"Halo 3: ODST" seems to be netting the series' fans with its gameplay, but a trending complaint on Bungie's message boards indicates that some players may be having problems when it comes time to load cinematic cut scenes. Posters have reported instances of data corruption and disc read errors that render their game files unplayable. Theories include incompatibility with old 360 DVD drives and isolated disc flaws, though the problems are unique to the "ODST" Campaign and Firefight modes.

Bungie is actively looking into the problems and trying sort out exactly what's happening, according to their message board thread, but it will likely take some testing and trial and error to pinpoint the malfunction, particularly if it is a hardware incompatibility issue from older systems.

Meanwhile, players have been sleuthing around on their own to sort out common circumstances among the errors. A popular preliminary fix appears to be installing the game to the 360's hard drive. Don't go running out into the streets in a panic over your other save files and games, as the glitch sounds like it's only associated with the "Campaign" disc. Furthermore, the odds against you being one of the few experiencing this problem are small at this point -- but it wouldn't hurt to install your copy to the HDD just to be safe.

Have you played "Halo 3: ODST" yet? Had any problems? What's your personal experience been like thus far? Share it in the comment section below.