Nintendo has a stable of popular mascots and characters. The most obvious is Mario and Luigi, but don't forget Link, Kirby and a slew of Pokemon, such as Pikachu. That is just a small sampling; there are tons more. For Microsoft, however, there is only one such character that is associated with Xbox by the masses -- Master Chief from the Halo franchise.

Tonight, during the season finale of Walking Dead (which was awesome), the release date for the next title in the franchise, Halo 5: Guardians, was revealed. How? With two spectacular live-action TV commercials.

"Tonight's finale of 'The Walking Dead' on AMC wasn't the only cliffhanger that left fans searching for answers. Two new live-action trailers for Halo 5: Guardians kick off one of the most epic showdowns in entertainment history, pitting the legendary Master Chief against the UNSC's top manhunter -- Spartan Locke. Leading the greatest gaming lineup in Xbox history, Halo 5: Guardians will launch worldwide on October 27, exclusively on Xbox One", says Microsoft.

Bonnie Ross, Head of 343 Industries says "we wanted Halo 5: Guardians to be the game that pays off the epic promise of the Halo universe in scope and scale and drama. We want to amaze players with the sheer size of the worlds and battles they’ll experience, even as they question everything they thought they knew about its heroes, marvels and mysteries. #HunttheTruth is only the beginning and we can’t wait to debut the game to Xbox fans around the world at E3 this June".

Yes, the date is October 27th, 2015. Boom.

While this is perfectly timed for the Christmas 2015 shopping season, October is an eternity for gamers. Many consumers will be holding their breath in anticipation. If you aren't caught up with franchise, you can buy the special Xbox One: The Master Chief Collection Bundle, which includes all of the earlier games.

Take a look at the advertisements below and tell me what you think in the comments. Do they make you excited for the game? Let me know.