December 4, 2006 - As part of its strategy to "go broad," Microsoft has tactically placed its first Halo 3 advertisement on ESPN's Monday Night Football. The advertisement will air between 5:50 and 6:20 pm PST for gridiron fans who also happen to play games.

For those who could care less about football and just want to gobble up as much Halo 3 as possible, we got the movie. Click on the video link on this page in a few hours. The Halo 3 ad will aired tonight on Xbox.com at 8 p.m. PST /04.00 GMT/05.00 CET (Tuesday, December 5 in Europe).

We also talked a little bit about the TV commercial this week, which is causing quite a stir. Here's the details, as clear as we can make 'em.

A few facts about the commercial straight from Bungie.net's site.

  • It's 60 seconds long.
  • Another version is on Xbox Live Marketplace.
  • The commercial is a mix of CG and live action.
  • It is not supposed to represent gameplay.
  • It is supposed to show pure action from the Halo universe.
  • It was made by Hollywood effects house, Digital Domain.
    Digital Domain did base its stuff on Bungie's in-game 3D models.
  • It is packed full of clues.
  • It may be hosted it on Bungie.net at some time in the future.
Finally, if the advertisement just whets your whistle, then check out Halo3.com. There North American and European gamers can gain access to the Halo 3 public multiplayer beta on Xbox 360.

UPDATE: Check our quick impressions of the advertisement here.