The media barrage began nearly a year ago, with a TV ad during Monday Night Football. And as today’s release date neared, the hype machine kicked into high gear. Master Chief, the faceless hero of the series, stares up at me from the cover of my Wired Magazine.

When Halo hit the market in 2001, it changed the video game industry. It was violent, sure, but the story was so complex, with graphics so rich, that it sucked players into a virtual world for hours at a time.

Microsoft Corp wants video gamers to “finish the fight” when the last chapter of its “Halo” trilogy comes out next week, but a carefully crafted merchandising strategy will make sure Master Chief lives on for years to come.

I made the trek cross-country yesterday to front our exclusive Halo 3 release coverage from a Best Buy store at the corner of 44th and 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan.

Inside of a week now to the year's most anticipated entertainment event. Not Shrek. Spider-man. Even Pirates. Nope, I'm talking Master Chief, Cortana. The Covenant. I'm talking "Halo 3."