Some anecdotal evidence is coming in that the Limited Edition copies of Halo 3--those are the ones in the tins, but not with the cat helmet--are breaking, causing the discs to shift around and get scratched during shipping.
The guy who posted this thread in NeoGAF says his friend opened three copies of the game, only to find that all three were scratched up. He reportedly swapped out for a fourth copy, only to find that it was also scratched. One wonders how he's so freely trading copies in and out days before the game's release, however.
I can confirm that the discs from the LE that just showed up in my house were indeed loose in the package and scratched up as a result. They seem to work perfectly, however.
Most stores won't let you return opened software for any reason, but swapping out defective merchandise should not be an issue. If you're picking up your copy of Halo 3 at midnight tonight, save yourself some potential aggravation and open it right away to make sure it's in good condition.
Photo courtesy of Hooterville.
Heads Up Everyone!! Halo 3 Limited Edition Big Disc Problems!! [NeoGAF]
