Halo 3 public beta in spring

By Tom Bramwell Published 15 November, 2006

Plus new Halo 2 maps.

It's not just Xbox's fifth anniversary today, it's Halo's - and to celebrate the Bungie chaps have announced plans to do a public multiplayer beta of Halo 3 on Xbox Live next spring.

Yes, that means that sometime early next year you'll be able to play Halo 3 with your friends, with your feedback being collected for Bungie to take into account - ahead of the full game's release later in 2007.

That's not all either - with Halo 2 by far and away the most popular game on Xbox Live even now, Bungie's planning to release some premium multiplayer maps for it next spring as well.

And and and, there's going to be a special 60-second trailer for Halo 3 appearing on US TV on 4th December, which ought to make its way onto Xbox Live Marketplace - in high definition - shortly afterward.

Unfortunately today's announcements don't shed much more light on the game, although on the story front is notes that "Master Chief returns to finish the fight, bringing the epic conflict between the Covenant, the Flood and the entire human race to a dramatic, pulse-pounding climax". Although you'd probably guessed that bit.

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About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000. Follow him on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (50) Latest comment 6 years ago

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  • crazyhorse174 #1 6 years ago

    Read this earlier on IGN...cant wait for the public Beta!
    Edited by crazyhorse174 at 15/11/06 @ 11:30

  • Machiavel #2 6 years ago

    pulse-pounding climax? They did that with the second one - we want a denouement this time thank you!

  • lambtron #3 6 years ago

    Here's hoping their definition of "Spring" is not the same as Sony's!

  • rhinoxious #4 6 years ago

    Hurrah!

    Happy Birthday Halo!

    . . . for the excellent multi-player game, I'm reserving my enthuiasm for the single player till I've played it.
    Edited by rhinoxious at 15/11/06 @ 11:39

  • brainbird #5 6 years ago

    More map packs for download? The support is fantastic, notice that, "other-games-with-downloadable-content-print-on-box-but-not-in-game"?

  • Skooch #6 6 years ago

    "And the 60 second trailer is all CGI"

    Really, bit of a shame but at least they admit it. I don't mind pre-rendered stuff myself, as long as people say it for what it is. Now I've played Gears I can't imagine a game that could look much better on the 360 - so I'll be looking forward to this a LOT! :)

  • space_ace #7 6 years ago

    vaporware!


    uhm, maybe not :)

  • Huntcjna #8 6 years ago

    Place your bets now for if this beta conveniently dropping onto marketplace right around PS3 european release day.

  • Yossarian #9 6 years ago

    I might as well just admit now that I will pay for new maps and/or a beta test

    and I imagine the beta will be the three maps 1up got to play with a little sprucing up

  • Scientist #10 6 years ago

    "And the 60 second trailer is all CGI"

    Bit like Killzone 2 at E3 2005. :-)

  • brooza #11 6 years ago

    Here's hoping their definition of "Spring" is not the same as Sony's!

    What are you on about? Sony originally said the PS3 would be released in Spring and it is!


    They just got the year wrong
    Edited by brooza at 15/11/06 @ 12:18

  • AHiFi #12 6 years ago

    Scientist - Use logic. ;]

  • Wrobel #13 6 years ago

    What are you on about? Sony originally said the PS3 would be released in Spring and it is!

    They just got the year wrong

    Though expect for Spring to change to Summer/Autumn once Christmas is over.

  • Mordum #14 6 years ago

    Great news on the new maps for Halo2. It's great that Bungie keep the online multiplayer fresh and worth sticking with, but I never thought they'd give us new maps once development on Halo 3 was well under way.
    The E3 trailer was all in game engine right? so seems a little odd to go the CGI route for this next trailer (no other Halo game has had CGI trailers if I remember correctly.... not counting Halo Wars of course).

    Oh, and the Halo 3 public Beta?! can't bloody wait for that, I don't care if I have to pay (which isn't confirmed though, so hopefully it'll be free).
    Edited by Mordum at 15/11/06 @ 12:35

  • moggsy #15 6 years ago

    Place your bets now for if this beta conveniently dropping onto marketplace right around PS3 european release day.

    Nah, the full game will be released before the PS3 in Europe ;-)

  • zoidberg #16 6 years ago

    I think the US TV trailer will be CGI because it is a TV 60 second spot. It's made for a wider audience that really likes to see pretty graphics.

    If you look at a new CGI-helped movie (ok, did you people see the Spiderman 3 new trailer?) and then look at a spot for a computer game (admittedly, Halo 3 does raise some eyebrows since most gamers know the brand, at least), the graphics have to be as good, or even better. Hence the CGI effort.

    No doubt that actual gamers will know this, enjoy it, and wait for the full-graphics onslaught come launch day.

  • Scientist #17 6 years ago

    "Scientist - Use logic. ;]"

    Was it not implied in my post? ;-)

  • skillian #18 6 years ago

    Paying to beta test?

    /shakes head.

    At least when playing BF2 they pretend it's a finished game.

  • Carpathian #19 6 years ago

    Has anybody actually confirmed that the beta will be free or charged for ? If not then I think we have a few preparing early for the next "Gun Jumping" event at the Olympics

    ;o)
    Edited by Carpathian at 15/11/06 @ 12:59

  • bonker #20 6 years ago

    I'd rather got it in my head that H3 would make it out in time for PS3-Europe in the Spring - wonder if they're adding some extra polish after seeing GOW?

  • KD #21 6 years ago

    Just because they have asked before would people pay to try out betas i wouldnt expect them to, if anyone answered yes they are crazy as theres been loads of pc mmorpgs betsa run for months with no costs for the servers and xbox lives got the P2P connections so seems quite silly.

  • thinktank #22 6 years ago

    @scientist

    "And the 60 second trailer is all CGI"

    Bit like Killzone 2 at E3 2005. :-)

    Not really Bungie have come out and said that the trailer is CGI, i think they prefer not to lie to their fans ;)

  • Scientist #23 6 years ago

    @thinktank

    I'm not criticising Bungie; I admire their honesty. Was really commenting on how SCE portrayed an obviously CG trailer as real PS3 footage to fool the mainstream.
    As the Halo 3 trailer will be going out on US TV for non-gamers to see, and with SCE's history of using mendacious PR videos, it follows IMO that such a Halo 3 trailer would be CGI. After all you wouldn't want the biggest Xbox 360 game in 2007 to look worse than a 2 year old Killzone trailer. And most people who will see it on TV won't know the difference.

  • thinktank #24 6 years ago

    @scientist

    I wasn't having a dig at you just havin a cheap shot a sony, i have no intention of starting any fanb... actualy i wont say it you know what im getting at.

    Yeah that makes sense to me, after all you average joe relies more on box art than reveiws when it comes games.

    And disc at the risk of asking a stupid question, what is badumtisch, oh now that ive said it, its that noise made when a joke is told isnt it?

    I didn't need to write that.

    or that.

    /stops
    Edited by thinktank at 15/11/06 @ 13:43

  • Jheronimus #25 6 years ago

    I'm really anxious about Halo3 I must say. I'm also finding a public beta of a console game a good development. Don't really know console games that did this before...

  • peterfll #26 6 years ago

    Well I think it's rubbish that they're using pre-rendered CGI.

    In-game engine FTW.

  • thinktank #27 6 years ago

    @Peterfil

    I agree but like scientist said this add isn't for us lot its for plebs.

    no harm ment!

  • mattigan #28 6 years ago

    I reckon the Beta will be for gold members only, and quite right too! IMHO

  • coojam #29 6 years ago

    Meh, anyone who has played Gears of War multiplayer will know Halo 3 has A LOT to live up to.

  • Yossarian #30 6 years ago

    "Well I think it's rubbish that they're using pre-rendered CGI.

    In-game engine FTW."

    the latest word is that it will at least use in-game assets etc. in a manner not unlike the 'Mad World' Gears of War trailer, or indeed every MGS4 trailer to date. it's also worth pointing out that this is the first time Bungie have ever released a CG movie of one of their games, and they flagged it as such from the first second. which make 'ZOMG Killzone' comparisons a little limp-wristed.

    as for the public beta, I think this is a very good sign indeed. it suggests that they're sufficiently far along in development to put time and resources into supporting this beta and taking feedback etc. on board before release. after all the flak they took about testing Halo 2 on 'soccer moms' etc. behind closed doors this is a positive step -- allowing a ravenous and downright devious fanbase the chance to break and unbalance your game in every way possible so you can respond before the game is actually on shelves. if Microsoft stick to their formula of releasing Halo titles in November then Halo 3 might be the first title in the series that isn't rushed for release.

  • peterfll #31 6 years ago

    I had no idea the "Mad World" GOW trailer was also pre-rendered?

    Anywhoo, given the first H3 trailer was supposedly using in-game engine, why change now?

    I donna like it.

    It gives you a false impression.

    As for the multiplayer Beta being restricted to Gold members, well if it's like any others you can download on a Silver account, but actually only play online using a Gold one.

  • coojam #32 6 years ago

    The GoW trailer is only pre-rendered in the fact that the animations and the spot effects aren't in game assets (ie. it's not someone controlling the characters with a joypad, they're being specifically controlled by wireframe).

    A lot of the fire/smoke/shiny effects are added on too. Apart from that, it's all in-game, or so I'm told.

  • thinktank #33 6 years ago

    You can always rely on yossarian to say wht your thinking but can never be arsed to write.

    Spot on fella.

  • jonsaan #34 6 years ago

    So is this their wonderful surprise??!!

    Spring?! SPRING?! What about something good now. I thought they were going to give us Halo Wars or something. Jeez.
    Edited by jonsaan at 15/11/06 @ 14:53

  • S.J.Rogers #35 6 years ago

    When is Halo Wars out?

  • Yossarian #36 6 years ago

    why do people always have unrealistic expectations of these 'BIG' announcements from games companies? I expected some screenshots and maybe a video of multiplayer or something. I was pretty excited when I read the news

  • Xerx3s #37 6 years ago

    I don't want the beta. It means ruining the experience when the game is actually released because you have to take the bugs and such for granted. :\

  • JediMasterMalik #38 6 years ago

    Another disappointing "big" announcement

  • Mr_Brown #39 6 years ago

    Yeah you can you can bet your bottom dollar this will cost like 1000 points. Still that won't stop it being the most played Live game in the first month and until the game comes out. I'll probably get it for that too...reluctantly.

  • Mr_Brown #40 6 years ago

    "Another disappointing "big" announcement"

    This is big, what were you expecting?? What more do Halo fans want than to play Halo 3 Multiplayer before the games out? Sometimes I only think some people will be happy if Microsoft gave their blood on Xbox Live Market Place as downloadable content...and even then they'd moan because its not free... ¬_¬
    Edited by Mr_Brown at 15/11/06 @ 18:36

  • JediMasterMalik #41 6 years ago

    Announsing something that's happening in such a log time is disappointing, some curent announcement would have been much better.

  • Xerx3s #42 6 years ago

    JMM, you can try and downplay it all you want, it's not going to work. ¬_¬

  • Psychotext #43 6 years ago

    "Announsing something that's happening in such a log time is disappointing, some curent announcement would have been much better."

    * cough *

    "Sony officially unveiled the PS3 to the public on May 16, 2005 during an E3 conference..."

  • JediMasterMalik #44 6 years ago

    LOL ok whatever, I'm not that bothered. I may have a 360 by then, and so it may interest me, but right now, I don't really care, though a console public beta for a MP game is agood idea. Anyway, didn't they say a long time ago that they had started testing the multiplayer already?

  • Lovemoose #45 6 years ago

    Well, I reckon that's just a very roundabout way of telling us it's been delayed again.

    My money's on the autumn.

  • Psychotext #46 6 years ago

    JediMasterMalik: Just playing, thought it was apt that long announcements come from everywhere. :) and yeah, people like 1up have been playing the multiplayer and reporting on it.

  • Xerx3s #47 6 years ago

    ¬_¬

  • NegativeZero #48 6 years ago

    New Halo 2 maps?

    Please please PLEASE remake Hang 'em High. I don't care if Bungie don't think it plays as well, most of the existing Halo 2 maps are crap.

  • Baz_Dude #49 6 years ago

    'Bit like Killzone 2 at E3 2005. :-)'

    Yer, cept it took Sony 3 months to admit it was pre rendered CGI.

  • Mordum #50 6 years ago

    @NegativeZero
    "New Halo 2 maps?
    Please please PLEASE remake Hang 'em High. I don't care if Bungie don't think it plays as well, most of the existing Halo 2 maps are crap."


    I would'nt say most of them are crap, although I'm not a fan of the oversized ones. Oh and Midship and Gemini are my least favourite (only counting the 'built for 8 players' maps). I wonder if they'll bring "Backwash" back?