June 13, 2007
Groundbreaking "Halo 3" Multiplayer Beta
Concludes; Official Countdown for Launch of Game Begins
People worldwide can gear up for the game’s
launch Sept. 25 with new, limited edition "Halo 3"-themed Xbox 360 Wireless
Controllers and an Xbox 360 Wireless Headset.
The countdown has begun for the biggest
entertainment event of 2007 with the close of Bungie Studios’ massively
successful “Halo® 3” multiplayer beta. A first for the acclaimed “Halo”
franchise, the limited public beta was an overwhelming success, seeing more than
820,000 unique participants and more than 12 million hours of online gameplay in
its short test period, equivalent to more than 1,400 years of continuous play by
one person.
Now that the beta has closed, consumers worldwide
can gear up for the game’s release with a variety of new merchandise, including
two new Xbox 360™ Limited Edition “Halo 3” Wireless Controllers designed by
Spawn and McFarlane Toys creator Todd McFarlane, as well as an Xbox 360 Limited
Edition “Halo 3” Wireless Headset, which lets gamers talk with friends over Xbox
LIVE®. The controllers and headset will be available starting in early September
and can be preordered at select retailers today, allowing “Halo” fans everywhere
to prepare for the launch of this year’s biggest game.
“The participation in the ‘Halo 3’ beta was
staggering,” said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios.
“Witnessing such a great reaction to a small portion of the game has been
inspiring. It’s a testament to the fervor and anticipation that surrounds ‘Halo
3.’ We’re confident that on Sept. 25 Halo 3 will drive an unprecedented wave of
new gamers to the Xbox 360 platform and Xbox LIVE.”
The “Halo 3” beta, an early look at parts of the
multiplayer gameplay of “Halo 3,” debuted to Xbox 360 owners worldwide via Xbox
LIVE on May 16. The more than 820,000 users who played the beta resulted in more
than 350 terabytes of data downloaded from Xbox LIVE, equivalent to more than 82
million digital music downloads from the Internet.* Also telling was the
players’ response to an exciting new saved-film feature, which provided them
with the unprecedented ability to record their games and share them over Xbox
LIVE with friends for the first time on Xbox 360. The feature, which was
unveiled in the beta, saw more than 580,000 saved films created by users,
representing more than 2.7 terabytes of data. Because of the tremendous
participation in the beta, Bungie now has an exhaustive amount of data that will
be used to improve the overall game experience.
Fans looking to immerse themselves in the “Halo”
universe before the game’s epic launch this September will be able to dive into
“Halo” through a variety of new merchandise and accessories:
- Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo 3” Wireless
Controllers. Two new Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo 3 Wireless Controllers will
be available starting Sept. 18 and can be preordered today at select
retailers. Designed with original artwork by legendary Spawn artist Todd
McFarlane, they will be available in either the Covenant Brute or Master Chief
themes. Each controller will be packaged with a limited edition “Halo 3”
collectible figurine created by McFarlane Toys will sell for an estimated
retail price $59.99 (U.S.). - Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo 3” Wireless
Headset. For the “Halo 3” enthusiast who enjoys wireless mobility while
playing with friends on Xbox LIVE, the Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo 3
Wireless Headset will sport the Spartan green and gold and provide
high-quality voice connections over Xbox LIVE for an estimated retail price of
$59.99 (U.S.). Available in early September, this accessory can be preordered
today at select retailers. - “Halo: Contact Harvest.” “Halo” fans can look
forward to the latest book in the “Halo” saga, “Halo: Contact Harvest,”
published by Tor Books and due Oct. 2, 2007. Written by Joseph Staten, the
Bungie Studios cinematic and writing lead for the first two “Halo” games, the
newest piece of fiction precedes the current New York Times’ best-selling book
series, telling the tale of the first encounters between UNSC forces and the
alien Covenant race that threatens to destroy all humanity. The trade
paperback will cost $12.95 (U.S.). - Marvel Comic miniseries. Bungie Studios has
teamed up with Marvel Comics to release the monthly miniseries “Halo:
Uprising.” The four-issue miniseries, featuring original storylines and
artwork from the Eisner Award-winning team of superscribe Brian Michael Bendis
and artist extraordinaire Alex Maleev, will launch with issue one on July 25,
2007 and cost $3.99 (U.S.) per issue. - Zune™-Halo 3 edition. Encased in collectible
packaging, the Zune-Halo 3 edition digital media player comes preloaded with
artwork, trailers and music from all three “Halo” games, as well as an
exclusive new episode of “Red vs. Blue” from the fan-adored machinima creator
Rooster Teeth Productions LLC. The Zune-Halo 3 edition will be available
exclusively at GameStop starting June 15 for an estimated retail price of $249
(U.S.).
