Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta Logs 820,000 Players

As Microsoft closed the lid on the highly sought after Halo 3 multiplayer beta for the Xbox 360, the company has revealed a handful of impressive statistics, noting that the beta, which launched on May 16 and ran through June 6, saw participation by 820,000 unique players and a staggering 12 million hours of online gameplay. Also impressive was the sheer amount of data associated with the beta that was transferred over Xbox Live during the three week period. According to Microsoft, more than 350 terabytes of data were downloaded over the online service as a result of the beta, and users saved over 580,000 replay videos, amounting to more than 2.7 terabytes of data. Microsoft notes that Bungie now plans to use this data in order to improve the performance of the final product, with Halo 3 expected to ship on September 25. In the march up to the game's retail debut, Microsoft has also announced the upcoming release of two limited edition Xbox 360 wireless controllers, with artwork designed by comic book artist and toy designer Todd McFarlane, best recognized for his character Spawn and his line of realistic toy sculptures. Microsoft will also release a limited edition wireless headset branded with the Halo 3 logo, with both the controllers and headset expected to debut in early September. Commented Microsoft game Studios corporate VP Shane Kim, "Witnessing such a great reaction to a small portion of the game has been inspiring. It's a testament to the fervor and anticipation that surrounds Halo 3. We're confident that on Sept. 25 Halo 3 will drive an unprecedented wave of new gamers to the Xbox 360 platform and Xbox Live."