Groundbreaking worldwide “Halo 3” public beta and “Halo 2” maps exclusively for Xbox Live on Xbox 360 coming in spring; first “Halo 3” TV ad coming this December.

On the fifth anniversary of the release of the landmark Xbox^® video game “Halo^®,” Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios today celebrated the milestone by announcing an exclusive hands-on experience with “Halo 3,” one of the industry’s most anticipated sequels. The Xbox Live^® multiplayer public beta, which is a pre-release version of the multiplayer experience of “Halo 3,” is scheduled for availability in spring 2007 exclusively on the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system.

In addition, Microsoft and Bungie confirmed today that consumers will be able to experience the “Halo” universe this holiday season through a one-time airing of a stirring, 60-second “Halo 3” teaser ad. And finally it was announced that the new, premium downloadable content for “Halo 2,” exclusive to Xbox 360, is scheduled for release in spring 2007.

“The ‘Halo’ Nation has a nearly insatiable desire,” said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of global marketing for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Corp. “We hope a taste of advance ‘Halo 3’ gameplay satisfies some of their appetite as we count down to the game’s launch later in 2007.”

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