November 30, 2006 - Sad news. The previously announced Halo 3 Beta will not be available for every eager Xbox 360 gamer. In a press release teasing the December 4 Halo 3 trailer, Microsoft revealed that gamers will "register for the opportunity to be one of the select members" of the public beta. Just because you love Halo doesn't guarantee you will be able to enjoy the multiplayer experience this spring.
On December 4, the millions of hopefuls can go to halo3.com to sign up for the beta. You thought the Internet hit a crawl as consumers tried frantically to purchase a PS3? This could be worse. The good news is that this likely means fears that Microsoft would charge a premium to play the Beta are unfounded. Some thought Microsoft might control the size of the Beta with a small service fee, but since the Beta will be limited by a selection process, that seems highly unlikely.
The 60-second trailer airs in North America during ESPN's Monday Night Football on December 4. The trailer, which will be available online and on the Xbox Live Marketplace following its television debut, features live action and in-game footage. It promises to offer "telling new hints" about the upcoming first-person shooter.
"Halo is a pop culture phenomenon! The Halo franchise has changed the face of interactive entertainment and it's only fitting that we take an innovative approach to how we market and advertise the brand," said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of global marketing for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Corp. "This invites a new audience with a rich back story, and continues to galvanize gamers around the world for the launch of Halo 3 in 2007."
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