First off, I'm a Halo fan. I'm not for or against Microsofty, I like all the systems, but all that aside, I immensely enjoy Halo. I consider Master Chief iconic for my generation of gamers; I grew up with Halo. I've wasted way too much of my life playing the campaign, replaying the campaign, and endlessly competing in online multiplayer on first Halo, then Halo 2. Halo 3 (campaign) was an incredible experience, and I'm gonna be having a blast with the multiplayer for a while.

That being said.

 Is the Halo series (Halo 3 in particular) the most overrated series ever? Yes, it's great. But not THAT great. It's fun, but not THAT fun. NO GAME could be as good as Halo is hyped up to be. It's in the end, more than a FPS with a lot of polish and production values made by a very talented studio. In all honesty, it in no way deserves it's status. 

All of this kind of leads to the question: why? Is it because Halo:CE was, essentially a (for its time) next-gen Goldeneye (i.e., making a console shooter of a quality formerly only found on PC's)? Is it because it provided desperately needed sustenance to quality-starved X-box gamers? It's flagship status as an enjoyable, accessable online multiplayer experience? Microsoft marketing? The Master Chief appeal? There's a lot of factors going into it, but none really completely explain *why* Halo has just so much hype---especially at this point in time, when all of the things that once distinguished it as an amazing shooter have been copied and improved by countless other games?

Speculation aside, and back to my main point. Halo is overrated. It's just simply not the god-like game that so many X-box fanboys make it out to be. Or so many reviewers make it out to be. I'm sick of Halo fever taking over the gaming world; I honestly hope Bungie does *not* make a Halo 4

Shrug, here's the thing: If anyone tells you it's revolutionary, it's kinda like a 16 year old telling you that Avril Lavine is pure punk. It's just inexperience.

But what the game is, is a well polished, solid FPS that has a name with it. It doesn't need to redefine the genre, it just does what it does, and it does it arguably better than anyone else.

no true halo fan would say not to for bungie to continue with halo in some way.
These issues have already been adressed, in countless other threads, people seem to feel the need to say halo is overrated on this site, which it is, to a certain degree. It again is not the best game ever, but it is a REALLY good one, and thats why it was so hyped, that and the fact it would break all kinds of record.

Again these issues have been dealt with, your bringing up old stuff to stir 360 fans

You know, I'm just trying to do some objective speculation here. There's games that are better (or, at least just as good) that have nowhere near as much hype; I'm pondering as to why that is.

 And I'm not 'bring up old stuff to stir up 360 fans', I'm trying to have an intelligent not-partial discussion.

Umm, because Xbox is the thing you buy to play Halo on. They are fixing it this generation certainly, but if Halo = teh fail in anyway, Xbox is going to take a big hit from it.

if you would of started with that question would of made things better

well its most likely the genre, 1st person shooters are the most popular in the US, halo is very very well done game in that genre, and it is quite fun. Many other games that recieve similar reviews, or are just as good, are usually not first person shooter combined with mult, that makes halo so danm popular.

Its like this, in America, we love the blood and gore first person shooter, and thats why halo is huge. Its different in Japan, Final Fantasy is huge there, with numbers to almost rival that of halo launch easy. Yet it is not the best RPG game for many, its just how it is, its the genre, and the big brande name that one of the games made by being really good.

"But what the game is, is a well polished, solid FPS that has a name with it. It doesn't need to redefine the genre, it just does what it does, and it does it arguably better than anyone else."

Fuzzmosis has the right idea.

Lair seems to come to mind off the top of my head...

It was hyped for a long time as one of the great PS3 games in development. It had me almost to the point of pre-ordering it and buying a PS3. I'm really glad I my gut told me to hold off. We all know what happened after it was released.

At least Halo 3, is a good game. Overhyping a bad game is worse then extreme hyping a good game. I will go and gladly pay $50-60 for a good game no matter how much it is hyped. I get ticked when I buy a overhyped game that should be bought out of the bargain center for $9.99 if at all...

IMO Gears of war was the better game. Microsoft is hyping this up.

I've always found it overrated.

 PC shooters were doing what Halo 2 was doing 3 years before Halo 1 came out.