Videogame fans waited years for a new generation of living-room consoles. Now that the hardware has arrived, Microsoft Corp.’s hopes of keeping pace with the competition may turn on a piece of software.
The title is “Titanfall,” a combat game for the Xbox One console that goes on sale Tuesday. Microsoft has been promoting the game since last June, hoping to inject new ideas into a familiar genre while providing a strong reason to buy its new hardware.
“Titanfall” is already generating considerable buzz, with retailers planning midnight launch events at 6,000 stores world-wide. But Microsoft, whose new console appears to be lagging behind sales of Sony Corp.’s new PlayStation 4, is taking no chances.
The company will provide a free copy of the title to customers who buy the $499 Xbox One, a move that amounts to an early price cut for a device that arrived in November. The game on its own costs $60.
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(Published March 9, 2014, in The Wall Street Journal.)