Just about a month from now on May 16th, the ridiculously-awaited Halo 3 public beta (yes, it’s just a freakin’ beta test) becomes reality. Those of us who own Crackdown have got our ticket in, and even though I’m far from the biggest fan of the franchise, it will be interesting to check out what all the hullabaloo is about.

As it is, I refuse to play any online games with people I don’t know, and it won’t change for a moment with this game. Hell, Halo 2 is the reason I stopped playing Xbox Live in the first place. The user community in the game was - and continues to be - simply appalling. So I’ll frag with the fellas on my rather small Friends list, which I keep that way for a reason. I don’t like most people.

I completely blow at the game anyway, so after a few nights of getting slaughtered by my buddies I’ll probably retreat back to the friendly confines of MLB 2K7, NHL 2K7, and Crackdown (since I’ve barely scratched the surface with that one). Just like Gears of War, I can’t really get into the whole uber-serious world of Xbox Live shooters…it’s all too much.