Microsoft: Titanfall is a "game changer" that will help sell Xbox Ones

Respawn Entertainment's highly anticipated multiplayer shooter Titanfall is a cornerstone of Microsoft's strategy for the Xbox One in 2014 and its release next week should move systems at a significant clip, according to chief marketing officer Yusuf Mehdi.

"It's hard to overstate the importance of Titanfall to the Xbox One release this year," Mehdi told Bloomberg Businessweek. "For us, it's a game changer. It's a system seller."

This statement of confidence is not much of a surprise coming from Microsoft, which signed a deal with publisher Electronic Arts to bring Titanfall exclusively to Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC. Microsoft even made Titanfall the focus of a new Xbox One bundle that includes a system and a copy of the game for $500. The Xbox One normally sells for $500 by itself.

The Xbox One got off to a quick start, selling 1 million consoles in 24 hours and more than 3 million by the end of 2013. However, Microsoft has not announced a sales update for the platform so far in 2014, while competitor Sony has done so twice: in February to announce sales of 5.3 million and again this week to reveal the console has sold more than 6 million systems to date. The PS4 is even outsold the Xbox One in the US during January by a 2:1 margin, according research firm NPD Group.

Microsoft's camp would of course be delighted if Titanfall's release next week leads to a jolt in Xbox One sales, but that remains to be seen. Titanfall officially launches March 11 for Xbox One and PC. An Xbox 360 version--developed externally at Bluepoint Games--will arrive on March 25. Respawn confirmed this week that the game's DLC season pass will include three expansion packs and sell for $25. The game was developed by numerous former Call of Duty developers, including Infinity Ward cofounder Vince Zampella.