Gamers, mark your calendars. The much-anticipated third installment of Microsoft and Bungie’s Halo series will arrive for Xbox 360 systems on September 25. And if that’s too far off to wet your appetite, the multiplayer beta will arrive Wednesday, May 16. Microsoft made the announcement in the early morning hours on Wednesday, with the beta to officially commence at 5 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time and run until June 6.
Don’t sprint to your Xbox just yet, though. Microsoft has anticipated demand for the beta, so you’ll need to pay the piper before you can get your hands on it. Keys to access the Halo 3 beta via Xbox Live will only be available with specially marked copies of the Xbox-360-exclusive Crackdown title.
It won’t be the only Microsoft product to get an injection of hype from the Halo 3 buzz machine, either. Microsoft is also trying to resurrect it’s Zune with a “Halo 3 edition” that will come loaded with a collection of Halo content, including videos, soundtracks, trailers, ads and artwork. They’re even pushing the packaging as “collectible,” so unwrap your $249 toy with care, the box will be worth a fortune in 2065.
"’Halo 3′ is much more than a video game release; it’s the biggest entertainment event of the year," said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business, in a statement. "On Sept. 25, we intend to deliver a finale that will go down in entertainment history and leave people around the world with an experience that will be shared and enjoyed for years to come."
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