EA Access On Xbox One Is a "Game-Changer," Microsoft Says
Xbox evangelist Jeff Rubenstein praises the recently announced subscription program.
EA Access, the recently announced Xbox One subscription program from Battlefield and Mass Effect publisher Electronic Arts, is a "game-changer," according to Microsoft.
"That was announced last week as well and is very much a game-changer," senior Xbox evangelist Jeff Rubenstein said during Major Nelson's latest podcast.
An EA Access subscription is $5/month or $30/year and lets you play any game in "The Vault" for as long as your subscription is active. You also get a 10 percent discount on EA digital games and content, as well as access to upcoming games five days before they are released. Rubenstein also shed some additional light on this last point during the podcast, saying that early access to upcoming EA games will offer "at least two hours" of gameplay. In addition, he said he thinks "pretty much every [upcoming EA] game" will be available to play ahead of time if you're a subscriber.
According to the official EA Access FAQ, early access for upcoming EA games will vary by game. For some games, you'll be able to play one mode for a limited time, while other games will allow you to play a full version for a limited time. In all cases, if you decide to buy the game when it is released, your progress will be saved, allowing you to pick up where you left off.
When asked for greater clarity on the limitations for EA Access trial games, an EA representative told GameSpot, "Each EA Access trial will be different and the amount of time you have with each free trial will differ depending on the game."
EA Access is currently in beta on Xbox One, with a public release date to be announced soon. As for why EA Access is only available on Xbox One and not PlayStation 4, Sony said last week that it did not think the service offered the kind of value PlayStation fans have come to expect.
The first four games confirmed for The Vault are FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, Peggle 2, and Battlefield 4. More will be added in the future, and might includes titles like EA Sports UFC, Need for Speed Rivals, and Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, if box art featured on the EA Access website is anything to go on. Earlier this week, EA COO Peter Moore promised that the company will not remove games from The Vault.
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