With the Halo 3 release just few days away, Microsoft is pleasing its fans with new accessories. The Xbox 360 maker announced that new Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo 3 Wireless Controllers and Headset, and the Xbox 360 Messenger Kit will be available starting next week just in time for holiday season.

As Microsoft said both controllers were designed by Todd McFarlane, the artist who created Spawn. The new controllers features both the Covenant Brute and Master Chief themes and are fade and scratch-resistant.

The estimated price of a controller is $59.99 and the customers will receive also a Limited Edition Halo 3 Master Chief figurine designed by McFarlane himself.

Limited Edition Halo 3 Wireless Headsets are delivered and in the Spartan green and gold for a similar price.

Also, Microsoft will introduce the Xbox 360 Messenger Kit, which includes a Chatpad and Xbox 360 headset for an estimated retail price of $29.99. The automatically backlit Chatpad quickly connects to any Xbox 360 controller and can be easily controlled with simple thumb strokes, Microsoft said.

The access to Windows Live Messenger from the gaming console was introduced in May this year, part of the Xbox 360 Spring Update.

Members of the 6 million-strong Xbox LIVE community currently send more than 2 million text and voice messages a day. Until now the Xbox 360’s users needed to use the virtual keyboard accessible on Xbox 360 or a USB keyboard connected to the console.

Also Microsoft announced that its widely-expected game, Halo 3, the final chapter in the groundbreaking Halo trilogy, has been released to manufacturing.

The developer Bungie Studios has spent there years in the making of the game which is expected not only to be a great title, but also help Microsoft to push the sales of its gaming console.

So far, Halo 3 has already set a new record as the fastest pre-ordered game in history, by exceeding one million presales in North America alone

"This is a huge milestone for us and a big cause for celebration at Bungie and Microsoft Game Studios," said Harold Ryan, Studio Head at Bungie Studios. "This is the game we've always wanted to make and certainly the best game our studio has developed. We can't wait for gamers to get their hands on it on September 25."