TORONTO - "Halo 3,'' billed as the final chapter in the blockbuster Xbox video game franchise, will be released Sept. 25 in North America.
"`Halo 3' is much more than a video game release; it's the biggest entertainment event of the year,'' Peter Moore, corporate vice-president of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business, said in a statement announcing the release date.
"On Sept. 25, we intend to deliver a finale that will go down in entertainment history and leave people around the world with an experience that will be shared and enjoyed for years to come.''
A sneak online peak at some of the multiplayer elements of "Halo 3'' started Wednesday on Xbox Live. Developer Bungie Studios is using the beta, which will run through June 6, as a test run for online portion of the game.
The multiplayer beta requires gamers to have access to an Xbox 360 console equipped with a hard drive as well as an Xbox Live gold membership.
The Halo series is a futuristic first-person shooter in which a hard-nosed soldier known as Master Chief battles an alien invasion.
"Halo'' has already sold than 14.7 million units worldwide, with the original title launching in November 2001 along with the Xbox console.
"Halo 2'' came out in November 2004, ringing up US$125 million in sales in its first 24 hours. it remains the most-played game on Xbox Live, with nearly one billion hours of online gaming logged to date.
"Halo 3'' will be available in three versions: "standard'' at C$69.99, "limited-edition'' at C$79.99 which comes with a bonus disk and book, and "legendary'' at C$149.99, which includes a collectible Master Chief helmet as well as two bonus disks and a book.
