New Halo 2 maps and Halo 3 public beta

This morning Microsoft has made a series of new Halo announcements. Bungie’s website has been updated with more info on some quite exciting news.

First up is the announcement that Bungie will be releasing new multiplayer maps for Halo 2. They say they can’t reveal many details just yet, but do confirm that the content will be coming in the spring and will cost something to download. Further more, these new maps will only be available on Xbox 360 – it looks like Halo 2 players still holding out on getting an Xbox 360 should think about making the leap.

There is a chance that the new maps will eventually be available for Xbox gamers, but Bungie says they “can’t say for certain, but ultimately we hope to find ways to make the maps more accessible to more fans over time.“

There are also going to be some updates made to the backwards compatibility of Halo 2 on the Xbox 360, to iron out some known bugs and issues.

Secondly, and perhaps even more exciting, is news that Bungie will be holding a public beta for Halo 3. Again, Bungie can’t reveal many details, but this beta will begin in the spring, and confirms that “fans will have an opportunity to play Halo 3 multiplayer over Xbox Live BEFORE the final game is available. You’ll be playing a little multiplayer and simultaneously providing us with some valuable data to help our development team.“

We’re promised a lot more info in the weeks ahead.

Also announced this morning was news of a Halo 3 TV commercial set to air during ESPN’s Monday Night Football on December 4, 2006. The 60-second teaser has been created by advertising agency McCann Erickson and will feature CG scenes created by Digital Domain.

Yes, CG will be used in the ad, not in-game footage. Bungie says, “For the purposes of this holiday commercial and knowing the tight timeline with which it had to come together we decided a long time ago that utilizing real, final, actual gameplay just wasn’t the right thing to do.“

For those of us unable to tune into Monday Night Football, Microsoft also announced that shortly after airing, the ad will be made available on Xbox Live Marketplace. In addition, Bungie will be releasing the next instalment in its “making of” documentary series on Xbox Live Marketplace. We’re told this ‘VIDOC’ will “peel back the curtain on a certain prominent character in Halo 3.“

That’s about all the new Halo news for you. Once last thing though; that Halo 3 screenshot above is a new in-game screen taken from an actual campaign level from Halo 3.