Halo 3 (but not quite the discussion you may be expecting)
Since Wednesday night, therefore, I've hardly seen him, apart from mealtimes and when I check that he's done his homework before playing at being the Master Chef or whatever the main character is (I've never played Halo myself.) He spent the weekend at a friend's house, with 3 or 4 of his school chums, all playing Halo 3 co-operative and multiplayer. It was finished after 14 hours of almost non-stop play - the little weasels game until they drop asleep (which I wholeheartedly disapprove of)
I've seen a bit of it whilst he's been playing it, and it looks good I must say, although I've seen better - for example HL2, Far Cry - but regardless of looks, I just don't see that any of the Halo series can possibly be the ground-breaking, iconic games that they are claimed to be by either the manufacturers, retailers, or fans. Interesting story, although the Halo installations are a fairly blatant Ringworld rip-off, but I'm not so bothered about that - it just strikes me as not terribly original in gameplay or structure, other than it's on XBox, making it accessible to a very wide audience. Again, to be fair, i haven't played it, but nothing I've seen of it really makes me want to, not the way HL2 appealed, or F.E.A.R. - I loved F.E.A.R. it looked and played beautifully, it was terrifying in places, creepy, a very convincing story (although again not terribly original but very well written) and had me gripped from the moment it started. No HL2 but really rather good.
so what's the big deal with Halo that makes it so irresistible to teenies I've asked the Boy but as he's turned 13 and is now de-evolving into a greasy, spotty, shambolic lump and can only communciate in grunts, I haven't had much of a coherent answer.
(btw Halo 3 has a rubbish ending!)