Some ‘Halo 3’ discs scratched

Within hours after die-hard fans finally got their hands on a copy of “Halo 3,” blogs brimmed with reports that special limited-edition packaging was scratching the video game discs.

Microsoft Corp., which owns the studio that makes “Halo 3,” responded quickly on its Xbox website with details of a replacement program. Customers can send in scratched limited-edition discs for a free exchange through December.

Microsoft sells the limited-edition version, which comes in a tin decorated with the “Halo 3” logo, for $70. A regular copy of the game costs $60 and a “legendary” version, which comes with a replica of the helmet worn by game protagonist Master Chief, costs $130. The game went on sale early Tuesday.

Richard Mitchell, the lead writer of the Xbox 360 Fanboy blog, said one of the discs that came in his limited-edition set was scratched but the damage didn’t seem to interfere with its playing.

Microsoft has been plagued by Xbox 360 problems recently, including broken consoles that the company said it would spend more than $1 billion to repair.