EA is Investigating Free-to-Start Games on Console

EA keeps on digging

"The first is as we look to the future, we believe a very big part of our player-base will expect a free-to-start experience. When we look at film, television, music, books, very often there is this free trial notion that actually onboards new players, new listeners, new readers, or new viewers into a service. We're actively looking at how we could offer that type of experience to our players on console and across other platforms."

Wilson went on to say that the next step would be to offer the free-to-start player a full-game download, microtransaction, or a subscription--or maybe all three. The executive explained that he hopes to offer all three business model options across console and other platforms in the future.

So kind of an expansion of the EA Access system?

Is this something you'd want SW?

Sauce

**** EA.

EA =enormous assholes of gaming. How the heck else do we put it. They seem to introduce many wrong doings lately

First was the online pass debacle now this

so...demos?

So, with all this new technology, we've come full circle to renting a game before buying it?

And people don't understand why Nintendo has issues with 3rd parties?

I think the idea here is to get the full game but have it locked behind a demo area/period/whatever. Not exactly new (Minecraft "demo" was essentially that for example).

This generation is going to get ugly. Well, uglier.

I stopped caring about trials and rentals the day my country banned it.

So, no. Yeah, a good ol' no.

Ugh

Just take my 50/60 euros and give me a FULL game, that's all I want. Is that too much to ask these days ?

Don't 'free' this and 'free' that and then have microtransactions in the game that cost 100 bloody euros for some ingame coins or whatever.

Which is much worse than the demo system considering the size games are reaching these days.

@Snugenz: Yup. Can you imagine downloading some 30-40GBs just to be able to play 1 level? Fun times ahead! XD

I tried early access. In premise its good, but I need to see some more games and preferably newer titles added to the vault.

Yuck.

Overheard at the EA HQ after this announcement...

"Let's see how far we can make people bend over by innovating"

I think I'm almost done with gaming.... For the most part, I can't stand what it's become.

Try giving up consoles.

Wow, EA so innovative they've just created demos. But it won't happen lol it'll cut into their sales.

Yea EA, that's what we consumers like to call "demos". Happening for decades now.

But with the added annoyance of a 50GB download (+ day 1 patch). Sounds fantastic.

It's because they are really intent in giving you value.

Would be a good idea but since all their games are garbage......

Nintendo has issues with everyone but Nintendo. This is why everyone has just about abandoned support for Nintendo. EA is a mess. I honestly don't think they know what they want anymore, besides $$$$.

Has EA never heard of demos before?