalists not acknowledge the existance of a game mechanic or feature until it reaches their preferred consoles. At which point it apparently becomes "innovative."

I repeat: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Halo 3's has rewind, play in reverse, slow motion, view at any angle or character's perspective, built in editing of clips, etc.  I agree that PCs have had this before but this is the first time it's been done on console (for a fps anyways).  Also how does Valve's engine do it better?

AHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?

AAAAAAAAA!!!

Yeah, apparently those who think halo pioneered many of these different things missed out on a few PC games.

I actually didn't know it had rewind, so it may not be better. I'd have to play Halo in full. 

And I absolutely agree that this is the first time it's been done on consoles. That doesn't make it innovative. If they had simply said: "This is the first time this has been done on consoles!" I wouldn't have a problem. Instead, they strongly implied (or even explicated, I'd have to go back and check) that this is new and original. It isn't. It's just new on the the PS3/360.  

This really isn't a complaint against Halo/Bungie, Legend. I think it's great that they implemented this feature. It's a compaint about professional gaming critics who should know better than calling this "original" or "innovative."  

As much as I love Halo 3's multiplayer, is stuff like this that makes me want to hate the franchise so much. It is SO overrated. Call it fun, call it great, I'm okay with that. Innovative? Hell f'in no!

As many have said before me, the PC has had Fraps for like 10 years, Valve has had in-game recording for quite some time, and most RTS games have had recording options built in since the '90s.

How does FRAPS allow you to move the camera around anywhere you want when you replay? Seriously, the closest I can think of is some fan made systems for the original Quake, but integrating it into a game is sorta innvoative - if you want to push what the definition of innovative is.

As for Halo not being innovative, get over yourself
1. Recharging shields - a first in Halo 1
2. 2 weapon limit - I cant think of any FPS that had this before Halo 1
3. "Tripod system" - Gun, grenade, melee; the system that made Halo in SP and MP and has been copied since
4. Dual wielding - not the first dual wield game, but the first where you could mix and match which weapons you hold.

Honestly, Halo has contributed some now common staples to FPS titles. Not to mention its innovative aspects with regards to being a console FPS - dual analog stick, auto-aim, ect.

Playback has been available even in the original CS/TFC -- with full camera rotation -- for almost a decade. The source engine is certainly capable of that. So that point is invalid. This is not innovative, it's all been done before: FRAPS isn't the only video playback on the PC. It's one of around a dozen options, several of which ARE integrated directly in to the game.

I do feel that numbers 1 is a valid point here. It's something I do feel Halo contributed to the FPS scene, but that's about it. Otherwise, as to your other points:

2) Counter Strike. This isn't a little example -- some unknown niche title. It's freakin' Counter Strike, come on, man. 

3) Counter Strike, TFC, and others all made use of this, they just didn't call it the "tripod system." UT did too. All of these games featured grenades, guns, and melee.

4) Not the first dual wielding game, as you said.

As Bod said, it's not a problem with the game. Halo 3 is great fun. I played it for 10 hours and didn't want to stop. It was a lot better than I expected it to be. It's a problem with ignorance in professional gaming media.

BTW, I should point out that this is nowhere near 1UP's first offense. Nor is it even their only recent offense. They are constantly doing stupid crap like this. They pretend PC games don't exist. I remember when the Killzone 2 trailer came out they said it had better graphics than anything seen this generation on any platform... uh, there have been Crysis videos out for a long time. Then just a week or so ago they had that 1UP show where they ranted and raved about how the PS3 had true nextgen rumble and how it surpassed Wii rumble and Xbox 360 rumble. That very same day Sony officially stated it's the exact same rumble in the Dualshock 2.

I would say that being the first game ever to do something on the consoles is a little innovative, but it is very wrong to imply that it had never been done at all.