Without Halo, there would be no Xbox. Simply put, Bungie's science-fiction epic Halo: Combat Evolved was the reason why many people bothered with Xbox in the first place, and the franchise has remained the flagship of Microsoft's Xbox gaming division ever since, with a number of spinoffs and sequels, including the upcoming Halo 5: Guardians, set to release in a few months on Xbox One.

There's a reason that Microsoft has invested so heavily in the Halo series, and why Halo 5: Guardians is being pushed as the premiere reason to own an Xbox One come this holiday season. The fact of the matter is, it's one of the largest video game franchises ever created, and its success has translated into an absolute staggering number of sales.

In fact, Microsoft has just recently announced that as of July of 2015, the Halo series as a whole has sold over 65 million units. This accounts for all the major Halo games across Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and presumably the two titles that were released on PC as well.

Halo is a franchise that has spread out across other mediums as well, which has only further to cement its legacy and increase its popularity. This has included a number of novels, small films, and other merchandise, including the upcoming animated adaptation of The Fall of Reach, to be included in the special editions of Halo 5.

The Halo series has also enjoyed success in the realm of toys, specifically the Halo Mega Bloks line. Speaking of which, this now includes a new Halo 5 themed set featuring Master Chief, Spartan Locke, and the Arbiter.

There's no doubt that Halo 5 itself will bolster the sales of the franchise even further, pushing the overall sales for Halo ever-closer to 100 million sold. Those that are thinking of purchasing the game should be aware that there will be Collector's and Limited editions available as well as the standard game. Furthermore, Halo 5 will have microtransactions, so it has potential to contribute even more cash to Microsoft than any other Halo that has preceded it.

Microsoft is counting on the popularity of Halo to help them close the sales gap between the Xbox One and the PS4. Most months, the PlayStation 4 outsells the Xbox One, but Microsoft has been able to snag a few victories here and there. This coming holiday season, with Sony's heavy hitter Uncharted 4 delayed to 2016, and the Wii U's probable last major game, The Legend of Zelda, also delayed to 2016, Master Chief is virtually unopposed, and there's no doubt that Xbox One has the biggest exclusive this year with Halo 5: Guardians.

The next game in the Halo series, Halo 5: Guardians, is set to release on October 27th, exclusively for Microsoft's Xbox One console.

Source: Xbox Wire