Tuesday, 20 August 2013
Microsoft is trying to seduce European gamers with a free sports game when you preorder. There's no word yet on what the U.S. will be treated to. During its Gamescom showcase today, Microsoft announced that every customer who pre-orders Xbox One in Europe will receive a copy of FIFA 14 for free.
European customers will enjoy the newest version of the footie franchise for free "while stocks last," the company confirmed at the Gamescom trade show in Germany -- a move that's surely designed to fend off competition from Sony's cheaper PlayStation 4 console.
Seven European countries will be able to take advantage of the free FIFA 14 offer, as all pre-orders from Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom are covered. The game will be offered as a digital download, and all pre-orders to date and pre-orders from today are covered.
A FIFA 14 bundle will also be available to buy, for 499 euros, or 429 pounds, which is the starting price of the Xbox One.
So far there's no word on what manner of software treats U.S. gamers can look forward to, but expect similar freebies to be offered when the Xbox One goes on sale.
The move will be designed to make the Xbox One's price tag -- $499 in the U.S. -- more palatable. If there's a decent game chucked in, that could make gamers more willing to splash the cash on a pricey system.
