Yesterday was officially "Talk Like a Pirate Day," so you might find it oddly appropriate that the day after turns out to be "We Bootlegged Halo 3 Day." Yo ho and a bottle of betcha didn't see that coming...
Upside? If there is one, it's that it took whoever cracked it (assuming the crack is even legit) quite a bit longer this time -- Halo 2 was on the net almost a month before its release date. So while Halo 3 getting poached was probably inevitable, in light of how monumental its release is, I guess we can toast whoever managed to keep its under wraps this long. I wouldn't want that person's job. No sir, not me.
Just remember, and I say this with all respect to happy-shiny-share-everything advocates: piracy is stealing and trafficking in or partaking of stolen goods is a crime, so unless you've got $250,000 and a fetish for small rooms with barred windows, find something better to do than bog down your internet connection. And remember, it's almost here. Go re-read The Halo Graphic Novel or Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev's surprisingly well constructed Halo: Uprising #1, or just spend some time browsing the pretty comprehensive Halo Wikia to brush up on the back story. Me? I'm replaying Halo 2.
Bless you backward compatible high-def.
(8...7...6 and counting...)