Those eagerly awaiting the next installment of Microsoft's Halo franchise can now pre-order a special $399 bundle tied to the game.
The Xbox 360 Limited Edition "Halo: Reach" bundle is now available for pre-order and will be released on Sept. 14, the same day "Halo: Reach" hits stores. It includes the revamped Xbox 360 console, which includes a 250 GB hard drive and built-in Wi-Fi, as well as two limited edition wireless controllers and a standard copy of "Halo: Reach".
It will retail for $399.99, but will be available in limited quantities.
The "Halo: Reach" Xbox 360 includes an exclusive silver design, Microsoft said, and the console also has custom sound effects from the "Halo" universe. The controllers, meanwhile, include artwork inspired by the game. Buyers also get a token for the Limited Edition Elite armor set, an episode of "Halo Legends," and a "Halo: Reach"-themed Xbox 360 wired headset.
An unboxing video of the bundle is available on the Halo Web site.
For those who want to purchase items in the bundle separately, the wireless controller will be available in late August for $59.99 while the limited edition headset will sell for $49.99. They are also available for pre-order now.
For those buying only the game, the standard edition of "Halo: Reach" will retail for $59.99, while Limited and Legendary editions will sell for $79.99 and $149.99, respectively. The Legendary version includes a 10-inch, hand-painted statue of the Noble Team, the Spartan soldiers featured in the game.
Microsoft also announced Forge 2.0, a new set of editing tools that will be built into "Halo: Reach". Users can create by themselves or partner with up to seven Xbox Live friends to create multi-player maps.
Microsoft made Thursday's announcement at this year's Comic-Con conference, where the company said it will be providing attendees with the first public hands-on with the game's Firefight multi-player mode.
Microsoft kicked off a beta test for "Halo: Reach" on May 3. The two-week testing period saw 2.7 million "Halo" fans sign up to play. Players logged more than 16 million hours of online gameplay, which equals 1,826 years, and played more than 13 million online games.
For more details, check out PCMag's hands on with the "Halo: Reach" beta.