Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios have announced a new way for gamers to receive an invitation to participate in the Halo 3 multiplayer beta test programme, coming this Autumn through Xbox Live Marketplace. Gamers will be able to receive an invitation by purchasing the forthcoming Xbox 360 title Crackdown.

When Crackdown hits store shelves on February 22, gamers eager to take home a copy will find marked copies that include an invitation to participate in the Halo 3 multiplayer test when it becomes available.

When the beta surfaces in Autumn 2007, owners of Crackdown with access to an Xbox 360, hard drive and a valid Xbox Live Gold subscription simply need to load their copy of Crackdown into their Xbox 360 console and use the disc as a key to download the beta version from Xbox Live Marketplace and join the multiplayer battle in Halo 3.

Through the resulting feedback, Bungie Studios will be able to further hone Halo 3.

From Dave Jones, the creative behind Grand Theft Auto, Crackdown features open-world, free-form gaming in the next generation. Gamers level up their agent’s strength, agility, firearms, explosives and driving skills while scaling the fully vertical world. This MA-rated game incorporates co-op gameplay throughout the entire free-form campaign. Players will clean up the streets of an interactive world when Crackdown hits store shelves.

The single-player and online co-operative demo of Crackdown will be available on Xbox Live Marketplace on January 18.