Electronic Arts has revealed a new subscription service for Xbox One users that will allow them to play triple A titles without buying them. Called EA Access, the service will cost users some US$4.99 a month, or US$29.99 a year. The catch is that it isn’t open to all Xbox One owners yet; as EA has decided put the system through a beta test period first.
During this beta, users will have access to the EA Vault; which is a collection of EA games on the Xbox One. Current titles include FIFA 14, Madden NFL 15, Peggle 2, and Battlefield 4. This is complete access and looks similar to the kind of deal that PlayStation Plus subscribers are getting with the free games. The difference is that Xbox users will be getting more recent releases, albeit from only one publisher.
Subscribers also get an additional 10% off on purchases of EA titles while their subscription lasts. There is also a five day free trial period for all new games, which appears to be the same kind of time limited demo that appeared with the Titanfall free weekend that recently concluded. Complete with progress during the trial period carrying over to the full purchase if it is made.
This sort of thing was perhaps a long time coming. The PS Plus subscription service has been a major selling point in getting people to buy into the platform. Free games are always welcome, and the price tag is still substantially lower than actually buying the full game. The issue now is the fact that Xbox One users will be buying into two subscriptions, one to get their free games on EA Access, and Xbox Gold to play those games online.
[Source: Electronic Arts]
