Bohemia Interactive has today revealed new details (thanks fpot) about the alpha and pricing of their upcoming PC-exclusive tactical military shooter ArmA 3. Taking a leaf out of the popular Minecraft title, Bohemia will allow players to pay a smaller fee of $32.99 USD for Alpha access, which also gives them access to the Beta and eventual release of the title.

Featured in the Arma 3 Alpha are four showcase missions (Infantry, Vehicles, SCUBA and Helicopter), a limited subset of weapons and vehicles, two multiplayer scenarios, the powerful scenario editor and modding support. The 20 km² island of Stratis, which is positioned right off the coast from Arma 3’s main destination ‘Altis’ (270 km²), will form the backdrop of the Arma 3 Alpha.

Jay Crowe, Co-Creative Director on Arma 3, elaborates:
“The Arma 3 Alpha is a big milestone in the project's development. Testing early and often puts us on the right track towards improving performance, stability and delivering on our goal of creating a robust final release. It's also a big opportunity to get the game in the hands of our passionate community, which enables them to start work on their own creations, tailored to the fourth generation of the Real Virtuality engine.”

For those looking to spend a bit more, a Digital Deluxe and Supporter Edition will be made available for $49.99 USD and $91.99 respectively, and will include several key extras ranging from a soundtrack to a Steam Gift of the ArmA X pack.

Bohemia will also be releasing a free, limited version of the Alpha, named Arma 3 Alpha Lite. The Alpha Lite will be available one week after the initial Alpha release, on Thursday March 14th, and does not include a multiplayer component and modding support. It will be invite-only, which can be obtained from people who have purchased the ArmA 3 alpha (they gain three invites).

The Arma 3 Alpha will be available on Steam next Tuesday March 5th, 2013. For more information on the Alpha, be sure to visit the official website where you can purchase the various Alpha packages.