HALO 3, the final chapter in the groundbreaking HALO trilogy, is set to be released worldwide beginning Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2007. Created by developer Bungie Studios and exclusive to the Xbox 360, HALO 3 will be available to audiences around the world starting Sept. 25 and will release in Europe on Sept. 26.
"HALO 3 is much more than a videogame release; it's the biggest entertainment event of the year," said Peter Moore, corporate vp of Microsoft's interactive entertainment business. "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."
Fueling the early buzz around HALO 3, Microsoft unveiled the multiplayer beta on the eve of its release at a star-studded event in Hollywood. Beginning May 16, Microsoft Game Studios will kick off the HALO 3 multiplayer beta, which provides audiences worldwide with an exclusive, early look at some of the multiplayer elements of HALO 3 on Xbox LIVE. Adding to the excitement, Microsoft is also announcing a special edition Zune digital media player inspired by the franchise. On shelves next month, the Zune-HALO 3 edition comes loaded with a collection of HALO content, including videos, soundtracks, trailers, ads and artwork.
In Nov. 2004, the release of HALO 2 generated a record-setting $125 million in sales within the first 24 hours. Three years later, it remains the most-played game on Microsoft's Xbox LIVE online gaming and entertainment network, with nearly 1 billion hours of online gaming logged to date.
Gamers who are interested in experiencing the multiplayer beta of HALO 3 can still participate through the purchase of the critically acclaimed, Xbox 360-exclusive title CRACKDOWN, which was launched in February. Starting May 16, the specially marked copies of CRACKDOWN will act as a key for gamers to participate in the HALO 3 multiplayer beta. In addition to giving gamers their first opportunity to get their hands on the new levels, weapons, vehicles and game types, the multiplayer beta will also provide valuable data that Bungie will use in continued development.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
