MS reassures gamers on Crackdown/Halo 3 promo

It's a small leap from anticipation to apprehension, and with few games as eagerly anticipated as Microsoft's Halo 3, fans of the franchise have been understandably antsy about landing a spot in the game's invite-only beta test.

Microsoft announced three ways gamers could snag an invite, and with one of those points of entry already closed and invites sent out, desperate gamers are turning their attention to the remaining two. Specifically, they're wondering about the promise that specially marked copies of Microsoft's free-roaming Crackdown will include an invitation to the Halo 3 beta test.

To address any concerns, the Xbox 360 marketing team updated its GamerScore Blog today with reassuring words about the scarcity (or lack thereof) of those specially marked Crackdowns.

"The initial shipment of Crackdown at retail will include access to the Halo 3 beta," the blog notes. "The 'initial shipment' is pretty huge, so there will be enough to go around. For those Halo 3 fans who are STILL losing sleep over this, you can guarantee entrance into the Halo 3 Beta by purchasing a copy of Crackdown when it launches Feb. 20th."

Crackdown has been rated M for Mature. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's latest hands-on or download the demo from the Xbox Live Marketplace.