Halo 3 beta instructions! Come and get ’em!

So what if Gears of War has taken over the Xbox360 scene as of late. The name of Halo still holds a warm and fuzzy place in every die-hard Xbox fan out there. That is the main reason why the upcoming installment Halo 3 is receiving so much attention right now. The newest and coolest thing in Halo world? Getting into Halo 3 beta games. How would one go about doing so, you might ask. Good question. Luckily, these instructions have been released by Microsoft. Apparently they aren’t too worried about too many people getting a hold of the beta invite.

Beginning Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, at 12:01 a.m. EST, all gamers need to do is participate in at least three hours of �Halo 2� multiplayer sessions, via Xbox Live, before Feb. 3, 2007, at 11:59 p.m. EST and then be among the first 13,333 to register at halo3.com. The �Rule of Three� program is currently planned for gamers in the 50 United States (includes District of Columbia) age 17 years and older who have access to an Xbox 360 Pro console or an Xbox 360 Core console with hard drive, a valid Xbox Live Gold subscription and the �Halo 2� game. Gamers around the world are encouraged to visit halo3.com in the coming weeks for more information on the �Rule of Three� program in their region.

Read the full press release after the jump.

Microsoft Announces Two Additional Paths of Entry
to �Halo 3� Multiplayer Beta

Gamers are invited to join the fight when the beta goes live this spring
with Xbox Live and �Crackdown� providing the final two paths.

Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios are ringing in the year with a proverbial bang, as they announced today two new ways for gamers to receive an invitation to participate in the �Halo ® 3� multiplayer beta program coming this spring through Xbox Live ® Marketplace.

Specifically, gamers will be able to receive an invitation by doing one of the following:

— Qualifying over Xbox Live and then being one of the first 13,333 �Halo 2� gamers to register for the �Rule of Three� program at http://www.halo3.com in early February

— Purchasing the upcoming game �Crackdown�,� which hits store shelves in the U.S. on Feb. 20

The �Halo 3� multiplayer beta, which is a pre-release version of the multiplayer experience of �Halo 3,� is scheduled for availability in spring 2007 exclusively on Xbox 360�. The beta also represents an opportunity for gamers to participate in the testing and refinement of the multiplayer gameplay of �Halo 3,� the most anticipated game of 2007. Through the resulting feedback, Bungie Studios will be able to further hone the end result of �Halo 3.�

Beginning Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, at 12:01 a.m. EST, all gamers need to do is participate in at least three hours of �Halo 2� multiplayer sessions, via Xbox Live, before Feb. 3, 2007, at 11:59 p.m. EST and then be among the first 13,333 to register at http://www.halo3.com. The �Rule of Three� program is currently planned for gamers in the 50 United States (includes District of Columbia) age 17 years and older who have access to an Xbox 360 Pro console or an Xbox 360 Core console with hard drive, a valid Xbox Live Gold subscription and the �Halo 2� game. Gamers around the world are encouraged to visit http://www.halo3.com in the coming weeks for more information on the �Rule of Three� program in their region.

As well, when �Crackdown� hits store shelves, gamers eager to take home a copy of the highly anticipated exclusive action title for Xbox 360 will find marked boxes of �Crackdown� that include an invite to participate in the coveted �Halo 3� multiplayer beta program when it becomes available. When the �Halo 3� multiplayer beta surfaces in spring 2007, owners of �Crackdown� with access to an Xbox 360 Pro console or an Xbox 360 Core console with hard drive and a valid Xbox Live Gold subscription simply need to load their copy of �Crackdown� into Xbox 360 and use the disc as a key to download the beta from Xbox Live Marketplace and join the battle in �Halo 3� multiplayer. �Crackdown� will be available in the U.S. on Feb. 20, Asian territories on Feb. 22 and European markets on Feb. 23.

In December, Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios completed the first of three ways for North American gamers to participate in the �Halo 3� multiplayer beta, by registering at halo3.com. Gamers who were selected from this initial opportunity will be contacted in January.

From Realtime Worlds, �Crackdown� pushes the action-driving hybrid genre into the next generation with a rich and immersive 3-D playground. Gamers level up their Agent�s strength, agility, firearms, explosives and driving skills while scaling the fully vertical world of �Crackdown.� This M-rated game incorporates revolutionary co-op gameplay throughout the entire free-form campaign. Creating a volatile cocktail of judicial oppression, players will clean up the streets of a truly interactive world when �Crackdown� hits store shelves at an estimated retail price of $59.99.

— Nik Gomez

Microsoft announces official ways to get into Halo 3 beta [Destructoid]