New reports fresh out of reveal that new 360 release will receive a helping hand at launch, with copies of the game being sold including invites to the 3 beta test planned for the spring. community sites have so far been dishing out beta places across via competitions, and this will give continental gamers another route into the test.

Crackdown is the new title from the man credited with the concept, and is being crafted by Scottish developer Realtime Worlds. Clearly, the inclusion of a Halo beta key will offer a massive incentive for gamers to purchase Crackdown, thus ensuring - almost - that the new franchise is a hit.

The game will hit Europe on February 23rd, and "marked boxes of Crackdown that include an invite to participate in the coveted "Halo 3" multiplayer beta program" are promised. You'll need a hard-disk and an Gold subscription still to join the beta - should you pick up one of the special copies of the game. When the beta is live, your copy of Crackdown will apparently act as the key, allowing you to download the beta from the Marketplace.

Crackdown will also be bundled with access keys in North America, and too by our reckoning. It is unclear whether all copies of the game will include the test, or whether numbers will be limited and controlled. More on this soon, then.

By Luke Guttridge