We'd explain that Halo influenced gaming in that it influenced many to play it, but that's hardly a secret. It's a cash juggernaut; an epic tale of dudes in space suits that cost more than it does for us to go to space right now and the alien species those billion-dollar men and women are at war with. And, of course, bags of tea.

But GamePro offers its own more poignant analysis of Microsoft's biggest franchise. There are the obvious effects of Bungie's success -- such as regenerative shields and the popular control scheme mimicked by many of Halo's predecessors -- but one of the biggest is the emergence of online multiplayer in the console FPS. The series has helped pave the way for some of console gamers' favorites.

We can't help but point out that GamePro is neglecting one crucial item: Theater mode. Before Halo 3, just about everyone's crazy stories of conquest or humiliation were suspect and impossible to prove. Now everyone on the message boards can see how awesome you are, and you can't really put a price on that now, can you?