Microsoft's 'Halo' gives a boost to Xbox One
The space warrior Master Chief makes his return in Halo 5: Guardians for Xbox One ($59.99). It's the first original game in the ongoing multibillion dollar space saga to appear on the 2-year-old Xbox One.
"It brings to life that feeling we have always wanted to deliver with Halo but couldn't until the X-box One," said Bonnie Ross, who heads 343 Industries, the Microsoft-owned studio that created the game. "You feel like you really are the 900-pound super-soldier in this epic sci-fi world."
"Halo is one of those franchises that rises above the 'This is another video game' release. You get people who aren't video game payers who know what Halo is," said Phil Spencer, who heads Microsoft's Xbox division.
The company has sold about 14 million Xbox Ones globally, compared to about 25 million for Sony's PS4, estimates the managing director of Wedbush Securities. Consumers will likely buy 8 million copies of Halo 5, and the game could drive 4-5 million sales of the Xbox console.
In the game, players alternate missions between Master Chief, who's taken his team AWOL, and a squad led by Spartan Locke.