All hail Halo - Xbox’s master game

It was the game that launched a million Xboxes. We delve into the world of Halo and its enigmatic hero the Master Chief
" Halo 5 Guardians - first play

There are few success stories in gaming quite like that of Halo, a title that has become a phenomenon and one of the few that has entered mass, popular consciousness. The franchise has sold 60 million games and with the latest, Halo 5: Guardians, due out later this year, will doubtless sell millions more. Yet when it all began in 2001, such success was far from guaranteed.

Although it may be hard to imagine, now that the console gaming landscape and in particular the first-person shooter has been shaped by what Halo achieved, at the time it was a risky venture. Microsoft had been looking for a launch title to accompany its new Xbox console, the firm's first foray not only into gaming but into consumer entertainment. In 2000 it went after the shooter that Bungie was developing for the Mac.