It’s clear now that sales of Microsoft’s Xbox One are quickly falling behind those of Sony’s PlayStation 4. Microsoft was leaning heavily on the Xbox One’s TV and Kinect capabilities in its early marketing but has now shifted gears into all-game mode.
Most recently Microsoft announced the expected official Xbox One Titanfall bundle, a clear sign that the company is pinning much of its Xbox One multiplayer community hopes onto Respawn’s first title. Along with the Titanfall bundle, however, Microsoft also made an aggressive move to stay competitive in the UK, lowering the Xbox One’s price £30 to just £399.
The price drop caused the requisite complaints from Xbox One early adopters and those in the U.S. who were left wondering where their price drop was. Now Microsoft is evening the the score a bit by offering a free game with every new U.S. Xbox One purchase.
According to Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry “Major Nelson” Hyrb, Forza Motorsport 5 will now be included with every Xbox One purchase, for a limited time. Xbox One purchases will come with a code for the digital version of Forza 5.
Though it isn’t clear whether Microsoft will honor this deal along with the Titanfall bundle, the offering and UK price drop clearly demonstrate that Microsoft knows the current score and is willing to compete for its place in console gaming.