Next week Crackdown is coming out and it’s bundled with an invite to the Halo 3 online beta. However, you’re not going to be able to play Halo 3 right away. Bungie said, “The beta will not start when Crackdown is released. The beta will go live when it’s ready, which should be sometime this Spring. The team is currently busy whipping the included content into shape. Our goal is to deliver a fun, solid game experience though it will still very much be a ‘beta.’” Spring isn’t too far away and by the time you master playing Crackdown online the Halo 3 beta will be ready for you.