Is Halo 3 the most anticipated game ever? Given the fact almost every main stream news source on the planet is covering the Halo 3 launch in some fashion, the answer can only be a resounding yes. In fact, I doubt whether there’s been this much anticipation for ANY form of entertainment, let alone a game, since the Lord Of The Rings debuted back in 2001. For me, a 30-something gamer who has grown up playing video games, it almost brings a tear to my eye to see my humble hobby finally come of age in such a manner. Not that we gamers need mainstream recognition to somehow vindicate the thousands of hours we’ve spent in front of a gamepad of course. But nevertheless, watching Halo 3 represent computer gamers of all creeds (yes, even PS3 fanboys and hardcore PC-only gamers) on the world stage like this makes me feel like a proud Dad watching his boy learning to ride a bike for the first time.

Of course us Kiwis were again -- courtesy of our close proximity to the international date line -- first in the world to sample the delights of Halo 3 (well, apart from those lucky few who benefited from naughty American retailers who accidentally began selling the game last week). The official midnight launch event in Auckland saw the lucky kids pictured below become the first Halo 3 owners anywhere on the planet.

Other events saw early morning Aucklanders hammering away at a one ton block of ice in QEII Square to try and score themselves TV’s, Xbox’s and all manner of freebies. That frozen Legendary Edition helmet (pictured) was still locked tightly in ice when we left at 9:30, and that was after three and a half hours of frantic scratching. So close, yet so far away.