Titanfall Release: With New Game, Xbox One Hopes to Keep Up With PS4

(Photo: Electronic Arts/Respawn Entertainment)A soldier runs toward a mechanical "Titan" in a screenshot from the new Titanfall video game.

With  the eagerly anticipated Titanfall game now on sale, Microsoft will be trying to keep pace with Sony's PS4, to bring success to its Xbox One console.

Titanfall is the biggest new game launch of the year for the Xbox One. Microsoft has been promoting Titanfall since last June, promising it would deliver exciting gameplay. The game has been seen as one of the driving forces of new console hardware sales.

The "first-person shooter" game allows players to see the world through the eyes of their characters while holding a gun. They fight in various urban landscapes, run and use jetpacks to jump from wall to wall. In addition, the players get to drive gigantic robot-like machines known as "Titans" which also engage in fierce firefights. The game only allows for multi-player action, with internet connections required to play.

As posted in an article at Wall Street Journal, Titanfall is a "first-person shooter" game where players see the world through the eyes of their characters while holding a gun. They fight through urban grounds, walk or use jetpacks to jump from wall to wall. The characters may drive robot-like machines "Titans", which can be programmed to fight. The game is created to be multi-player.

Reactions ahead of the launch were enthusiastic, according to the Wall Street Journal. College student Omar Elshamy told the publication that the likes the way soldiers can fight alone or inside of the mechanized Titans.

He said he expects the game will revolutionize shooters and be a system seller. While early feedback has been favorable, it is too early to give sales forecasts, according to the publication.

While both the PS4 and Xbox sold well during their introductory phase in the market this past November, Sony appears to be on the lead. Sony's unit sales in 2013 were over 4.2 million and a cumulative six million until recently. Microsoft has sold over three million Xbox One's, although it has not provided recent figures.

Blockbuster games usually spark system sales. Game series "Halo" which launched in 2001 helped establish Xbox, the first Microsoft videogame console. Super Mario Bros did the same with Nintendo Co. That may also be the case with "Titanfall" for Xbox One.

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