The Xbox One definitely puts the “box” in Xbox – it has none of the contours or curves of the various 360 models.
Kyle Orland
It’s only been a few months since Microsoft finally dropped the price of a (Kinect-free) Xbox One to $399. Now it looks like Microsoft is willing to increase the value of that console by offering one of two free games that come with the hardware in the near future.
The first bundle, officially announced today “in limited stock only,” will package an Xbox One console with a copy of Madden NFL 15 and will be available “at select US retailers such as Microsoft stores” starting August 26, when the game releases. In addition to special packaging, bundle buyers will also receive a download code for three NFL Ultimate Team packs. The bundle follows the announcement of EA’s Xbox One-exclusive subscription service, EA Access, which offers early access to demo versions of many upcoming games, including Madden NFL 15.
The second bundle hasn’t been officially confirmed yet, but a Microsoft spokesperson told Polygon that the company will be offering an Xbox One bundle with an exclusive zombie action title Sunset Overdrive. That bundle will presumably mark the general public’s first access to a white Xbox One, previously only available to Microsoft employees who worked on the system before launch.
A price has not been officially set for the Sunset Overdrive bundle, but French retailer Micromania briefly leaked an offer for the bundle for €399.99, the same price as a game-free Xbox One. Sunset Overdrive launches on Xbox One on October 28, and we can probably expect the console bundle to launch at the same time.
Packing games with the Xbox One without lowering the price could be seen as a way of trying to bolster the value proposition of an Xbox One purchase in the face of strong competition from Sony’s PlayStation 4. Earlier this year, Microsoft offering bundled games like Fall of the Titans And Forza Motorsport5 with its consoles, while many retailers unofficially lowered the system’s asking price to $450 before the official price drop.