punchbutton EXCLUSIVE: Microsoft memo detailing 'Halo 3' ARG

We stand today, less than 120 days out from the monumental launch of Halo 3 on September 25. The launch marks not just the biggest event in gaming this year, but a landmark in entertainment. It will be a lightning rod for the Xbox platform, our business, and for many of you personally. Those of you not yet playing Halo on your Xbox yet, we hope to inspire you to join the fun over the next 120 days.

As we conclude a very successful multiplayer beta period, I am writing today to alert you that the marketing ramp to launch is accelerating with the start of the "Iris" campaign this week. This effort is an extended treasure hunt of activities aimed at the millions of Halo fans worldwide, and built to spiral out into the wider gaming and entertainment enthusiasts, alerting potential new fans about the impending arrival of Halo 3. The program will span a string of activities and challenges that cross web activities and the real world - taking gamers on an incredible journey to discover trinkets of previously unknown information about the Halos, the Flood, the Forerunners, and the true origins behind the Halo trilogy. New light will be shed upon highly-debated aspects of the Halo fiction.

Interestingly, the program loops through many of the Microsoft consumer oriented products and services in an attempt to leverage interest in Halo across our properties (MSN, Live Messenger, Windows Live Search, Windows Live Maps, and more). Many different groups have been involved, and we thank them for their contributions.

You too can follow the campaign’s activities on www.halo3.com, where photos, videos, metrics, and more will recap everything that transpired for each step of the campaign, as well as links to complete the steps yourself. You can join the fun at any time, and I encourage you to do so.
This is just the start of an ambitious and inspiring string of activities through the summer that will make Halo 3 the greatest game launch in history. It all gets started with the email below, which we sent to a very rabid fan base this week.