With the Halo 3 multiplayer officially having come to a close, Microsoft and Bungie Studios are more excited than ever about the prospects of Master Chief selling a boatload of copies in this third adventure. The limited public beta was labeled "an overwhelming success" with 820,000 unique players totaling a massive 12 million hours of gameplay in a rather short period (less than a month). Microsoft points out that it would equal more than 1,400 years of continuous play by one person.

While it was pretty much a given that Halo 3 would help spark Xbox 360 hardware sales this fall/holiday, after having seen the beta in action, Microsoft Game Studios Corporate VP Shane Kim is now quite confident that the game will drive console adoption in a major way.

"The participation in the Halo 3 beta was staggering," said Kim. "Witnessing such a great reaction to a small portion of the game has been inspiring. It's a testament to the fervor and anticipation that surrounds Halo 3. We're confident that on Sept. 25 Halo 3 will drive an unprecedented wave of new gamers to the Xbox 360 platform and Xbox Live."

Microsoft said it was also impressed by the fans' response to the new saved-film feature in the beta. Players could record their games and then share them over Xbox Live for the first time in a Halo title. The beta saw more than 580,000 saved films created by users, representing more than 2.7 terabytes of data. Not only was this useful to gauge players' reactions, but it's also going to help Bungie polish up Halo 3 before shipping the final product. "Because of the tremendous participation in the beta, Bungie now has an exhaustive amount of data that will be used to improve the overall game experience," said Microsoft.

In addition to reporting on the successful beta, Microsoft announced two official Halo peripherals for Master Chief fans who just can't get enough of the franchise. On September 18, Microsoft will release two new Limited Edition Halo 3 Wireless Controllers. They will sell for an estimated $59.99 each and will feature artwork from Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, with either a Covenant Brute or Master Chief theme. Each controller will also be packaged with a limited edition Halo 3 collectible figurine created by McFarlane Toys.

Along with the controllers, Microsoft will also release the Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo 3 Wireless Headset, which will come in "Spartan green and gold" for an estimated $59.99.