Microsoft debuted its Halo 5: Guardians television commercial debuted tonight on NBC Sunday Night Football today. It’s a bleak snippet, as it shows the reaction as the authorities announce that Master Chief, the hero of the Halo series, died in the line of duty.
Halo 5: Guardians launches worldwide on October 27 on the Xbox One video game console. Halo 5 represents Microsoft’s biggest hope in gaining market share in the console war with Sony’s PlayStation 4. The Halo franchise has sold more than 65 million units and generated $4.6 billion at retail.
In the commercial, a broadcaster announces to the world that the chief, or Spartan John-117, died on October 27, 2650, in the line of duty. The complete account isn’t yet available.
“We must end this, not be ended by it,” the announcer says.
Talk about a downer of a teaser and a spoiler. But I’m sure there’s a lot more to this story.