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Halo 3 BETA ends on a high

posted 14/06/07

SYDNEY 14 June 2007 – The countdown continues for what promises to be the one of the biggest entertainment product launches of 2007 with the conclusion of the "Halo 3" multiplayer beta. Designed to give fans the chance to give feedback and ultimately help shape the game, the "Halo 3" beta has proved to be an overwhelming success. 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.

Available worldwide via Xbox LIVE, it became the single most downloaded content on the service and surpassed the "Halo 2" record of the highest total number of people playing concurrently on one title over Xbox LIVE. Throughout its 26-day test period, more than 350 terabytes of data was downloaded from Xbox LIVE, equivalent to more than 82 million digital music downloads from the Internet.

Already proving wildly popular is the exciting new saved-film feature, which for the first time provided players with the ability record their games and share them over Xbox LIVE with friends. The feature saw more than 580,000 saved films created by users, representing more than 2.7 terabytes of data. Given the tremendous participation in the beta, Bungie now has an exhaustive amount of data that will be used to improve the game and overall experience.

With consumers worldwide gearing up for the release of "Halo 3" on 25 September, the experience just got bigger and better with a variety of new merchandise set to launch alongside the game. Two new Xbox 360 Limited Edition "Halo 3" Wireless Controllers designed by comic book master and toy creator Todd McFarlane, as well as an Xbox 360 Limited Edition "Halo 3" Wireless Headset will be available from September.

• Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo 3 Wireless Controllers: Two new, Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo 3 Wireless Controllers will be available from September. Designed with original artwork by legendary comic book artist Todd McFarlane, they will be available in either the "Covenant Brute" or "Master Chief" themes. Each controller will be packaged with limited edition "Halo 3" collectable figurines created by McFarlane Toys and will sell for a recommended retail price $89.95.
• Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo 3 Wireless Headset: For the "Halo 3" enthusiast who enjoys wireless mobility while playing 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 a recommended retail price of $69.95.

Click here to check out our thoughts on the Halo 3 beta now that it's all over...

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