Halo 3 beta signup begins, new trailer airs

[UPDATE 3] Microsoft opens up registration for multiplayer testing of Halo 3 in early December; new 60-second spot inside!

In November, Bungie Studios and Microsoft announced that they had a huge announcement regarding Halo 3. Many hardcore fans were let down when the news was merely the announcement of a beta program...that wouldn't even start until spring 2007.

Halo 3 Trailer

Master Chief and the Honeycomb Hideout grenade.

Today, registration for the beta program began at the Halo 3 Web site. The beta will initially be open to North American gamers, and not everyone who applies is guaranteed a spot. To participate, gamers must have: a) An Xbox 360 with a hard-drive; b) A valid Xbox Live Gold subscription; c) A valid Microsoft. NET Passport account with a Xbox Live GamerTag linked to it. More details on the beta-sign up can be found on halo3.com.

[UPDATE 3] A new 60-second Halo 3 ad aired during last night's Monday Night Football matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers. It is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace, Xbox.com, and via the link below.

Halo 3 is due out in 2007 exclusively for the Xbox 360.

1442 Comments

  • Toys_R_us_cop

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:50 pm PT

    lol....How can you say Killzone is better Killzones a Joke of a Shooter

  • Citycen01

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:50 pm PT

    I KNEW IT WAS KELLY, for what i heard she's a bad ass(reed a book kids) and yeah, the CG looks great and all, but a promise that the in-game engine can deliver that, i have to see, if it can go furnter than what Gears of War acomplished, then we are cooking in deed.
    Did anyone else notice that the pistol hes holding looks like the Halo 1 pistol? i would love to see that one come back, instead of the Halo 2 one!

  • ismailachu

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:48 pm PT

    I heard the ps3 works as a vibrater, good for those lonely nights without my girlfriend

  • Citycen01

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:45 pm PT

    to end wold hunger!
    thats it! i heard the PS3 doubles as a forman grill!
    thats the word on the street anywho

  • PSP360Gamr83

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:45 pm PT

    seriously josey2joey, this is about Halo 3, its a game, comment about the game not the system. Oh and btw, The only thing that makes blu-ray slightly better is that it holds more, HD-DVD uses a newer compression format similar to .mp4 . blu-ray uses MPEG, older technology. Please do research before making your statements. And I'm sure that everyone else here is getting annoyed by all of this fanboyism. All of the systems have their strong points. if you cant stick to the topic of the article just DONT post a comment, save it for system wars. So about the trailer, sure it was in CG but i would rather see that than unfinished game content, but accordign to bungie the CG graphics are supposed to be close to the games finished graphics. Also, everythig featured in the trailer is supposed to eb in the retail version of the game. I love the shield grenade and the return of the original assult rifle. I also cant wait to learn more about the story. the two kids in the beginning of the trailer were master chief and kelly (another spartan) during their childhood on Reach (planet that fell to the covenant shortly before Halo 1).

  • ismailachu

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:41 pm PT

    to please kids

  • jarrd111

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:39 pm PT

    Hey JoseY2Joey,
    You say that Microsoft are making a console to just make money, why do you think any of the companies are making consoles, for the hell of it?

  • JoseY2Joey

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:37 pm PT

    ugh... And the number one put down on this forum is... (drumroll) FANBOY!!!

    It seems like I'm a little outnumbered. I like all games, not just Sony games, I like competition, I just like for people to be open minded, and well... actually think for once. All you hear on this POS Forum is I love Halo, Zelda rules, Sony sucks for making an expensive console. As a consumer... I care about value. More bang for your buck... I wish iPods did more, like blue tooth, phone, camera... The only console that does everything is PS3... honestly. Think people, 360 comes in second, and wii? come on... The next generation started Nov. 17th... that's where the fanboy comes out.

  • Irve

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:36 pm PT

    .... looks nice ... but .. it's rendered and short !! ... not all that exciting ... i'm waiting for the big push for assasin's creed .... Ubisoft need to make Billions so they can afford to make a sequal to Beyond Good & Evil ... a spiritul one at least !

  • ismailachu

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:35 pm PT

    go Citycen01 in the house

  • Citycen01

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:33 pm PT

    Yeah JoseY2Joey!
    You tell them, thats why PS3 has all the good exclusives.... no wait.
    Thats why its much easy'r to get a PS3 than a WII..... no scratch that.
    What good is a super console if you cant deliver, and if the games that are at the stores suck? i trully dont see sony coming up with good stuff till mid next year, arround the time i'll get my, for now, my 360 (fully upgraded thank you) and a wii is all i need. So what if the PS 3 has all that fancy stuff and promises to cure canser!
    I CANT GET ONE, AND IM NOT GETTING SHOT FOR TRYING OR MUGED!

  • ismailachu

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:28 pm PT

    joseY2Joey chill and that goes 2 all u fans out there. chill.

  • ismailachu

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:24 pm PT

    probably some kind of flash back. based on wot im seeing, halo3 is gonna a hell of a lot deeper into masterchiefs character than the other halo games. and relax hitmoi6x i dont know much bout halo after halo2 either but u dint see me regretting it

  • Hitomi6x

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:06 pm PT

    Ya i pretty sure everyone knows that i dont really like the halo games. But i like good storys and when i seen this video it gave my chills. Even though i hate it im gonna go buy the game. damn i hate myself. And for someone who doseint know much about halo after halo 2. Who are those little kids and how are they connected to the story?

  • ismailachu

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:06 pm PT

    I get what the shield is about. The cheif was gonna get blasted by something so he throw a device in the ground which activated a temporary sheild around him to protect him against the blast. It's all logic my friends, and then i see u all referring to killzone and halo books, just study the damn trailer.

  • kindrich9

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:01 pm PT

    who can tell me why all the demos I download are working

  • grey_98

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 1:57 pm PT

    I LOVE MY XBOX!!!

  • Sony_Hater

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 1:51 pm PT

    To the people who don't know if they signed up, when you enter ur address and email etc... when you press continue the next page should say Thank you for registering. If it doesnt say that then you have to start all over again.

    And for the people who don't know who the kids were, the boys name was John 117 and the girl was Kelly.(john117 wasn't his name but thats what they called him). and they were in the planet Reach not in Earth. and whoever said thats weird wat master chief did(waking up quickly after being unconscious) when he woke up u can see him moving his hand around as like he was dizzy.

  • QuantumFusion

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 1:45 pm PT

    CLEVER MARKETING. ITS HOLIDAY AND Theres ONly ONE THING That KIDS WAnt FOR ChristmAS> HALO 3.

  • aashkii

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 1:37 pm PT

    Sweet Halo 3 video. It still gives Halo fans many burning questions like:

    "What does Master Chief's face look like?" "What the hell is there a kid in the video? And what is his connection with the storyline?"
    "Sweet barrier weapon! How will it be used in the game?" and finally

    "How the hell am I gonna buy a 360 just to get Halo 3?"

    That and Gears of War (sigh)

  • alvarotarazona

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 1:35 pm PT

    AWESOME Trailer I love it that's probably John with either Sam or Kelly depending if u believe the other kid is a girl or boy. I hope we get to use that weird shield in the campaign still have my doubts about it in multiplayer it will still be sweet to use it but i'll would like to see more restrictions in multiplayer for that new shield!!!!!! Chief John-117 don't let Kurt down U r the only one left in normal space. Bungie We need to finish this please make it so good i'd be remember 25 years from. Thanks

  • spankz_

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 1:33 pm PT

    Killzone is a franchise that was MADE TO combat Halo. The first game was okay at best and every PS fanboy keeps saying that Killzone 2 is gonna own when we havn't seen jack crap since the fake "real gameplay" Sony showed at e3 05. Give me a break.

    Halo has a great story and has put out 2 top notch games so far, not my faves but still very good. It is a recognized and profitable franchise. Killzone = poop when compared to Halo.

    Honestly, I would rather have PS fanboys talking about Resistance. At least its a good game.

  • tha_masha

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 1:10 pm PT

    Below, Talonkard suggested that Killzone is better than HALO based on the fact that there is a similar element in HALO 3. I find that logic laughable, because a portable shield is hardly a unique concept. Nor is it something that ANYONE designing a game could not have come up with on their own. Even if they "borrowed" the idea, that hardly means that Killzone 2 is a "better" game. it simply means that they had a good idea, but as I recall even games from the early eighties had a shield that could be activated for short periods of time. I guess that makes those games far superior to Killzone, by Talon's logic. I have played Killzone and Halo, and while I like them both, Killzone isn't even in the same league of quality as HALO. In my long (longer than I like to admit) history of playing games, HALO scores among my top 5 of all time. Killzone isn't even ranked in my top 10.

  • ACars52

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 1:09 pm PT

    i registered but how do i know if i got through??

  • talonkard044

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 12:59 pm PT

    Wow....Kinda lame.



    I really like how they seem to have stolen the idea of Killzone 2's with the "Sonic Mesh Sheild" idea that they had for that game...In some concept art for Killzone 2, they have sketches of soldiers throwing grenades at the ground and them doing the same thing....

    Why copy their idea?

    Is it because Killzone is better?

  • 319ni

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 12:56 pm PT

    i like halo and think the adverts are good up to now, fanboys need to chill and not go on about how in book 5 page 2 that this haapened. its a game, enjoy the universe immerse yourself innit but relax

    the game will be great, massively overhyped but good, trailers are just drip feeding us info to keep fanboys happy and noobs interested.

  • Animal91X

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 12:54 pm PT

    I think that the little boy is Master Chief and the little girl may possibly be the new main character in the new HALO franchise!?! It's possible !?!

  • Insanemunkey

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 12:49 pm PT

    cyborg100000 your kinda dense arn't ya
    haven't you ever read the halo books
    what they did to the spartans to make them spartans what makes them so able to come outta somthing like that
    and also that fact that IT'S FICTION
    things don't have to make sense
    and also it's a 60 sec. commercial i'm pretty shure that there not gonna elaborate on him coming back into conscienceness
    but anyways i thought it was a pretty cool commercial

  • Sconzmonkey

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 12:47 pm PT

    My bet is that the kids in the beginning are a flashback from either Master Chief's training or pre-training days, and the flashback is occurring while he is unconscious. This trailer was awesome, the motion was so fluid, and I know it was CGI but it really shows what the 360 and Bungie should be able to do witth Halo 3. Also, it was created using "assets provided by Bungie," so with any luck, this could be pretty close to what the actual game might look like,

  • Zcrimson07

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 12:42 pm PT

    im psyched. that commercial was great to someone like me who can appreciate details in the story and understands that stories shouldnt spoon feed the audience every last detail. and to the person who says someone cant run and fight after being knocked out id like to remind you this is halo we're talking about not a tom clancy game and it could even be argued that it would be realistic because if you've read any of the books you'd know that the armor he wears is like a friggin supercomputer which can basically heal him and keep him safe even when he's unconcious

  • URUCAN

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 12:31 pm PT

    Maybe those little kids are the future spartan . They have the same clothing . But what bothers me , is that the kids that were kidnap to be the future spartan , they were all taking to the planet reach . But it looks that they are on the 3rd rock from the sun. ( the planet we are rithg now)

  • cyborg100000

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 12:26 pm PT

    I think the trailer was too short and didn't really tell you anything apart from the fact that the chief was dreaming after being unconscience about 2 kids (probably himself) then he wakes up puts up the shield and then runs and jumps in the middle of a large squad of aliens...kind of unrealistic tbh. Who would wake up fully alert after being knocked out??? I know for a fact you would barely be able to stand let alone run, jump and kill. Anyway, halo 3 is so over-hyped. Halo 1 was just like half life 1 and i frankly didn't see what was so special about it. And for a game that uses adverts on TV and bus posters to advertise it's gonna be popular.

  • robosushi

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 12:26 pm PT

    Im a big halo fan... and that trailer looked great, but Im still not psyched about it. That commercial was made by another CG company, not using the engine or anything of the game. And thats a shame, because thats what the game needs to look like if its going to compete now. Look at Gears, those graphics are fantastic... halo 3 needs to be even better. And so far, those screen shots of the multiplayer, just dont do it for me... not enough yet. Lets hope that somehow the graphics are close to that commercial, then Ill get excited.

  • WESLY_SNYPES

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 12:22 pm PT

    I don't think that is what the X button does. They would probably treat that like a normal grenade because of what it does and games would come to a grinding halt if people used that all the time which is what would happen if you gave people a great tactic like that to be used so easily.

  • Gigantor422

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 12:07 pm PT

    GNAME08, I suspect that Bungie will playtest enough to discover that a shield that renders players invincible at will would ever so slightly unbalance the gameplay. A shieldy-grenade type gubbins would make a lot more sense. Either way, Halo trailers always leave me giggling like a schoolgirl...

  • rebound2

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 12:04 pm PT

    is it in game graphics or rendered??

  • LordAndrew

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 11:53 am PT

    If that shield is what the X button does, I'd be disappointed.

  • Agent_023

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 11:48 am PT

    Yeah, I'm with GNAME08 on this one. It makes sense, but at the same time I can't help but feel a little dissapointed if that's what it turns out to do. I was expecting something, different I guess. Still, that's pretty sweet.

  • Dace67

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 11:43 am PT

    I must say that commercial was bad ass. I hope Bungie can deliver.

  • boab_mcn

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 11:39 am PT

    Wen i saw the new halo trailer i thought "holy crap".it looks superb but then the chances of the game realistically being like the trailer, am not so sure. my problem with bungie and microsoft is the fact that they are willing to show tiny snippets of the most anticipated game of all time, wats that about. its torture. as for playing it online, i cant.not from america. cheers bungie and microsoft.

  • Tdiddy05

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 11:36 am PT

    GNAME08 you are probably right but I just dont know how that is going to be used in game play.

  • GNAME08

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 11:30 am PT

    I don`t think that shield thing is from a grenade because bungie said there would only be one more grenade which is the nail version, i think we`ve just seen what the `X` button actually does, it activates that sheild for a few seconds, when the bungie crew invited guys over from 1up.com to play the alpha multiplayer version of halo3, bungie quoted as saying that they kicked there asses and THEY DIDN`T EVEN NEED TO ACTIVATE THE X BUTTON, activate being the stand out word, and i believe that is what the X button does, it activates the shield

  • master_shan99

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 11:28 am PT

    uoippj7---
    Wow, I think I know what I'm getting for Christmas.


    You do know that Halo 3 will be released next year... so I assume that you want to get it NEXT Christmas...

  • HaloArchAngel

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 11:23 am PT

    Ok trailer, but to short, thought it would have been longer. What a mess at the beta registry sight last night. Not really sure if I'm registered or not. They kind of dropped the ball on that one, maybe someone from Sony was hired, and ran the Website.

  • nobeaner

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 11:17 am PT

    That was a sweet trailer. "Do you think we'll ever meet them?" HAHA...

  • gcnisbetter

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 11:15 am PT

    hah, that little shield thingy master chief put up was pretty cool, and whats this? backround on master chief?

  • Kahuna_1

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 11:10 am PT

    Halo 3>All other FPS Games

    idk...i said best on xbox but i dont know about all other fps.

  • premanna

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 11:08 am PT

    awesome trailer

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