14 DAY TRIAL // There have been a lot of big announcements lately, and while the biggest one so far has unquestionably been the estimated time of arrival for StarCraft II's closed beta session, Microsoft's X10 event held yesterday might have released a piece of news that was almost just as big. Bungie announced that the beta for Halo Reach would begin on May 3, making the millions of Halo fans out there giddy with excitement. The developers also took the time to clear a few rumors once and for all, like the Natal support, about which Bungie once again stated that it wouldn't be present in Reach.
Beyond this, the only other piece of information released was the name of the multiplayer map upon which we'd e able to shoot each other senseless, as well as its description.
Bungie described "Powerhouse," the multiplayer map that would be available in the beta, saying that, "Utility and economy spurred industry amidst these isolated and unforgiving badlands, but like all infrastructure facilities on Reach, this hydroelectric site is under the purview of the UNSC war machine. All threats to the continued, predictable operation of humanity's final line of defense must be met with swift and decisive force."
There was also an actual showcasing of the map at X10, so, as soon as word travels, and it will do so insanely fast, you can expect a few impressions about it, but, right now, these are all the details available. Bungie promised to add mode information to Reach's portfolio in the coming months, but also that a new ViDoc would be added "very, very soon."
Getting in on the Halo Reach beta can be done via the Halo 3: ODST disc, which guarantees your admission in the trial, so, if you haven't purchased the game, but really want to look at Reach, you can still grab it and get in on the beta by May.