EA Access Exclusively On Xbox One Available Now

[Mr. J]

The library of games on the new EA Access subscription service will be "permanent" and "substantial", according to a senior Electronic Arts executive.

EA Access, which was announced in July and is currently in beta, offers a 'Vault' of games that can be unlocked for £3.99.$4.99 a month, or £19.99/$29.99 a year. The service is only available to Xbox One owners, with Sony deciding against supporting it on PS4.

Games available in the beta include FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, Battlefield 4 and Peggle 2, but EA chief operating officer Peter Moore says more major titles are on the way.

"The Vault will get its share of triple-A titles," Moore told CVG. "We haven't made any announcements to that extent about exactly when, where and how, but the Vault will be substantial."

Moore suggested that EA must carefully consider what it adds to the vault, whilst confirming that the publisher has pledged to not remove games from it.

"New game additions will be determined by franchise and timing," he said. "We have to make decisions along that way, so there's no template, like 30 days after a game ships it goes into the Vault.

"I think one of the key things is that once a game goes into the Vault it stays there, it's not going to be taken out, that's a commitment we've made."

EA Access subscribers can also save ten per cent on digital content purchases, and receive early access to select games, beginning with FIFA 15, Madden NFL 15, NHL 15, NBA LIVE 15 and Dragon Age: Inquisition later this year.

While EA Access is available on Microsoft's latest console, Sony declined the opportunity to bring the service to PS4, claiming that it did not offer "good value" to its customers.

Asked if he was disappointed by Sony's stance, Moore said: "It's tough for me to comment on Sony's comments. I think they made themselves pretty clear."

link to article

[ariakon]

I still don't trust them. Maybe in a year or so of things running smoothly (no "we secretly put a clause for your soul in the subscription plan" sort of thing) I'll be less suspicious...

Interesting to see Sony and EA seem a bit miffed at one another. Thing is, they shouldn't be. MS may be giving out the money, but Sony and EA are making even more money off each other's products (X1 games are doing well, just less well than PS4 versions). Mo' money, mo' problems, I guess.

[partridge]

Sony were approached by EA about this but turned it down on the grounds that Sony didn't think it was good value for their customers.

PS+ gave subscribers BF3 last year (on PS3 obviously) so I wonder if this deal means it's unlikely PS+ will offer future EA games?

It's not something I'd sign up to and I think it is a worrying development; what if all publishers offered something similar? Early access to games and DLC in return for never truly owning a game anymore! I hope take up is very low so EA get the message that this isn't a welcome idea.

[Itputdallotion0n]

Originally Posted by partridge

Sony were approached by EA about this but turned it down on the grounds that Sony didn't think it was good value for their customers.

PS+ gave subscribers BF3 last year (on PS3 obviously) so I wonder if this deal means it's unlikely PS+ will offer future EA games?

It's not something I'd sign up to and I think it is a worrying development; what if all publishers offered something similar? Early access to games and DLC in return for never truly owning a game anymore! I hope take up is very low so EA get the message that this isn't a welcome idea.

Systems will be moving to a Steam type of sales mark my words MS tried to do this with the XB1 but everyone cried funny thing is everyone said steam was stupid now its amazing, cheap games and everyone loves it. Wish everyone hadnt cried about MS trying to do this intially because i would love to pay cheap prices for games

[Mavrick]

I think Sony said it was poor value for it's customers because it was another subscription price to pay on top of what people already pay for PS+

Although I think us customers should have been given the choice rather than Sony making it for us.

[KRW1]

Originally Posted by Itputdallotion0n

Systems will be moving to a Steam type of sales mark my words MS tried to do this with the XB1 but everyone cried funny thing is everyone said steam was stupid now its amazing, cheap games and everyone loves it. Wish everyone hadnt cried about MS trying to do this intially because i would love to pay cheap prices for games

MS wasn't trying to launch a Steam-style system.

This isn't either. This is one developer trying to kill secondhand sales by offering an online only experience. I do hope other's don't follow suit, I already pay for PSN, and I don't want to pay more fees on top for something I've essentially already got for nothing (sort of).

[Mr. J]

From a consumer's perspective, I can see why so many would fear the other companies (Ubisoft, Activision etc) doing the same. However, from a publisher's perspective, it makes sense. The used game market does nothing for them.

If EA Access is a big hit, then just prepare yourself for the other publishers to follow suit.

[Terjyn]

Originally Posted by Mr. J

From a consumer's perspective, I can see why so many would fear the other companies (Ubisoft, Activision etc) doing the same. However, from a publisher's perspective, it makes sense. The used game market does nothing for them.

If EA Access is a big hit, then just prepare yourself for the other publishers to follow suit.

I'm not worried about other publishers following suit.

I'm worried about EA slowly restricting things for people who don't have their service.

This (apparently) already started since for the first time in forever Madden will not have a free demo, it'll be EA Access pre-release only.

I hope I'm wrong but by the end of this console gen I fully believe that to play EA online games it will require both PS+/Xbox Gold and EA Access.

[Tony208]

Gamestop will be selling EA Access cards

[KRW1]

Originally Posted by Terjyn

I hope I'm wrong but by the end of this console gen I fully believe that to play EA online games it will require both PS+/Xbox Gold and EA Access.

I think so too. It'll be the same for all companies, if this initial scheme is a success.

[Elandyll]

Didn't take long...

There won't be a Madden NFL 15 demo apparently.

BUT you can play it 5 days early with EA Access!

http://www.polygon.com/2014/8/11/599...demo-ea-access

I think this week's Jimquisition is a good highlight of the fears tied to this new "service". From EA.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/vide...-Game-Industry

Edit: And of course Activision is now thinking about it
http://www.gamezone.com/news/2014/08...odel-is-proven

(and you can bet that Ubisoft is as well)

[KRW1]

Oh, they're gonna kill that golden goose for sure.

[timbobarry]

Originally Posted by Elandyll

Didn't take long...

There won't be a Madden NFL 15 demo apparently.

BUT you can play it 5 days early with EA Access!

http://www.polygon.com/2014/8/11/599...demo-ea-access

I think this week's Jimquisition is a good highlight of the fears tied to this new "service". From EA.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/vide...-Game-Industry

Well, EA did announce there's going to be a demo for NHL 15.

http://www.easports.com/nhl/news/2014/nhl-15-demo

[RaijinUT]

I am still confused to why EA just didn't call this service Origin. One would figure they will bring this service to the PC too via their Origin software at some point.

[marcellusk]

So if i already own say need for speed, ufc and battlefield. Once they're in the "vault" i could trade them all in and just play them whenever with this service? would the DLC and game save carry over?

[timbobarry]

Originally Posted by marcellusk

So if i already own say need for speed, ufc and battlefield. Once they're in the "vault" i could trade them all in and just play them whenever with this service? would the DLC and game save carry over?

Yes. I owned Battlefield 4 (with some DLC) and Madden 25 discs before having EA Access. Once I subscribed to EA Access, it let me play the existing games without having the disc in. Your DLC is also still playable.

[Tony208]

yeah everything this gen seems to work off of the hard drive and the physical disc only serves to check that u own it if u didn't buy it digitally

[marcellusk]

hmmmm. i may have to consider this now. just hope they don't take all year with putting the games out

[Icemage]

Originally Posted by Elandyll

Didn't take long...

There won't be a Madden NFL 15 demo apparently.

BUT you can play it 5 days early with EA Access!

http://www.polygon.com/2014/8/11/599...demo-ea-access

I think this week's Jimquisition is a good highlight of the fears tied to this new "service". From EA.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/vide...-Game-Industry

Edit: And of course Activision is now thinking about it
http://www.gamezone.com/news/2014/08...odel-is-proven

(and you can bet that Ubisoft is as well)

Indeed.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/a...n-s-creed.aspx

Originally Posted by GameInformer/Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft CEO

That’s not to say that Ubisoft isn’t willing to explore different business models. The company is keeping a watchful eye on EA’s new Access program on Xbox One, and Guillemot sees benefits beyond the revenue.

“I think it makes the publisher more important in the player’s mind,” he says. “Often, people are only interested in one brand from a publisher, so they don’t look for other brands. When you buy into something like Access, you can try other things for free and discover other things you like. It’s a way to make sure gamers can get more info on what we do and the diversity of our portfolio.”

Guillemot likens the idea of publisher “Access” subscriptions to television channels. “When you look on your console, you have many channels and you want that diversity,” he says. “Instead of saying everything’s in one place, we can say ‘Okay, try these channels: EA, Ubi, Activision.’

He sees programs like this as a way to increase diversity and attract new users to the consoles. Interestingly, Ubisoft hasn’t yet signed on with the only platform-level program yet. The company is not included in the PlayStation Now library. “We are still in the process of studying what it can do,” he explains. “We are open to any way that can give players access to our games. It has to work well and be a smooth experience.”

[eagle20]

Might give it try soon, hope they add more titles