Halo 3 holds onto its newly found Xbox Live crown

It is the best thing since sliced bread. Its like adding another 300% to the game and making it shit loads more fun than guitar hero.

GH3 is beating rock band for online play because no one plays rock band online, they all get their friends over to their house to rock. i know thats what i've been doing twice a week since it launched.

Well yeah but before COD4 no one expected call of duty to ever hit the top spot. New IP's can do it.

Personally i find COD4 to luck based, to much "well i shot first so you lose", halo 3 is a bit to slow paced and gears is still in my 360 the most out of the 3.

Hopefully gears 2 shoots up and gets the #1 spot

@SadisticHam

"well i shot first so you lose"

Isn't that the way it supposed to be? I mean, what other situation works for you?

That's how it works in the real world but I prefer games like Halo and Gears of war where you have enough time to react and retaliate when shot in the back.

Admittedly sometimes in COD4 you can pull it off but not often.

Exactly. My friends list reflects this phenomenon.

I completely agree...Halo bak on top where it belongs!

I doubt it. There are more Halo Junkies (Myself included), than there are Gearheads. Sure, when I get Gears 2, I'll be playing it nonstop for about 2-3 weeks, but after that I'll be going back and forth between it, Halo 3, and the occasional Guitar Hero.

It's always the same.. I get a new game, so I play it until I get bored with it, then I go back to Halo. Between Halo 3 and Halo 2 Vista, I'm playing Halo almost nonstop.

Dragod, you just described me but with Gears. Except that instead of going to the other game and then BACK to Gears, I just play both for a while (Gears pretty much never gets less than 1-2 hours per night even at peak times for other games), and then back to ONLY Gears.

Although, you are totally right, Halo is much more mainstream than Gears and there are more people that feel that way about it than about Gears.

I expect Gears 2 to do similar to Gears 1. On top for a little while, but then hanging around the 3-5 range after that.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Sure, Battlefield had a big impact. But so did Bungie Day.

I was one of the Halo 3 gamers that stopped playing when COD4 came out. On Bungie Day, when they released the free map, I downloaded Cold Storage, as well as the free Heroic map pack. After playing a few rounds, I was quickly reminded why I enjoyed Halo so much, bought the Legendary map pack, and H3 has been in my drive ever since.

You can believe what you want... but judging by forums and people I know... Halo fans try other games as well and still have enough time to come back. You either like the game or you don't. How can you make a claim towards Religious Halo fans when you're not one yourself. I am one and a lot of us like to try other games as well. GOW 2 is one I'll be playing a lot of but Halo 3 still has staying power to justify coming back to.

So let me see if I understand what your saying. Halo 3 doesnt keep the same amount of players because it has staying power, It keeps them because the people that play halo dont get tired of playing the game. Whats the difference?
Lets make a bet. I bet that over the next 6months COD4 will drop below the #5 spot on the charts and never return to the #1. Also, I bet halo 3 will never fall below #3 and will return to #1 in between big releases.

I'm not the only one quoted as thinking Halo 3 has "staying power".... read the first line in number 8 genius.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/895/895225p1.html

IT'S A FACT... I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU'RE DEBATING IT!! Yes.. I will say it again... Halo 3 does have STAYING POWER because of the content included in the game. Another bar was set for the online community surrounding the Halo name. There are numerous features in this game that keep players coming back.. hence the phrase STAYING POWER. While there are other great games out there... don't get me wrong... HALO is still a undeniable brand name and one that goes hand and hand with the name XBOX. You can claim BF bad company is the reason for or coincidence on why Halo is on top again... but E3, free maps, fresh matchmaking, theater, forge, online stats... etc. spark people's interest too. Why is it hard to believe that replay value and new content in a quality game keeps people coming back?? You're talking about the most purchased xbox 360 game of all time. It's not fanboyism... just facts!

OMG! More twisting of my words. My opinion was not derived by one writer tard. Clearer you're making a debate out of missing my point. Yeah Bad Company came out and I'm sure lots of former COD4 fans are playing it. But who's to say that is the ONE and ONLY reason for Halo taking the top spot again. I could care less what spot it's in. So you can read forums about COD4's decline in numbers because of Bad Company and state it as fact... but when I pull out an article and read countless forums of former COD4 guys who have returned to Halo.... mine opinion is B.S??? Yeah... how bout you come back down to Earth.... I know the world revolves around you and everything... but if you think about what we are talking about for one minute you can conclude that Bad Company is not the Definite and Only answer. That was my point. Halo 3 has a new map out as well as others that are free... so I guess that has nothing to do with the increased players I see in matchmaking online. Or that Halo 3 may have lasting appeal that while people are trying other games... they may come back once in awhile??? I'm sure Halo's numbers will drop when Gears 2 comes out. You're entitled to your opinion, but it's not the only conclusion was my point. And it's not Halo under my pillow... it's my xbox controller!!!

No you said my opinion was B.S. when you stated that Bad Company was the only conclusion for the COD4 decline in numbers. Don't back peddle to try to win a debate! Your argument is flawed. You know it... now you're reducing your debate to poking fun at "fanboyism".... which again dismisses my having opinion and making you look like a jackass. Again I never said BC didn't contribute in the numbers.. just that it's not the definitive and only reason.... there could be any one of a number of reasons for Halo's numbers including new content and being a game of high replay value. Halo 2 was played consistently for 3 years after it's release. I've done nothing but state facts. If you want to call fanboyism... it's just because you can't stand to lose an argument and that is your only rebuddle .

There is no back peddling here. I know I didn't call your opinion B.S., only equal to everyone else. It it is just a an opinion, not a fact. Yes you have stated facts, about a the availabity of a free map, matchmaking , online stats. Those are facts. But there are no facts to suggest that is the reason for the XBL rankings. Unless you go out an poll all the gamers, it is just speculation. And I have clearly stated what seems to be a more likely cause of Halo 3's position in the rankings, is that it did not gain more gamers, but Call of Duty lost gamers. That is a different concept than people deciding to go back to playing Halo 3. The problem is you are a self admitted Halo fanboy,and I am a fanboy of none of these game. That is where your argument is flawed. And you have obviously made this something personal. This is not a debate that can be won or lost. There is no prize, and unless you get a paycheck from Bungie, you have nothing to gain. But if it makes you feel like you have done something, I will not repsond to your next comment, and you can sit there and feel like you really got one over on me. I'm going back to playing games, instead of worshipping them.

And next time you want to try and sound smart and think you are in a meaningful debate...you should learn the difference between a "rebuddle" and a rebuttal.

Thanks for correcting my spelling professor!!! I know what it means. But before you pat yourself on the back...allow me to correct your grammar genius.... read the first line in your sentence.....

"It it is just a an opinion, not a fact. Yes you have stated facts, about a the availabity of a free map, matchmaking , online stats. Those are facts. But there are no facts to suggest that is the reason for the XBL rankings."

What is this... English class? There is nothing in your "opinion" to suggest anything either. When did I ever claim to be a Halo fanboy? More words out of your mouth. I love games of all types. You claim I make this personal yet you keep coming back here ... the same as I... and throw insults as well. Agree to disagree. You're entitled to your opinion... and it is just that! Agreed? Onto the next debate!!

Alright... I see where you got it now....

"How can you make a claim towards Religious Halo fans when you're not one yourself. I am one and a lot of us like to try other games as well."

I misspoke. Early in the debate you sounded like one who didn't play and was maybe a COD4 fan. I'm not a fanboy so much as I play a lot. I own COD4 but never found it as fun... IMO. There are plenty of other games out there to conquer and get excited about. Reading our debate you had some valid points. No hard feelings. Just thought you should know.