Crackdown disc required to play Halo 3 Beta

by David Dreger { Feb 8th 2007 at 4:00PM }

On Monday, we showed you a screenshot of the Halo 3 Beta download screen in retail copies of Crackdown. Today, we have a picture of the invite card, which confirms how the process works. In short, you need to have the Crackdown game in your Xbox 360 to play the Halo 3 Beta. It does NOT show up in your "Demos and More" tab on the dashboard after downloading it through Crackdown. This coincides with the original press release, which stated you had to load the game to download the beta. Check out the invite card after the break.

So there you go, a "Play Halo 3 Beta" option in the Main Menu will be your only gateway if you downloaded the Beta through Crackdown. That means you can't just rent it to download and go about your merry way. We're glad we could make this as clear as possible so there is no confusion come February 20th.

Tags: Beta Invite, BetaInvite, Bungie, Crackdown, Halo 3 Beta, Halo3Beta, Master Chief, MasterChief, Microsoft Games Studios, MicrosoftGamesStudios, Realtime Worlds, RealtimeWorlds

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jon @ Feb 8th 2007 4:15PM

that is a good way to stop people from renting the game and downloading the beta and then returning the game.

also it will stop people from sharing the disk

i just hope that the beta lasts for a few months

homer34 @ Feb 8th 2007 4:18PM

all of those people who preordered it on gamefly got screwed.

Toph @ Feb 8th 2007 4:56PM

I bet a lot of people will be frightened that the beta won't bring them with a constant IV drip pf Halo 3 goodness until the actual game release...I'd bet if the beta is released say in May or June, it'll expire by October for sure, if not sooner.

ShaolinDolemite @ Feb 8th 2007 4:20PM

It will also keep the game out of the Pre-played bin since you have to have the disc in. Kinda makes me chuckle.

Jon @ Feb 8th 2007 4:23PM

gamefly said that if you rent crackdown and get a specially marked disk you are able to download the beta if you have the disk. Also as a member of gamefly you can keep a game as long as you like as long as your paying for the service.

Archangel004 @ Feb 8th 2007 4:23PM

couldn't we still rent it when the beta is out and play the beta then? I mean sure you would be renting crackdown only to play a beta but it should work as far as I can see. No point renting the game early though if your only after playing the beta.

Les Doodis @ Feb 8th 2007 4:25PM

I've got it ordered from Gamefly and don't feel screwed. I can keep the disc for as long as I like.

Jason Seely @ Feb 8th 2007 4:30PM

not to mention that renting the disc also allows you to play crackdown.

jules c @ Feb 8th 2007 4:33PM

Cool one more reason for people to buy crack down. I was going to buy it anyway.
long live the 360!!!

Darrien Woomer @ Feb 8th 2007 4:55PM

What I want to do is buy two Crackdown games. Keep one and save the other one till June and sell it on Ebay. I would not be doing it for the money, I'd me doing it for all the Halo fanboys out there. (evil voice) HA HA HA HA

TheH2s @ Feb 8th 2007 5:04PM

I'll be buying the game anyhow. However the people that get the game from Gamefly you better hope you are first on the list because you won't see that game till Christmas.

Rosenkrieger @ Feb 8th 2007 6:11PM

I don't get the Halo Hysteria - I guess I was never a big fan of Halo, some friend gave me Halo and Halo two for my old XBOX and - well - its never been THAT game for me.

I love the Crackdown Demo and I'll get Crackdown - but NOT for Halo - but for CRACKDOWN.

Lukas @ Feb 12th 2007 11:09PM

Your *fake* halo 3 box you have posted in your story looks a lot like my mock up I did for a halo 3 box contest. Even has the NTSC logo and (R) for the halo logo, not to mention the custom gradient font w/ drop shadow. Source: http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/8832/halo3boxartrt6.jpg

ant the man @ Feb 9th 2007 12:17AM

if someone made a full cover

that halo 3 "includes crackdown"

i def print that out and use it

Gobutkus @ Feb 8th 2007 6:53PM

^--- Whoa dude, hoow'd you stumble in here??

David @ Feb 8th 2007 6:57PM

David @ Feb 8th 2007 7:00PM

testing

Strike Man @ Feb 8th 2007 7:09PM

"Keep one and save the other one till June and sell it on Ebay. I would not be doing it for the money, I'd me doing it for all the Halo fanboys out there. (evil voice) HA HA HA HA"

You do understand that, by June, the beta period could be over with?

h0mi @ Feb 8th 2007 7:34PM

I'm glad I pre-ordered it from best buy today.

Darrien Woomer @ Feb 8th 2007 9:48PM

So is it true that I won't be able to play the Halo 3 beta a month or two near the launch of Halo 3. If it is than thanks for ruining my plan Strike Man.

OTAM @ Feb 8th 2007 9:45PM

It's sad this game is going to get overshadowed by Gaylo 3. The picture for this article is so accurate for the 13 year olds.

JimBo @ Feb 8th 2007 10:23PM

I pre-ordered Crackdown from the Best Buy website. I hope it come with the Halo 3 Beta. I emailed BB with that question but the guy who replied obviously didn't know what was going on. I guess I'll find out Feb. 20-26 when the UPS guy shows up...

Jonah Falcon @ Feb 8th 2007 10:48PM

"gamefly said that..."

Yes, because Gamefly controls Microsoft's policies. lol

brandontyler @ Feb 8th 2007 10:53PM

I pre-ordered from gamestop. Rats. I was hoping I could put the Crackdown copy (minus the halo3 beta) on ebay. There are going to be a bunch of crackdown copies for sell after halo 3 beta is over!

Jason @ Feb 9th 2007 6:17PM

Now THIS is bullshit. How bout making crackdown a good enough game to stand on its own without using the H3 beta crutch. Hell I'd do the same thing I knew wanted to capitalize on the Halo craze. Good ol' American capitalism. Maybe Sony will catch on and put a beta copy of Killzone 2 on the (add shitty FPS shooter with $60 pricetag here) disc. I guess Bill Gates needs the money...I think I'll wait for it to actually come out after they push the release date back the fucking 5th time to 4th qtr 2009. Fags...

Uberplum @ Feb 9th 2007 2:07AM

Does that mean that my disc drive will be spinning at 100,000 mph, even when I'm playing the beta off the HDD?

Strike Man @ Feb 9th 2007 2:18AM

"Good ol' American capitalism."

Yep. Nobody is forcing you to buy a piece of entertainment software. If you have a problem with it, simply don't buy it.

I'm amazed at all of the people who whine on message boards and blogs about how unfair it is that Microsoft/Sony/Nintendo isn't giving them more free stuff, or that they actually have the audacity to attempt to earn a profit! Entertainment is a business, and while you may not agree with how Microsoft is packaging the Halo 3 beta, it's a great tactic from their point of view.

Look at it this way. Remember the Metal Gear Solid 2 demo? When most people unwrapped Zone of the Enders, the MGS demo disc was the first one that made it into their PS2. It was only later that some people found that the actual game the demo came with was fairly enjoyable, albeit short game.

Crackdown may end up being a very good title all on its own, and personally, I enjoyed the demo quite a bit. Now let's imagine that you only needed an included code to play the H3 beta. How many people would simply use that code and toss the game aside? How many would turn around and pass the game off to eBay, EB, or one of your friends and keep the code? The beta will probably not be live when Crackdown hits, and you'll need to hang onto that disc until that time comes. So what's a gamer to do then?

Perhaps people may actually play Crackdown and possibly...*gasp*...enjoy it! Believe it or not, as true as the "Halo 3 Beta with free copy of Crackdown!" joke is, this may be one of the best things to happen to Crackdown, as people who would've otherwise passed it up may actually try it.

pellinho @ Feb 9th 2007 5:39AM

Yeah I've played the demo but I'm not convinced this mysterious 'Crackdown' even exists. Surely its just a way for Bungie to get around charging for a beta, talk about Emperors New Clothes. Once the H3 beta starts you'll all be moaning about something minor in the game and saying how Bungie have ruined everything.

DjDATZ @ Feb 9th 2007 9:01AM

good...im glad to hear that the beta wont be available right away...that way...when crackdown becomes the most played game on xbox live for feb...we'll all see that it truly IS an amazing game.

as for the halo 3 beta...thats secondary...i would have gotten crackdown regardless...lol