Microsoft believes that EA Access will be a real “game-changer” for the Xbox One computer entertainment system.
The
recently announced subscription program from mega-publisher Electronic
Arts, currently in beta on the
Xbox One, will allegedly give Microsoft’s
next-gen console a leg up its competition, the
PlayStation 4."That was announced last week as well and is very much a game-changer," Xbox evangelist Jeff Rubenstein said during the latest
podcast from Major Nelson.
EA
Access lets you play any games in The Vault (only four for now) for as
long as your sub is active. In addition to this, you also get a 10
percent discount on EA digital games and content, which basically means
that the sub will pay for itself, if you’re a fan of their titles.
Furthermore,
Rubinstein also pointed out the fact that EA Access membership will
also net you early access to EA games ahead of their launch, which is
said to include “at least two hours of gameplay,” and what’s more is
that pretty much every upcoming
EA title will be available, according to
him.
The official
EA Access FAQ states that early access for
upcoming titles will vary from game to game, with some games offering a
single game mode available for a limited time, while others allowing you
access to the full version, again for a limited time.
Another
interesting bit is that your progress will be saved, which means that if
you decide to buy the game you were taking for a spin, you’ll be able
to continue where you left off, once the game is released.
The
limitations on the
EA Access trial for upcoming games are not set in
stone yet, and each trial will most likely be different in the amount of
time and type of access granted, on a game-to-game basis.
The feature is currently undergoing beta testing on the Xbox One, but a public release date announcement is bound to come soon.
EA
Access will only be available on
the Xbox One gaming system, as
Sony
already expressed its opinion that it wouldn’t bring a good enough
experience for its users, on par with the value that its users are
accustomed to, and so it’s not going to come to the PlayStation 4.
The
four games available for now are
Battlefield 4,
FIFA 14,
Madden NFL 25
and
Peggle 2, but more will be added in the future, including triple-A
titles, but for now the company is trying to figure out the specifics of
which games to add to the service.
