Halo: Welcome to the Third Place

Just in from Microsoft:

The Legendary Edition ($199.95 RRP) will be released in limited quantities and arrive in a highly collectible Spartan helmet case that no hardcore Halo fan should be without! Included in the Legendary Edition are two bonus discs packed full of extra content.

The first disc provides exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage and videos and includes a high-definition* ‘Making Of Halo 3’ documentary that showcases the Bungie team and its effort to create the most anticipated title in the industry’s history.

And never before seen on a video game, the disc will also include an AV calibration tool. Custom designed by the Halo 3 graphics and audio team, this tool will make the most of fans’ high definition home theatres, for the ultimate Halo 3 and Xbox 360™ audio and video performance.

The second bonus disc, an exclusive to the Legendary Edition, includes completely re-mastered cinematic material from Halo®: Combat Evolved and Halo® 2, complete with developer commentaries, to provide a refresher course on the thrilling Halo story so far. This disc will also include a feature documenting a day in the life at Bungie and exclusive content from the creative minds of machinima artists Red vs. Blue and This Spartan Life.

Fans who purchase the Legendary Edition also receive an illuminating collection of original Halo 3 storyboard art from artist Lee Wilson, depicting key moments and pivotal scenes from Halo’s epic cinematic production.

The Limited Edition ($119.95 RRP) also includes a bounty of extras. Within a sleek metal collector’s case, gamers will receive the first bonus disc found in the Legendary Edition, as well as a special Halo fiction/art book. A must-have for Halo collectors and a source of invaluable and exclusive information, the piece is an elaborate and compelling guide to the species and factions that inhabit the worlds of the Halo universe. It includes never-before-seen art and story that expands and illustrates the depth of the Halo fiction.

And for those who crave nothing more than the highly anticipated third chapter to one of the greatest gaming trilogies of all time, the Standard Edition ($99.95) includes the Halo 3 game.

WOW, two hundred bucks for the Legendary Edition? Damn, better start saving...