Xbox Live

To end a successful beta program on a good note, Microsoft announced today that Halo 3 will be released on September 25. Along with the final installment of the epic trilogy, Microsoft will release limited edition 360 controllers sporting some gorgeous designs.

Over 820,000 unique players logged in to play the Halo 3 multiplayer beta, racking up more than 1400 years worth of gameplay. That sounds like a success to me.

Microsoft and Old Spice have teamed up to reward gamers with games, t-shirts, downloads, and more for unlocking achievements. The Old Spice Experience Challenge gives you sixty days to increase your gamerscore by 1500 points. Registration begins on February 12.

Here are the prize packages:

• Level 1 (Gamers who have an annual gamerscore between 0-4,999 at time of entry): Game Picture, Dashboard theme, Contra for Xbox LIVE Arcade
• Level 2 (5,000-9,999 annual gamerscore): Level 1 Package, 100 Microsoft Points and a contest T-shirt
• Level 3 (10,000+ annual gamerscore): Level 1 Package, 200 Microsoft Points, contest T-shirt and Fusion Frenzy 2

Just a reminder that the first Gears of War Map Pack is now available for download on Xbox Live for free. The pack includes two new multiplayer maps called Raven Down and Old Bones. Descriptions of each map are below the jump. An update for Gears of War was also released yesterday and addressed issues related to voice communication, grenade tagging, and connections, among others.

During Microsoft's CES keynote, Robbie Bach revealed the staggering sales results of Gears of War. Epic's blockbuster has sold 2.7 million copies worldwide since the game's release in November. This kind of performance has officially turned Gear of War into a franchise. Expect Gears to follow in the footsteps of Halo with multiple sequels and branches.

That title is now a Halo-like franchise that continues to drive hardware in a very positive way," Bach said. "We think it's an evergreen property that we're going to be able to leverage for a long time.

On Wednesday, Epic will release new content for Gears of War via Xbox Live. This will include two new maps, a patch, and a video featuring CliffyB. Three more screenshots after the jump.

Microsoft announced two new ways to grab a spot in the Halo 3 multiplayer beta program. Specially marked copies of Crackdown, an Xbox 360 title scheduled to release on February 20, will include an invitation. When the Halo 3 beta program launches in spring, Xbox Live Gold subscribers can use the Crackdown disk as a key to download the multiplayer beta. It seems like a shameless way to sell more copies of Crackdown, but there's no doubt it will work.

The official release date for Crackdown has been set to February 20. Crackdown is an action-driving hybrid that charges you with task of cleaning up a city overrun with criminals. You'll play as a genetically enhanced "agent" capable of leaping up to rooftops and lobing cars groups of baddies. When I played an early version at E3, its third-person view open environment reminded me of Grand Theft Auto--only Crackdown is futuristic and you're playing as the good guy.

On January 18th, the single player and online coop demo of Crackdown will be available for download on Xbox Live.

A handful of Halo 3 fans spotted a few users playing "Pimps at Sea" on Xbox Live last night. For those who wern't aware, Pimps at Sea is common codename that Bungie uses to refer to the Halo 3, and it was a big part of their April Fool's joke. Bungie gives the details in this week's update:

There was a very special Pimps at Sea Humpday last night, the first night in which players were able to take each other on in the Alpha. One of the playlists that’s being tested in matchmaking right now is Rumble Pit, which is the same as Halo 2’s except it’s set to four players right now. Last night a very special match occurred with some special participants.

Bungie also announced that a Xbox 360 Dashboard Theme based on the new TV ad will be released in the near future.