It's fair to say that Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare might just be the most ambitious Call of Duty title in years. Sledgehammer Games has been granted the "freedom to fail" by publisher Activision, giving the developer the chance to be more creative with the first-person shooter franchise. The studio heads have described the development of the title as akin to the creation of 4 Hollywood movies, with a longer campaign promised alongside a co-op mode.

Unfortunately for the developer, it seems as though the gaming community is not as enthralled by the prospect of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare as expected. With declines in pre-orders affecting video games across the board, Sledgehammer Games' future war title was not immune. To make matters worse, the outlook for the FPS was revealed to be even more grim with the prospect that Advanced Warfare could undersell by millions.

Now, Activision has offered another tantalizing prospect for those tempted by the Exosuit-based shooter. The publisher has revealed that players who buy a digital copy of Advanced Warfare for either Xbox 360 or PS3 will also get a next-gen upgrade for the game - as long as they're happy staying within the same console family. The same offer was given for another Activision title - Destiny had the same free upgrade option.

Activision has given more details on the upgrade over at the Call of Duty website, including an in-depth FAQ. The upgrade is only available for digital purchases of the game - physical copies are not included. There is also a deadline in place. If you want to get this upgrade, you'll need to purchase a digital copy of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare by 31 March, 2015. However, all DLC purchased for in-game use - including the Season Pass - will upgrade for free with no deadline.

Players will also be able to keep hold of both the old-gen and next-gen versions of the game - when upgrading your version of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare to Xbox One or PS4, you will still retain your PS3 or Xbox 360 version. It has also been revealed that all in-game multiplayer progress, stats, and gear will transfer over with an upgrade to next-gen - and will do so whether you participate in the program or not.

What do you make of the free upgrade option? Would it turn your head if you weren't already interested in the title? Or do you think this offer is unlikely to stop the Call of Duty slump? Let us know in the comments.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is set for release on November 4, 2014, and will launch on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC.

Source: Activision