"Titanfall," perhaps the most anticipated game of the new generation of consoles, makes its debut Friday. But giant robots aren't the only thing that will be dropping then: the game will be included free in purchases of the Xbox One, making the effective price of the console lower than ever.
$500 gets you the usual Xbox One bundle, like it would have yesterday, except now (and until Mar. 11) it comes with a download code for "Titanfall." In the UK, the promotion is tied to an actual price drop, from £429 to £399 — about a $50 difference. If you've been waiting to buy an Xbone, as its fans lovingly call it, this might be the best deal you'll see for a while.
It's more or less run-of-the-mill pre-launch hype, but coming after the news that rival Sony's PlayStation 4 has sold significantly better than the Xbox One, some may suspect Microsoft of desperate salesmanship. But despite the early lead by Sony, this race is a marathon, not a sprint — bragging rights belong to Sony now, but not much else.
You should be able to pre-order the "Titanfall" bundle at your favorite retailer — don't plan on the promotional price sticking around for long, or non-"Titanfall" Xbox Ones selling for less.