The much-hyped Halo 3 public beta has come to an end, and publisher Microsoft has hailed the event as a huge success that saw over 820,000 players participate.

Between them they clocked up around 12 million hours of game time, consuming over 350 terabytes of data. In addition, around 580,000 gameplay clips were shared.

“The participation in the Halo 3 beta was staggering,” Microsoft Game Studios’ corporate vice president Shane Kim stated. “Witnessing such a great reaction to a small portion of the game has been inspiring. It's a testament to the fervour and anticipation that surrounds Halo 3.”

Microsoft has also announced some new Halo-related hardware to launch alongside the game: two themed wireless joypads boasting Master Chief and Brute designs and a Spartan green wireless headset, each of which will retail for £34.99.