FIFA 14 rumored to be the free Xbox One ‘third-party title’

The rumored "major third-party title" to be bundled with each Xbox One in Europe (and possibly the U.S.) is believed to be FIFA 14. According to "two senior games industry sources" who spoke with MCV, the Xbox One and FIFA 14 tie-in will be announced tomorrow at Gamescom.

It appears to be the same rumor heard by CVG, though they only described the game to be a "unique Xbox One exclusive" rumored to be a "major" Christmas release. To me, neither of those describe the FIFA series which is multiplatform and usually released in September.

Let's also remember FIFA is EA's top-selling sports title. Microsoft would've had to fork over a hefty amount of cash to get such a deal. Then again, for a company that has already spent an alleged $1 billion on Xbox One exclusives, they might be crazy enough to do so — especially if it means selling more systems in Europe, a market currently displeased with Microsoft's announcement that the Xbox One will be delayed until 2014 in certain countries.

While FIFA 14 would make the most sense, a game that sticks out in my mind as a potential tie-in is the recently discovered Fighter Within. Unearthed last week, Fighter Within is rumored to be Ubisoft's "total-body combat" game that makes use of the Xbxo One's Kinect. Given Microsoft's emphasis on the peripheral, wouldn't they want to include a game that can truly show off its potential?

Maybe not, as Microsoft appears to more focused on adding value to its system without having to lower its £429 ($499) release day price. As it stands, the Xbox One — thanks to the Kinect — will retail for  £80 ($100) more than PS4; however, the PS4 throws in a free, somewhat-limited version of Driveclub with each system. If this is the case, just take out the Kinect and lower the price to $399.

Any sort of announcement regarding the Xbox One and any potential tie-in will likely take place at Gamescom, which begins tomorrow with an Xbox Media Showcase. Would FIFA's inclusion with the Xbox One convince you in purchasing the system?

[MCV]