If you buy FIFA 14 on the current generation of consoles (Xbox 360 and PS3) and the next generation of consoles (Xbox ONE and PS4) you will be able to access your Ultimate Team on both EA have confirmed.

You’ll also be able to transfer FIFA points from old generation to new but only once.

You’ll have access to all players, teams, trophies, consumables / items and coins.

The move is another step towards EA’s vision of players sharing a single identity across multiple platforms and devices but is still a leap away from Xbox versus PlayStation arguments being able to be settled.

Having one market between two different platforms does solve the issue of arbitration (buying cheap on one platform to sell at a higher price on the other) and although players holding out for the next gen FIFA 14 will be able to trade on the web app from day one they’re still going to be at a disadvantage when their game comes out compared to players who buy the current gen game in September who have been able to make coins playing games and winning tournaments and divisions.

Community Win or Shrewd Move?

It’s a win/win for those of us that were going to buy the game on both platforms anyway but what about those waiting for next gen (less hardcore players or people who can’t afford both)?

It’s a clever piece of marketing by EA as players that were going to wait for next generation FIFA 14 have now have an incentive to buy it on the current gen rather than get left behind.

This isn’t the first shrewd move by EA when it comes to FIFA 14 Ultimate Team. Only yesterday they announced that they were including bonuses for players found in packs as an enticement to get people to spend more than buy on the transfer market (which at the moment is better value).

You can see EA’s statement here.

If you were going to wait until the next generation of FIFA 14 will being able to transfer your team over persuade you to buy in September or are you still planning to wait?