Microsoft has officially confirmed that special marked copies of Crackdown will include invitations to join the Halo 3 multiplayer beta. Slated for release next month, purchasers of the game will be able to use the disc as a key to download the beta from Xbox Live Marketplace and join the beta, which is scheduled to surface in spring 2007.

The company also announced another way of getting in: from 12.01am EST on February 1 until 11.59pm on February 3, those who play at least three hours of Halo 2 multiplayer daily over Xbox Live and then be one of the first 13,333 to register at the Halo 3 website will receive a beta invitation. To be eligible, participants have to be at least 17 years of age, own an Xbox 360 and passionately love the Halo series (the last one was made up, but it’s just as important).