Three weeks before Halo 2 was to be released, pre-orders had already reached beyond 1.5 million, in the U.S. alone. It is the most anticipated Xbox title in the console's three year history - even bigger than the blockbuster original. Just like you, we've been watching and waiting since we tested the first HALO. We've sighed as release dates got pushed back further and further, and then let go a girlish squeal when they finally settled on the November 9th release date. We crowded around the box when it arrived, leveling challenging glances at each other. Who would get to touch it first?