Source: An angry post on the NeoGAF forums, one backed up by similar claims on the Quarter to Three forums and other gaming sites.

What we heard: There's a market in games today for collector's editions of popular games. Typically, they come packed with behind-the-scenes features, fancy packaging, and assorted knickknacks related to the game in question. They also come with inflated price tags, which means those shelling out for the collector's editions are typically people willing to pay a bit more for the full experience.

Over the weekend, copies of the $69.99 Limited Edition of Halo 3 began trickling out to various media, and reports have been springing up that a design flaw in the tin cases that hold the game has resulted in a bevy of scratched-up discs. A member of the NeoGAF forums posted a cautionary tale about scuffed up discs in three packages, with accompanying photographic evidence.

Such tales have appeared on a number of forums and Web sites, and GameSpot's own Limited Edition copy of the game arrived with a loose and slightly scuffed game disc in the package. The problem appears to stem from the plastic nub set into the side of the case. Said protrusion isn't big enough to keep the discs in place when the package is jostled, resulting in the disc slipping off the spindle and then being scuffed by it. While annoying, the scratches appear to be only cosmetic, as the scratched copy was running fine for editors prepping for tonight's Halo 3 gameplay marathon.

It is unclear if the disc-scratching problem extends to the $129.99 the Legendary Edition of Halo 3. Early shots of the set show a regular Xbox 360 case inside the shelf that is part of the pricey set, which would exclude the possibility of the offending nub. However, several members of the press reported that the Legendary Edition comes with the Limited Edition packaging inside the miniature helmet that is the Legendary edition's main draw.

The official story: When asked how widespread the problem is and what gamers should do if they purchase a scuffed-up Limited Edition copy of Halo 3, a Microsoft representative busy setting up for a midnight launch of the game declined to comment on the issue.

Bogus or not bogus?: Not bogus that discs are arriving scuffed up, but it's unclear how many of them are actually unplayable.

Bye