The Halo 3 beta officially kicks off early Wednesday morning, but that won't be the only thing getting anxious fans excited. Tuesday night, Microsoft confirmed that Halo 3 would release on September 25 in North America and on the following day in Europe. Halo 3 had long been speculated as being targeted for a September release. Turns out that the Internet rumors had more merit than some might have believed.

"Halo 3 is much more than a video game release; it's the biggest entertainment event of the year," said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business. "On Sept. 25, we intend to deliver a finale that will go down in entertainment history and leave people around the world with an experience that will be shared and enjoyed for years to come."

To keep the hype train rolling, Microsoft is releasing a Halo-themed Zune next month. The Halo 3 edition Zune comes preloaded with Halo trailers, videos, artwork, and soundtracks. You can pick up the Halo Zune exclusively at GameStop beginning June 15 for $249.

The late September arrival of Master Chief adds a curious twist to the release prospects of Mass Effect. With no release date confirmed for BioWare's RPG, speculation has been growing that the game may have slipped into a fall release. Since it's unlikely Microsoft would pit its two biggest titles of '07 against one another, Mass Effect probably won't arrive in September. A head-to-head battle against GTA IV in October also doesn't appear very appealing. That means we can either expect Mass Effect by August or as late as November of this year.

Three separate editions of Halo 3 will be made available on September 25. The regular edition retails for $59.99, the Limited Edition for $69.99 and the ultra-swanky Legendary Edition (with miniature Spartan helmet) for a whopping $129.99. All three can be pre-ordered now. The line for midnight sales starts tonight. So bust out your lawn chair, grab a Super Big Gulp, and settle in for the long wait.