Microsoft’s Phil Spencer on the importance of Halo 5 to the fate of the Xbox One

Microsoft has sold more than 60 million Halo games since 2001. But sales of the Xbox One game console have a long way to go before Microsoft captures every single one of those fans on its newest platform. That’s why Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, sees Halo 5: Guardians, which debuts on October 27 as the biggest exclusive to date on the Xbox One, as critical to the future of the platform.

We interviewed Spencer after previewing Halo 5 at a Microsoft event in San Francisco. He hopes that the newest tale of Master Chief and agent Locke will enthrall fans and that multiplayer advances such as Warzone, a massive combat experience, and the esports-like Arena will make Halo 5 feel fresh to fans.