In a bid to entice European gamers to put their money down on an Xbox One and pre-order the system before it launches this November, Microsoft is offering up a free copy of FIFA 14.

Saying how “that’s a robust promotion” to GameSpot when asked about the difference the offer could make at Christmas, Fergal Gara, VP & Managing Director at SCE UK and Ireland, turned the tables and talked about the PlayStation 4′s success so far:

We are not seeking to accelerate our pre-orders any further, to be honest. [PS4 pre-orders] are breathtakingly high as they are right now. We do not have a pre-order problem. We will remain focused on value, and there’s lots we can do around launch to make gamers feel looked after in a PS4 world.

Getting back on point, Gara echoed DR’s thoughts on how “you can buy a PS4 plus FIFA 14 at full whack for less, as I would understand it, than a free FIFA 14 with an Xbox One. We will continue to focus on great value for the gamer. There’s loads of instances on how that’s real today, whether that be the price of the PS4, or the fantastic content proposition that goes with PlayStation Plus.”

That “PS4 world” Gara mentioned above will begin on November 15th in the US and Canada before expanding to many other countries, including the UK, on November 29th. While he’s already discussed the UK representing a large portion of PS4 pre-orders already, Fergal continued that thought with GI.Biz, adding how “we’re talking unprecedented levels of pre-orders that we haven’t seen in 20 years in this business.”

Addressing Andrew House’s remarks about Microsoft during the gamescom Press Conference, Gara said, “Well, it’s a competitive market you know. We’re all competitive animals. We all come to work to do the best job we can by our gamers, but there is a part of that job that is about winning versus the competition. It’s nice to feel you’re ahead, it’s nice to feel that we’ve got a lot going for us, and of course Andy chose to put bit of a dig in there. All’s fair in love and war!”

Was your breath taken away when you learned that the PS4 was already over a million pre-orders? Let us know in the comments below.

http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2013/08/22/sony-you-can-buy-a-ps4-plus-fifa-14-at-full-whack-for-less-than-xbox-one-pre-orders-are-breathtakingly-high/

good to see Sony back in defensive mode

I think the pre-order number was actually a good idea PR wise.

Let's be honest the Free FIFA was a great idea to make a more expensive console look like a better proposition. I am sure it will get some additional sales because of it. But it was quite a smart move by Sony, because they are putting it out there that Sony has lots of pre-orders and just like the "free game" - the idea that PS4 has more pre-orders may also entice people to the platform (people are very fickle like that).

The only problem Sony have now is ensuring they have enough stock in USA/UK/Key Europe countries that ensure they can *not* sell out of stock, or at least they need to update as quick as they can.

My console is being delivered on the 29th, but my Sons (xmas present) is coming first week of December right now. So I can only guess what delivery date some people might have. Due to both consoles having very close titles at the start of a gen, it would be easy to lose sales if the other is wanted but not available.

Why is your comment not about the topic of the thread?

Ps4 + fifa 14 + eye toy = more than $500
Sony likes to troll alot lol

And why do we NEED eye toy?

But nobody wants th Eye-thingy, just like no one want Kinect. That is MS problem right now, a peripheral that nobody wants is driving up the price making it less attractive for consumers

I know thats the easy way to see it, but you will find that the eyetoy is considered an accessory, and as such isnt considered an essential purchase by many users. Doesnt mean they wont buy it, but they dont take that into consideration.

Sony are not trolling at all, that is the fact.. if you want to play just fifa you do not need a camera.

I know people want to change the facts to suit their own preferences but costwise it's true... this is not up for debate.

The thing is, it brings down the difference in price to £30. So for someone who has Halo in the back of their mind, it makes things very different AND if you already have a gold subscription then when you add in new PS+ subscription, price is basically taken out of the equation

Sony didn't even have to bother. Xbone isn't going to sell much anyway.