Sony Declines EA Access Program and Misses Big Opportunity

SheAttack: Sony says "No" to EA Access program. Xbox One benefits! Erica of SheAttack discusses why Sony missed a big opportunity and why they can't fool us with the excuses!

[Aldous_Snow]

Not PS4 confirmed :(

[Angels3785]

By choice...

Also this is EA we're talking about here...E-A
It seems MANY Microsoft fans have forgotten which company wins the WORST OF THE WORST every year. But because they "picked" Microsoft over Sony (In reality that is not what happened...Sony declined as stated above^) they are now on the MS fans "team" so that makes them ok...

Man trying to follow and explain that logic is making me dizzy.

[Neonridr]

EA still sucks as a company, but as a PS owner, I would have at least liked the chance to decide if EA Access was for me or not.

Now, thanks to Sony, I don't have that opportunity.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

EA approached both companies of their service but Sony declined. And yes we know why they did it.

While in this particular case MS was open to the idea and are supporting it.

This only strengthens MS and EA's relationship further just because Sony wanted nothing to do with the service.

As a hardcore gamer and customer this could only mean games for that platform realistically.

With that said I think the service will end up on PS4 in the future regardless.

[Wizard_King]

>EA access launches

>Sony drops prices on all EA games with PS+ to 20% below EA access prices

>EA access dies or lives on in as a cancerous lump slowly killing XB1 from the inside

>gamers with half a brain avoid or sell their XB1's and buy a PS4

I stopped buying EA games after BF3 anyway so no big deal even if EA dropped Sony support fully, this would only lead to EA games getting more and more expensive on the XB1 with no competition.

If this crap catches on expect ever publisher to floow suit then you can pay $30 a year for all of them.

I don't play updates, I don't play features, I don't play apps, I don't sit there and play with the UI and think "wow this is great, what a fun UI".

I play games. Said games look better on the PS4, the hardware is better, it can hit higher resolutions, framerates and have better effects more often. You can upgrade the PS4 software (although I don't really care) but you are stuck with the xbone hardware.

1080p IS a selling point, my TV is 1080p, not 792p or 900p and upscaling and related artifacts and aliasing look like crap.

Personally I wish Sony would NOT bloat up the PS4 with crApps and "features" that I won't use and will just take memory and power away from game use. Let the A.D.D. xboners "snapp apps" in between playing their low res choppy games. I will stick with my PC as primary gaming machine and PS4 as my primary and only console.

I don't play updates, I don't play features, I don't play apps, I don't sit there and play with the UI and think "wow this is great, what a fun UI".

I play games. Said games look better on the PS4, the hardware is better, it can hit higher resolutions, framerates and have better effects more often. You can upgrade the PS4 software (although I don't really care) but you are stuck with the xbone hardware.

1080p IS a selling point, my TV is 1080p, not 792p or 900p and upscaling and related artifacts and aliasing look like crap.

Personally I wish Sony would NOT bloat up the PS4 with crApps and "features" that I won't use and will just take memory and power away from game use. Let the A.D.D. xboners "snapp apps" in between playing their low res choppy games, I will stick to the best console gaming experience.

And if this catches on expect all those dodgy publishers to do the same thing. Then you can pay $30 a year to each publisher to "access" (lol) their games.

One for EA
One for Ubi
One for Atci
One for MS Studios
and so on

And the XB1 just keeps on bleeding the dumb while they smile and think its a good thing.

SMH

[DonFreezer]

Shut your mouth.EA sells to the masses and those who have voted are delusional hardcore ps fanboys not the masses who get their gaqmes on pc , ps and xbox and just want to play Fifa and Sims.

[Gazondaily]

@Angels

"But because they "picked" Microsoft over Sony (In reality that is not what happened...Sony declined as stated above^) they are now on the MS fans "team" so that makes them ok... "

Seriously, what kind of nonsense are you spewing. What makes you think you are equipped to tar all 'Microsoft fans' in the same brush?

"Man trying to follow and explain that logic is making me dizzy."

What logic? There is none; just a sensationalist sweeping statement with no substance.

If you want to know about logic, here is something. Signing up to the EA access program is voluntary. NO ONE is forcing you to get it. But it gives those players, who ACTUALLY PLAY GAMES (and EA games) instead of just playing politics on internet forums, OPTIONS.

So no...what's probably getting you dizzy is the desperate attempt to downplay this from you due to whatever insecurity you have about the service.

Its a service, that offers gamers something if they CHOOSE to sign up. Xbox gamers have that option. People on PlayStation don't.

Simple as that.

[user5669510]

You really think other publishers isn't going to do the same thing. Like I said many times before be prepared because this gen is going to get ugly. Why wouldn't they the see everyone else making money
Look at steam. When publishers saw how much cable was making they made their own store. I bet its going to end up as a app to launch the service on xbone. Other pubs is going to approach both of them. PS+ and psnow is only going to have exclusives. Why should they let Sony and ms rep the benefits of their games when they can do the same. They lost with the online access for each game for mp last gen this is their next move.

I also find it funny how people on this site always brought up accessibility and choice when it comes to consoles. Well this proved yet another point y'all are not in control of anything. The console makers choose for you.BC is gone now your buying remakes. No more free mp now if you Dont sub you brought half a game. Now this. Be prepared its only going to get worst. they noticed that all y'all pay attention to was the dumb console war and comparisons with exclusives. They seen how last gen was and now they know how to give y'all a bone. After da makes money off this the others will follow then Sony will let them do what they please. They re not going to decline if all pubs do it.

[700p]

@angels and EA has some of the best franchises out there.
@wizard your fanboy is showing.

[Pogmathoin]

Wizard_king..... sounds like the name only an 8 year old Cartman could come up with.... you basically insulted anyone who does not share your elite ideas.

[FarEastOrient]

Why the praise of EA Access? We should be asking for Netflix style gaming subscription. Not a series of walled gardens in which EA is trying to create.

[marlinfan10]

you guys keep telling yourself its a bad deal. maybe youll eventually believe it. me on the other hand, ill pay 5$ every few months and get to play whatever new games are added to the vault as much as i want. then if i time it right and do it when a ea games releasing, i get the 10% off and save more money than i spent on the months subscription. man that sounds like such a bad deal! id much rather be stuck paying my ps now prices where i get 4 hrs with ONE game for the same price, no discount, no nothing. this subscription might even help get those terrible prices down.

[Darkstares]

Hilarious, people are fighting over an OPTION only available on one platform. The real question is why? I can understand PS4 owners getting upset about not having the choice but why should there be any fighting with one another?

EA and Microsoft are testing the waters to see if there is a demand for this. What's the problem? Consumers will DECIDE if they like it or not. Again what's the problem? EA games are still coming to the PS4 and other platforms. You can still buy Madden and Mass Effect. So why are so many arguing, am I missing something here? Like I said, the only people who should be upset are those who want to try it out and cannot.

[Gamingcapacity]

EA Access conflicts with Sony's PS+ service (which by the way has EA games on).

People can argue that one is better than the other but Sony thinks it will have a negative impact on PS+ so it makes good business sense.

Don't get this confused by comparing EA Access with PS Now though. PS Now is a whole new different service.

[2cents]

Regardless of what people think of EA, they still make games people want to play.

Bottom line, Sony 'chose' to deny the 'choice' to gamers. That's not very customer-centric.

Sony have too many services of their own they are tring to develop and push, just like MS.

The difference here is that there will be an option to xbox gamers for a pay to play service from EA, that Sony gamers will not have a choice in using even if they did see value in the proposition.

Hmmmm, I'm not so sure this is a good decision. No matter how you look at it, its always better to have a choice.

[xDHAV0K24x]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAND once Titanfall hits the ps4 u will all love EA again. Stop it.

[Kidmyst]

If gamers start paying $30 a year to play older EA games, next could come Square, Activision, Ubisoft, SEGA, and others doing a similar thing. Sony seems to be avoiding this by giving gamers the same assortment but under one price point. How it will all pan out in the future will decide, but gamers supported DLC and Micro transactions so if we keep opening our wallets easily it will get worse for us. The EA service doesn't entice me and I don't think some are ready it closely. Does anyone honestly think EA will let you play Madden 2015, UFC 2015, and more brand new unlimited play for $2.50 a month ($30/12)? When you pre-order through the service you'll get early access, otherwise you can play games in the vault which are last years games.

[Angels3785]

@Septic

If you bothered reading I did NOT say "all Xbox fans"

But rather

"MANY XBOX fans"

Stop trying to play the victimization card. I was merely observing something I noticed in SOME of the fans I encountered.

It seems even when I bold words...people still don't notice them.
I have no right to profile an ENTIRE group of people (which is not what I did), but I do have a right to group people I notice saying and doing similar things.

Kinda like how I wouldn't say "all Brazilians play soccer" (because that is simply not always true), but if I saw a group of them doing it...or MANY of them doing it, I would say "Those Brazilians play soccer" or "MANY Brazilians play soccer."

[DragonKnight]

This is EA we're talking about here. How many GOOD EA games come out in a year? 1 maybe 2? How many FUNCTIONING and good EA games come out in a year? Even people who love sports games complain how little changes with each iteration, so this is no loss.

Eric Kain from Forbes said it best about this subject, but I'm going to elaborate on something neither Kain, nor Erica are talking about.

EA Access, in so much as it is a subscription plan that other publisher WILL mimic if successful, undermines both PS+ and Games with Gold.

Right now, PS+ and GwG are two services that offer a catalog of games from different studios, first and third party, which prevents shady pricing systems and fosters competition via deals, free offerings, etc...

If EA Access succeeds, there's no reason to have PS+ or GwG when Ubisoft, Activision, Capcom, etc.. etc... etc.... decide to have their own subscription services adding on to the PS+ and Live subscription fees.

Having no one to corral these publishers because all they need to do is give a cut to the platform holders, the publishers will be able to price games with impunity, and offer the most ridiculously old or unpopular games first, or even delay releases for non-subscribers to allow subscribers the chance to play it first.

Sony and MS both have their early access systems in place, but they are by and large for demo purposes and NOT full game releases, what would there be to stop EA from allowing EA Access subscribers getting the game a week before non-subscribers? What could Sony or Microsoft do to stop it so long as they're getting their cut and everyone else is still getting the game? Nothing.

EA Access is the beginning of subscription services completely undermining the core subscription services that each platform holder has already in place, and has the potential to affect available games. Sony is smart not to get involved with a service that would undermine their own. Microsoft has just signed on to give themselves a lot of headaches.

[assdan]

If sony would have accepted, the same people criticizing them would have said "sony buys in to EA cash grab."

[CuddlyREDRUM]

Compared to Sony putting up 80 pieces of DLC for Last Of Us Remastered before it was released?

[Visiblemarc]

Yeah, Sony missed out on an opportunity...

...to let EA eat their lunch.

Imo, good job Sony.

[mixolydian_id]

This year MS and EA went out in the first round.

It seems it's mobile phone companies that're getting a spanking.

Just remember that the busiest posts on here can rack up 400 comments.

Say there's 2 million console gamers out there.

That's only 0.0002% of the gaming population that give enough of a toss to get on nag and state their opinion

All the figures are far from precise, but you get the picture

[VegasDawg]

You must be dizzy, I hate EA as much as the next guy.But you know what? That don't change the fact they put out some of the best games on the market.

You see this is what fanBOYs get for following a company blindly. Sony is now making decisions for you. Must feel great to not have to think for yourself. It's only an option, just because you feel this way don't make it so for everybody, this is a huge loss no matter how you put it. You defending them for making decisions for you is very silly. Here is a little hint for you Sony is lying through their teeth they don't want competition with PlayStation now and if they keep pushing EA away, our PS4's just might tank. I mean how does a gamer not want more games or at least the option? Dizzy you said it first.
Remember this, casuals make the market and they don't think like hard core gamers, they only see the games.

[k3rn3ll]

I think its more sony wanted ea games on PSNow. But ea didnt like the idea of people renting their games for a weekend and then going and buying a used version. So they proposed to Sony and they said no. So it actuality it should "Ea turns down PSnow." Frankly I cant blame them. Everyone complains about EA sports titles being $60 roster updates every year. Well those people should feel satisfied now right? If thats the case you'd be fine play a 9 month old sports title? But the no the internet will never go 've them credit for it. We will focus on how superior Sony is with their way of deciding for us. Thank god I have upper management on the other side of the world to decide what I like. Now their will be a whole lot less EA games on Now if any at all. Thanks Sony. Your right $2.99 for 4 hours of a ps3 game is better than $2.50 for a month of 3 AAA 9 months old games and pebble along with % 10 off all future purchases for choosing to go digital. Id be lost without Sony. Good thing I dont buy 3+ EA games a year. Oh wait I do. Fuck me

[MrBeatdown]

@Neonridr

"EA still sucks as a company, but as a PS owner, I would have at least liked the chance to decide if EA Access was for me or not.

Now, thanks to Sony, I don't have that opportunity."

Thanks to Sony, EA doesn't have the opportunity to opt to offer their games on their own service, rather than PS+, which you're most likely already paying for.

Those in favor of having a choice aren't seeing the bigger picture. In the past year or so, we've gotten Battlefield 3, Kingdoms of Amalur, Dead Space 3, and next month, Crysis 3. That's four EA games, which are ours to keep for as long as we have a Plus subscription, compared to EA Access, which only allows you to PLAY the games as long as EA continues to offer them.

Let's say EA launched EA Access on PS3 a few years back, and think about how that would affected Plus in the last year. Do you think EA would have allowed their games to be free on Plus, if they were trying to promote their own games service? Of course not. They'd be completely undermining the value of EA Access.

Now, if EA is allowed to have their subscription, so too is every other publisher. Just like what happened with the online pass.

Capcom sees EA doing this, and creates their version of the service. Do you think they'd offer Dragon's Dogma, Remember Me, Resident Evil, and DMC with Plus, or their own subscription package? Nope.

Then Square Enix does it. No Hitman, Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, or Sleeping Dogs for Plus.

Then 2K does it. No Borderlands 2, BioShock Infinite, or XCOM.

All because publishers wanted to cash in on their own subscription.

Where does that leave Plus? It leaves Plus subscribers with whatever Sony can come up with to fill the void, and you're not going to easily fill a void left by those fifteen AAA games, when only a few remaining publishers will even consider offering their games through Plus.

Just EA having their own service isn't going to have that drastic of an effect. But it paves the way for it.

Whether or not that affects us doesn't come down to choice. It affects us no matter what we choose... we either pay more for multiple subscriptions, or we just stick with our existing Plus subscription, which is worth less than ever. I don't want either, but if Sony were to allow these publisher subscriptions to become a thing, I'm forced to choose between two crappy options that are nowhere near as great as what we got before. Sony's right. That's not a good value for us. It might not be a choice we get to make, but it's in our best interest.

And that's before we even get into publishers locking all discounts and demos for their games behind their subscriptions.

[4Sh0w]

@DragonKnight
"EA Access, in so much as it is a subscription plan that other publisher WILL mimic if successful, undermines both PS+ and Games with Gold."

-Uhm if successful that means consumers liked the value in this "subscription plan". So your logic doesn't make sense, from a consumer/gamer perspective. I mean how can it be bad if 1 publisher offering a good deal means that other publishers will offer you a good deal(maybe better)? Sure it could add up but having more options doesn't mean you are forced at gunpoint to subscribe to ALL OF THEM= No that just means you are spoiled with an abundance of choices= The consumer wins, just like all the options for services on pc and in general everyday retail services, nobody pays for every service just because somebody is selling it. Lol, no just pick which 1, or 2, or 3 you like, then buy games from other publishers you don't subscribe to the same way you do now. If these pubs are going to start offering "shady" deals to consumers wouldn't that just mean most gamers would gravitate toward only using sonys ps+/ps Now or micros GwG because ps Now pricing is so much better right?

Eric Kain from Forbes logic has been heavily criticized on Forbes as nothing more than silly excuses, which you've seem to bought into. If you personally don't want the service that's fine but your reasoning sounds like you work at Sony rather than being a gamer looking for MORE options. Why should we care that other publishers offerings will undermine sony PS+ or games with gold offerings, NO that just means both will have to make changes to compete for our money and again its not like any 1 gamer NEEDS to subscribe to every pubs deal, lol all pubs will be still be selling all games in stores for a very long time.

[Christopher]

Everything Neonridr said in his first comment above.

[AndrewLB]

Neonridr- Sony made the decision based on what most benefits you as a gamer because they care about their customers. Remember this next time you think about questioning their motives. It's all about you Neo. Sony is your friend.

[truefan1]

So I guess sony is just doing a lot of passing this gen, passed on Titanfall, Sunset Overdrive, and now EA Access, what's next? Also for consecutive E3's in 2013 & 2014 sony ridiculed MSFT for not giving gamers a choice, but now they know everyone's financial situation to determine their level of value. Not to mention psnow prices are ridiculous, and yet they that's good value.

Sony should just be honest an tell everyone it conflicts with psnow, because saying ps+ is stupid when xbox has the same thing in xbl. They both require online for gameplay and both give free games, except I get to download and keep my XB1 games. Sony released a terrible spin statement, that is already backfiring. What are they going to do, if ps4 fans really start demanding for EA Access to be on ps4.

[ziggurcat]

@truefan:

1. please point to an article where Sony passed on titanfall, and/or sunset overdrive.

2. PSNow prices aren't set yet.

[Axios2]

100% agree, it conflicts with Sony's own service, and frankly, it spanks PS now:

$5 for 4 hour, compared to
$5 for 4 games

@ Ziggurcat:

http://www.vg247.com/2013/0...

http://www.eurogamer.net/ar...

@ Zuggercat, nice try, quotes from the articles:

"He said he personally spoke to both Sony and Microsoft about the problem."

“Microsoft realized that player-hosted servers are actually holding back online gaming and that this is something that they could help solve, and ran full-speed with this idea,” he said.

"Sony wanted Titanfall developer Respawn to work on Vita"

[ziggurcat]

@axios:

1. EA Access isn't an online streaming service, so it doesn't conflict with PSNow. That, and PSNow is not limited to just one publisher.

2. neither of those articles say anything about sony passing on titanfall. nice try, though.

edit - the other thing is: titanfall was a timed exclusive until MS threw money at EA to keep it on MS platforms.

[Bigpappy]

Sony is between a rock and a Hard place with this one. They paid a lot of money for that streaming service, with a plan of getting the fanbase to pay it all back. Now here comes EA with a plan to that offers more for less on their titles. They are trying to fight this. But they need to be careful not to rub EA the wrong way, as EA has the power to tilt the balance.

@ziggurcat: True fan is not making that up. Respawn said that they when to Sony and M$ with Titan Falls and asked for server support. Sony declined and M$ stepped up. That is how MY secured exclusivity. The developer for Sunset Overdrive stated that Sony did not support that game idea so they took it to M$.

[TheSaint]

You know I see you more on Sony articles than Xbox, I wonder why that is?

[Jsoc]

You don't keep your games on games with gold on XBox one it's just like PS Plus.... You only keep them on x360...

[nirwanda]

Well i think sony did it for other reasons if you let one dev have an advantage then sales from other devs suffer.
So what you lose from not having a subscription service you may gain in more exclusives from other devs.

[chrisarsenalsavart]

@trollfan1
Trolley trolley trolley
troll, troll, troll

[KingofGambling]

Quick question, is your pride still with you?

[DragonKnight]

How many idiots are going to compare EA Access to PS Now when the two services are NOTHING alike? EA Access is not a game streaming service, it's a game rental/early access service akin to Games with Gold or PS+ but with SUBSTANTIALLY LESS to offer.

PS Now is a game streaming service. STOP COMPARING TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SERVICES TO EACH OTHER!

[VegasDawg]

I find is funny how your just saying an opinion mixed with FACTS and people calling you a troll.

FanBOYs are nothing more than little boys crying, trying to have a conversation on this site is almost impossible.

[Christopher]

1. Sony didn't pass on Titanfall and Sunset Overdrive, they just didn't see eye-to-eye with what the developers wanted initially and MS was a better fit. That's not passing on, that's losing.

2. I agree, Sony should have given gamers the choice here. I said it before, but I think the reason for denying it is twofold: a) infrastructure work to get it done is more work than they can deal with right now and b) they don't want competing elements to PS+/PSNow. I don't think it was just one thing, though.

3. Microsoft is in a position now where they can't be as arrogant as they used to be. Sides have swapped from last generation to now. Microsoft has given up their paywalls, they've bent over backwards for Indies, they've done tons of 180s. All of that isn't because they want gamers to have more options, it's all because they need to do as much as they can to influence people to their console. Sony is in the position MS was last generation and a bit of that arrogance is coming out. Same as how MS never removed the paywall for apps last generation because they didn't have to.

4. If EA Access takes off, I'm sure Sony will add it eventually. Competition is what makes things thrive in the industry and Sony has to remain competitive no matter what. They don't have the funds that MS has.

5. I'm not going to demand for EA Access to be on PS4 personally because I wouldn't use it in the first place. But, if you honestly own a PS4 and want it, then I would highly suggest letting Sony know.

6. Sadly, this will be yet more fodder in the console wars. I expect to see tons of people who don't actually own the PS4 (or the XBO) start posting how Sony doesn't have EA Access as some reason why the XBO is superior or some nonsense. Yay for more fanboy fuel!

[showtimefolks]

just like how sony declined the offer for titanfall on ps4 and xbox fanboys overreacted by calling it a must buy/system seller. Let's not jump the gun again, let's wait till the service launches

what EA is promising is too good to be true,

[Magicite]

After what EA have done to dead space, battlefield, simcity, dragon age and many more great franchises, I cant care less about them.

[MysticStrummer]

The drama never stops around here. When this story first broke I thought EA Access was a deal that EA made with MS and that Sony had nothing to do with it. Reality is that Sony could have done the same thing, and they still could if they want to. Personally I won't pay extra subs on top of PS+, and that includes PS Now, so I wouldn't sign up for this anyway.

[ITPython]

This EA access thing is only going to make the DLC/subscription based platform much much worse.

What if Activision decides to do this.. then Ubisoft, then... you get my point. And what if they start preventing Sony from having EA sales in the PS Store because it conflicts with their own sales? Or what if they prevent Sony from offering their games in PS+ because they don't want the competition?

Now here's another big what if, what if they start locking DLC and other downloadable content for their games behind this additional subscription? So even if you get some free DLC for preordering, you would need to pay their subscription fee's to access that content. And imagine these subscriptions being required to play their games online.

I could go on and on about what can go very wrong with what EA could do with this, and it needs to be stopped. Because if they succeed all content and online gaming access in EA games could be locked behind this paywall, and if other publishers follow suit we could be heading down a very dark road where there is no turning back (like DLC, micro-transactions etc).

$5 a month doesn't sound bad up front... but just imagine having dozens of theses subscriptions for each game that has a different publisher... just because you want to play those games online or get access to their DLC. Pretty soon that $5 a month turns into $60 a month or more.

[Christopher]

***Now here's another big what if, what if they start locking DLC and other downloadable content for their games behind this additional subscription? ***

I actually see this happening and is my only worry with it right now. EA is king of putting DLC in so many spots. But, with their own plan on a console, I can totally see content being held hostage for just those who are EA Access subscribers.

This can only make the issue of DLC worse in the long run and no matter how much we gamers complain about DLC, the public still eats it up and keeps spending money on it where they can even if it's done in the wrong way.

[Traceskipper]

I buy tons of games ... too many really. I'm buying one EA game this year - Dragon Age 3. So whatever EA. I dont really care what you bring. I personally like the options I get from PS+. Lots of different games from different developers every month - some free, some discounted. And now I'm waiting for my iphone subscription to end so i can get a sony smartphone and get in the playstation now. Yes I am a Sony customer, and a good one.

[MorePowerOfGreen]

I was waiting for the BS articles about how Sony rejected the supposed offering. There is no proof EA ever went to Sony. Why would Sony reject a plan like this offering new games vs their own services offing old games with a rip off pay system, when the competition will have EA Access?

So the damage control begins followed by attack. That website has spun the context of that Sony statement. Sony was saying they took a look at the offering after it was announced and said it was nothing their fans would want anyways, as a response to the reveal, not a insight of prior dealings.

The statement from Sony was just salty knee jerk PR damage control response due to being sucker punched/surprised and was not a business move made prior to the announcement.

EDIT

If I was wrong Sony would know many gamers are upset and would be releasing statements until their fanbase calmed down talking about in detail why they turned this down. Sony would also be reassuring developers they have an answer for this that matches the EAA service with new games.

Some guy ran across another guy with some Email LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Thatguy-310]

I'm pretty sure the service could go against ps now so to avoid that they simply didn't want it. Sony wants the Playstation brand to have its own ecosystem that allows players to interact between the subscriptions from each Sony device.

[Tempest317]

Can you please explain to me how this can go against psnow?

[TheFanboySlayer]

PS now allows you to stream old ps4/ps3 and maybe ps2/ps1 games....EA Access allows you to download old EA titles and get new titles at a discounted price. It also gives you the option to purchase early access content.

Since they both allow you to play both old EA games there will be competition

[Angels3785]

Actually there is a great deal of proof that sony was approached by them....I can think of at least 3 articles already...including this one if you bothered reading it.

Plus by your logic...Sony is ripping people off with an expensive service right? Companies are out to make money...what better way that to eliminate the competition. EA Access would be a conflict of interest. So Sony would be free to force ONLY their service.

Regardless PSNOW and PLUS are still better values than EA Access...its EA vs the rest of the industry. Heck last time I checked NOW is suppose to have EA titles...

[Deadpoolio]

It amazes me how the idiot Xbots used to go on and on about screw EA and EA are the worst company ever and, I can't wait till they go under..

Yet now suddenly they talk about EA and Access being the greatest thing ever and it's going to be amazing to have access to those 4 EA games on X1, that service is only worth it if you still have a 360...Even then your not going to get Madden 15 in 2015 more like 15 in 2017 just like all their other titles...

Not sure why knowing it's EA anyone seems to think access is going to offer new versions of games through the service right away...

People also seem to be missing that all of those EA games will not have online capabilities period confirmed by EA, so they can have all the fun they want playing Madden 11 or 2012 solo offline

[700p]

EA has you butthurt lmao

[ziggurcat]

@MPoG:

"Why would Sony reject a plan like this offering new games vs their own services offing old games with a rip off pay system, when the competition will have EA Access?"

.. uh... because it's an *extra* subscription fee, and it's limited to just EA.

[Aceman18]

exactly why would i pay $30 a year just to play some old EA games when i could just wait for the release of the new versions of their franchises on the system.

plus their sports games suck now since they have no one to fight against in the market. also EA only has 2 franchises that i care about NFS and Burnout there's no reason for to bother with this service when i could just get those games for cheap on PS, Nintendo, or MS systems by themselves.

[XiSasukeUchiha]

@MPOG

Dude you're delusional as heck bro, it makes me want to put you in Infinte Tsyumoki!

[imt558]

I'm pretty sure when EA saw PS family shipped numbers, they cry. A LOT!

[VegasDawg]

WOW, Sony has you in a bubble, your comments are not realistic. Why would EA turn down more money? Answer: They wont.

[ATi_Elite]

EA Access would bump heads with PSN+ by forcing gamers to YET again pay for something they already have.

I see EA access as MS/EA making this deal themselves and laughing evilly and while doing it.

[SuperBlur]

Im torn between , Im glad sony refused such service because i dont want other studios to follow suit , on the other hand they are denying choices to their own consumers ..

In other news , EA still has one other sub service to announce concerning PC , there are evidence of a premium membership for Sims 4 , will it be for that game alone or for Origin as a whole , idk but it's still worth monitoring hehe

[AndrewLB]

Subscription service on PC? EA already has an online service for games, it's called Origin. And prices on origin are so good, there truly is no need for such a thing. The only other service that that competes is Steam, which is fantastic.

Also, Origin has "Game Time" where they give you 2-3 days to play for free two games they select. Last month was Titanfall and some other game. And it didn't cost me a dime.

[MrBeatdown]

Exactly.

In the past year, PS+ got Battlefield 3 (woo, free Battlefield!!!!), Dead Space 3, Kingdoms of Amalur, and starting next week, Crysis 3.

PS+ got four EA games free.

Now people are bitching because Sony won't let them pay EA $30 more to get four games free we would probably could have gotten through PS+ anyway.

Anybody want to buy some magic beans? Only $100. If you sign up for the MrBeatdown Savers Club for the low, low price of $20, I'll sell you the magic beans for 10% off.

[THC CELL]

Ps now 1 payment or rent payments whatever u choose a vs
EA started 30 a yr
Activision 30 a yr next
Ubisoft 30 a yr
343 studio 30 yr
Ms studio 30 yr

Glad u don't need xbox live but who plays single player EA games these days

So on so on

[Master-H]

It would be nice to have the option for who's interested i guess, it's not for me tho, i rarely buy EA games, and when i do i make sure they're used copies, i don't buy any sports games, i don't like Battlefield, especially the way it became these last few years, i'm interested in Dragon Age 3, but i can get that second party no problem, i've never played the Mass Effect games but i own the second one in the series (used copy lol) planning to play it sometime soon, Dead Space is as good as done ,and they've burned the NFS franchise to the ground, the last good one being Hot Pursuit.

So this EA access thing doesn't present any value for ME at least.

[Ggame]

WHAT ?
Why do you think Sony is doing worst and missing opportunity?
Letting EA Access doing this thing, if it works, could open the door for other publishers do the same thing. So, what will be happening to overall gaming industry if every publisher opens the service on-top to platform holders which already requires subscription. What would consumers or gamers have to do? Paying more, right?

I don't think this move by Sony is worst at all.
At least even it safes for its business, but as well gamers in effect.

[RatchetandClank]

I really think this a good deal for the moment but, I feel if this becomes successful then every big publisher is going to want to do this too. That i think could be a very bad thing for the gaming industry. That is just my opinion on it.

[Farmassy]

Why is it bad if a lot of publishers follow this idea? Even if there were 6 different possible subscription services, I would just choose the 1 (maybe 2) that I wanted and not use the others. You don't HAVE to have this service. If you don't have it, it changes nothing. You are not penalized for not being a member of the service, you can still buy the games just like you did before.

I would just pick the publisher that makes the most games that I enjoy?

What is bad about having the option of this service? or having the option of using 10 services like this?

Don't see the negative

[IndoAssassin]

If you like everything EA makes, then this is an awesome deal. But there's only 2 games I'm looking forward to in the next 4 years, so this is a shit deal for me.

[Ggame]

Fifa 15, Fifa 16, Fifa 17, Fifa 18 ...early access demo !!!

[chrisarsenalsavart]

I m a fifa fan and there s no way I gonna wait 8 months to play it for free or pay 30 a year for 10% off. The games always cost more online than in shops so unless u re lazy and u can't move u re butt, it s pretty much guaranty u 'll get it cheaper there.
(ex:fifa14 £55 psn price/£49 adds and Tesco)

[quenomamen]

Oooh no I was looking forward to the same damn Madden an FIFA games for the next 20 years what shall I do !!! This is just another way to make a buck by the top two geeediest companies in the world period. You morons think they doing this to make gamers happy ? Hows it like living in ignorance ? Heard it was bliss.

[Barnaby-Jones]

Well I'm happy, I can pay $5 bucks for 1 month and get 4 games I'm interested in but never bought. Along with early access to future EA games and 10% discount. Sound cool at least for now.

@chris
Majority of the time I buy my games on day one so this discount is cool for me. Also I don't resell my games after I'm done.

[chrisarsenalsavart]

Early access ok!
10% off psn/XBL prices? Lol

[cabbitwithscissors]

Seriously, early access ? What is this ? EA sounds like a drug pusher and gamers who say this is good sound like drug addicts. Can't wait a few months to play ? Seriously guys, get some help. It's a fucking game, not a life saving drug. Also, 10% discount ? Wait another 2 months or so later and you'd get that 10% or more for free from the shops.

Some of the gamers here are mental.

[meatysausage]

I probably wont get the service but it does seem to be a decent value for casuals who want a bit of sport and a shooter etc. Im assuming sony didnt approve because of PS NOW, as its kind of a conflicting service. Still, the value is much better on EA's behalf as PS Now has some ridiculous rental prices, so far that I have seen.

[Manubiggs]

EA access sounds like a better deal than PS Now. Sony don't let your recent success get to your head.

[asmith2306]

That depends. Like most Sony related things, PS Now will probably take years to evolve into an accepted service, same way PS+ did; and that ended up sky rocketing. If Sony can offer even half of their PS1/2/3 back catalog and make the connection smooth it will be an awesome service.

[riverstars86]

PS+ skyrocketed because it's required to play online multiplayer. PS Now won't see the same success as PS+.

[asmith2306]

@riverstars that is bull. PS+ was extremely popular well before it was required to play some online games.

[riverstars86]

Do you really believe that PS+ would have a 200% increase to its userbase if online multiplayer were free on PS4? I'm not saying that PS+ wasn't a success before PS4, but come on now....

[asmith2306]

"I'm not saying that PS+ wasn't a success before PS4" - well done, you won my argument for me.

[riverstars86]

Smh....

[JasonKCK]

$2.99 for 4 hrs vs $5.00 for one month.

Hmmm... Only on N4Gaf would anyone say Sony's service has better value.

[Adolph Fitler]

This is NOT worth the fanboy arguments... I'm just surprised EA did this, before Cashcom....the masters of nickel & diming. Anyway, some service from EA won't stop me from buying ALL my EA games on my PS4, & it also is no counter to having PS4/Wii-U combo...

MS needs all the selling points it can get...... And the casuals (the only ones that matter), will not stand for paying extra money on an invisible item, they don't understand... They will however, understand when people say, PS4 is more powerful, has masses of games that lighten the PS+ charge, & make it less of a burden...

I think MS needs a bunch more deals, that are more beneficial to casual gamers, & gamers like myself, that would prefer Mirror's Edge 2 in my collection, over Fifa 19, Madden 21, NHL 50, or any other realistic sports sim... I'd prefer near any genre, over the sports genre, & lets face it, sports & maybe racing, are the only 2 genres that this EA service would seem to be any good for IMHO.

[Funantic1]

I'd like to play Fight Night 3 and Champion, NBA Street Basketball, SSX, the old or some newer Battlefields, the old Medal of a Honors, and old 007 James Bond games. Give me those. But I think MS will cut more deals like this with other publishers. It'll be more than just EA eventually.

[paranoid1971]

You do realise the Xboxone is not backwards compatible? And this service is only for the xboxone which currently has 8 Ea games available for it. UFC, Madden, FIFA, titanfall, plants vs zombies, need for speed, NBA and battlefield 4. These are the only games "possibly" available for the Vault.

[asmith2306]

Funny how MS fans are now suddenly in love with EA. I personally don't find an association with EA as something to brag about. Anyways, I'm sure, SURE, that Sony didn't reject this option lightly. If it had of made business sense and would have made them money, they would definitely have taken it. In business there is no such thing as loyalty when a great opportunity for revenue is on the cards.

My own opinion is that I don't want another subscription. I have Live and PS+ already. Last thing I need is every publisher having their own services on the consoles. It would get out of hand. Two subscriptions, one per console, is fine by me.

[JeffGUNZ]

Who says they are in "love" with them? I think it's a good deal. I don't care about "giving it to the man" or any of the stuff people here talk about. I enjoy NHL series, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Titanfall, etc. I care more for the developers then the publishers. I think MS fans are just excited to play games for free for a year by paying $30 a year. Basically, $30 a year gives subscribers many games to play and enjoy that they may have been skeptical or picked other games over a game EA has. It's really not a bad deal at all if it's something that interests you.

[asmith2306]

My problem with it is why can't EA swing these games through Live, or PS+? Plenty of EA games have been on PS+ Instant Game Collection. Another $30 out of pocket for a subscription that could and should have been included in another service. That's my view of it anyway.

[chinlu]

Wow, you kids are mad

[Ninjamonkey82]

If you owned both systems like me you wouldn't sniff at EA access. But if you are just on xbox one then its maybe ok.

My issue is the game in the vault seem to be games that are at the end off there cycles in terms off there online season passes hence there no good.

Add to that you get early access to the new games FIFA15 etc with no mention whether these new games will just add themselves to the service are you will have to pay the digital price and use that 10% off then wait and see your game at the end off the year become free for those that didn't pay use.

Its a bit off a mess ask me anything atm. EA are gonna have to use there two hours very wisely to explain it because atm its a lot off opinions.

As I've noted in my previous post i use my x1 for exclusives only and my PS4 for third party this isn't favoritism its just where value for money has been atm.

Hence my collection atm is larger on the PS4. But besides that surely theres bigger things out there to be looking forward too than EA's milking systems :/.

I got quite a few good X1 games on my mind on the way Quantum Break the new Gears from black tusk studios, Halo 5 Forza Horizon 2, Sunset Overdrive, Hell i still like the looks off Project Spark ;).

I just can't be arsed with going this way with EA sitting them download times when i can just turn up to the shop and not waste my HD space on a full digital downloads if that's what they are planning for even if they have released the external HD's by then.

[Ninjamonkey82]

http://gyazo.com/897e6135c0...
http://gyazo.com/ea7e69ecb8...

Grainy pictures but hell to it ;) some people need to know that fanboys need a kick in the face some times -_-.

[RobLoPR]

Idont know why PS4 owners are upset... this helps them out a lot. When EA Access launches, PS4 might drop the price of its PS Now service... I got to admit that when i first heard of PS Now... I thought of buying the PS4 again... but then they anounced it would only bring before gen games and the prices they established were so high... I instantly lost interest.

[Spotie]

The two services are not comparable.

[Jamesx82x]

People are acting like EA Access is some amazing thing, you arent getting access to the latest EA titles for $5 a month or $30 a year your getting access to the older titles for that price.

Why do you think EA is offering 10% discount on their games with this service if they are offering up all the new games? Some people have no logic.

All this service is, is a way to sell DLC on older titles so when EA Cycles the titles in the vault and removes some of them you will then have to buy the game with that 10% discount to play the DLC you bought at 10% off. Read the Terms of Service people its all there.

[JeffGUNZ]

But brother, EA's Madden, Fifa, and BF still retail for full price at Gamestop and on Live. Right now they are free on EA Access. It's good for people who want to play a lot of games throughout the year but can buy all of them. It's a good service, the second coming, heck no. Yet, it's not a bad deal at $30 a year. As long as EA continues to add content to the vault, then it may be worth it to a lot of gamers.

[DualWielding]

I honestly doubt Sony rejected EA, that's what they are saying to save face, probably EA make a deal with Microsoft and Sony just learned about it yesterday along with the rest of us

[NeoGamer232]

Agreed. The question is "Why wouldn't they give consumers the choice to decide if it is valuable to them or not?".

These things are all about purchasing habits. If you are buying a lot of EA games and you are a near day one buyer this service obviously adds value with 10% off on every purchase.

Also, if you don't buy new games at all and just rely on the vault the service would be valuable.

The only way this service does not make sense is if you don't like the EA Sports games or completely rely on the used game market to always buy your games.

[MilkMan]

Its simply. ANY plan where I have to spend more cash out of pocket for demos and a seconds worth of "preview" time before it goes to the public is bullsh!t.
EA just doesn't make anything demanding of that kind of cash. These guys are constantly trying ways, schemes, ponzi pyramids, psychics, witchcraft, brujeria, Santeria, hypnosis, sexual assault, rape, murder....you name it...to try and get into your wallet. When all they need to do is make great games that people will want to keep and not trade in.

I don't know if you all remember but all this started because they (EA) needed a revenue stream due to the fact that Gamestop was cutting into their profits. Thats not the case any longer by their own admission.

http://www.gamesindustry.bi...

http://www.theguardian.com/...

These guys are just greedy bastards that want money, but produce garbage products. They haven't received the memo yet.

Stop feeding these guys and making excuses. $30 bucks is $30 bucks. Thats half towards a game you may actually like rather than giving it to these idiots. Stop playing with your money, I know the economy isn't that well. I work at a labor college.

So we can be posers, or we can tell these guys sorry, but The Sims has ALWAYS had toddlers in the game AND NOT AS DLC.
W.T.F!

[ger2396]

I just have one question, does this mean Xbox 1 is now backwards compatible with 360 games? Or is the vault only for Xbox 1 games?

[ramiuk1]

xbone only and u have to buy newer games.
UFC is £35 in uk for a copy that could be resold,yet the EA vault is £49

[AutoCad]

Wasnt SONY all about choices these past 2 years at E3?

Why the drastic change?

[MrBeatdown]

Choice has to have a point.

PS+ has gotten four AAA EA games in the past year or so.

Why pay EA $30 more now to get access to... four EA games?

[ramiuk1]

to the people thinking EA will make games on xbone only,you are stupid.
EA would not turn down PS4 sales,its fact that games are selling double on ps4.

I agree with Sony and i dont think it is good enough value.
One last thing is I would put money on it that when Ms decided to go with always online and DRM/checkins that EA was part of all of that decision.
Ms will accept anything offered to them at this point because they have to try everything to gain sales imo.

Ea vault is old games.
who plays fifa 14,when fifa 15 is out,same with NHL,MADDEN etc?? not many and the 10% discount is crap unless u already willing to be in the full digital era with no resale value.
each to there own but give me pysical were i can trade it in or give to a friend because i have the latest release of that game.

[MCTJim]

As I watch article after article unfold about how good or bad this is, I personally like the EA deal myself, who cares if other companies follow suit. You DONT have to buy that service...its a simple as that.

Sony said they dont want the service on PSN...why is that so hard to swallow? They say PS+ is a better offer. I think it would only enhance it myself, but this matter closed. Sony said no.

So EA/MS offers you a service that you do or do not have to buy. Its a win for those that own an X1. Matter closed

[D-riders]

Good that service looks like it sucks. You pay this fee for games that have tons of in game items and if you stop paying you loose all that. I'm good let the Xboners have that

[mrpsychoticstalker]

Sony should have just give gamers the choice, like everything they have been doing since the launch of the PS4. Why is this different? Give them the choice, do not decide for Millions of fans.

[Tzuno]

Ps plus brings them more money than this that's why :). you can bla bla bla now

[Ihatetrolls76]

All I'm seeing is a lot of butthurt and downplaying typical fanboy bs

[Angerfist]

Man this Deal spawned so much Jealousy and Hatred from PS Fanboys when they say they don't care and Sony made the right choice for them.
But Reality is this Deal is a good option for people who don't have much money and are happy with those Games.
And there will be some. And some will be happy with the early access feature.

[Petebloodyonion]

Here's a good comment from the page where the article was posted.
Pretty much says what I'm thinking.

----------------------------- ------------------
"No idea why people keep saying EA Access costs $5 a month. No one will be paying that amount unless you are the world's largest idiot. You don't pay for things in installments at a higher price unless you have to do so.

EA Access is only $30 a year and if you can't pony that up outright, you shouldn't be playing games...hell you shouldn't even be reading about games. You should be re-evaluating your life because you've failed. At $30 a year, the real cost of EA Access is $2.50 a month.

$2.50 (the cost of a damn cup of coffee) is what 90% of EA Access subscribers will be paying (yes we have to make a 10% allowance for the dummies). So here's the question, what can you buy in gaming for $2.50 a month? I don't even think most gaming magazines come in that low anymore.

EA Access is very dangerous to PS Now because Sony can't possibly compete with the price. PS Now wins only on the number of titles and that advantage will be muted over time as the Vault grows.

Worst still, if EA Access succeeds, its likely Madden and Fifa begin to be treated like Xb1 exclusives. I mean there is no resolution advantage for the PS4 versions of those sports games so why would I buy them for PS4? If I can buy them for less $$ and have earlier access and enjoy the older sports games without dropping $60 every year, why would I do any more business with Sony on a Madden or Fifa game. Sony loses that crowd off the back.

And what happens when Activision and Ubisoft make a similar move. Sony has to tell them no as well or they look like hypocritical idiots. MS starts up something like "Xbox Full Access" that has multiple publishers and offers it all at just $10 a month or maybe $50 a year, how does PS Now compete with that? Sony got arrogant here and did not think this through IMO. Dumb move."

[shadowraiserx]

Personally I do not care for EA existence they can go bankrupt and sell everything.

[Muzikguy]

I suppose there are going to be TONS of these articles now. I don't think Sony is missing an opportunity with not having EA access. I'm sure others don't share my opinion, but I think EA access isn't worth it. EA hasn't done anything I've liked in the last few years so I know IMO I'm not missing anything. Also, saving money!

[qzp]

The article right next to this one says "Sony Was Right To Turn Down EA's Video Game Subscription Plan"

what a joke, call me when there is some actual news.

[windblowsagain]

Oh no not a woman speaking crap.

Erica give it up.

Nobody cares.

[LordDhampire]

nothing good comes out of EA, You get 10% percent off on digital purchases, if you purchased 5 games your harddrive would be full, and most people still buy retail. hell EA only comes out with about 5 Good Games a year....and thats including the generic Fifa, madden, UFC.

Knowing EA, yes you can play the game with EA access but to access DLC or to play multiplayer they are gonna charge

[Xb1ps4]

I don't think sony is missing big... Sony made the decision for its fan base, that's including me, that ea access wasn't a good enough value and many of them followed with strong support that Sony is correct.

I'm not worried I have both consoles so I will find out what's better psnow or access. I know psnow will have much more options in games but the price is out of wack so I am currently interested in access but haven't made a decision yet..

[CuddlyREDRUM]

Whatever you do, don't give Playstation owners a choice.

[N8]

If I could get this for the month of August every year to play madden early than I'm in. Other than august I have no interest

[_FantasmA_]

Woo! I never play EA games anyways so I'm missing out on 0 games. Thanks!

[PudgeyBurrito]

Probably for the best.

[Slugfest321]

All im going to say is i read on a article that not all EA games will be playable by having a subscription some of the newer games will just be discounted so its not as great a deal as it might seem.

[Xb1ps4]

That's what I thought too but I have been seeing posts on how they will play all the new games, I mean how far do you really think 30dollars is going to get you when a new game is 60$? This is why ppl get disappointed they just hype them self beyond belief then all the sudden everyone is evil.. Lol

[Slugfest321]

Pretty much people need to realize that all companys are just trying to get as much money not for the benefit of consumers. Every decision is based on whether it will be profitable not whether it benefits consumers.

[HaVoK308]

Sony has grown fond of playing the good guy. Like they are some kind of special mega-corp. Annoyingly referring to their customers as fans. Annoys the shit out of me. Fact is, EA's service would compete with Playstation Now. And if you think NOW is any better you are foolish. The pricing structure for PSNOW is laughable. Offering games that can be bought new for less than $19 at the store, and charging more than that for a few days of rental time.

Both services are bad, and both offer zero value for the consumer.

[rataranian]

Missed out on what? EA has sucked ass for years. =\

[coffinxnails]

Ever hear that fable about the fox and the grapes?

That is how most ps4 owners are sounding in all of these articles related to EA's new idea. Xbox has fumbled here and there but at least they are open to new ideas.

[jacksons98]

I got 6 games for PS+ coming in August. I got DeadSpace 3 on PS+ last month an EA title. Don't really see why you need this? It's not like you are going to play old copies of EA games since they shut the servers down after just a few years with their games.

[bsmith61]

EA yet again tries to rob people of more money, their shareholders must be very greedy bastards.

[InTheZoneAC]

people seem to think having to spend over $300(if you pay yearly) or $600(if you pay monthly) to see savings is a good deal...not even knowing if the OLD free games will continue after the beta period ends or after the access period ends...

and 5 day early access to a game should not be worth anyone's money...

[Mac420]

Lol what I was thinking, has anybody heard of Gamefly. Any game you want, as long as you want. Way better service then EA access or PS Now by a long shot. An they are constantly sending coupons for discounts, an keeping a account for over a year gets you a permanent 15% discount on all purchases.

Maybe this will give Gamefly some ideas, rumor has it they have been trying to work on something of the sort behind the scenes. Sending out games in the postal service is risky for them, especially considering they don't put any type of sticker or label on the disk. I've ordered a game I already owned, just to replace my messed up disc with theirs.

[gigoran]

Again... ms fanboys mocked and critisized ps+ like "you don't own the games. You only rent them". But now all of a sudden it's a great system because of this ea thing? You're right in guessing that the most common trait between ms fanboys is that they are hypocrites.

[neomahi]

I don't see how. Xbox can have it. These aren't the days of SEGA anymore where a loss of EA support cripples you. SEGA created 2K and Visual Concepts and look where they're at now. Different era people.

[Torgul]

@ziggurcat

Yeah man, sony passed on titanfall, many articles about this few months ago.

[Maxor]

This isn't about value. It's about choice. The fact that PS4 owners are not even allowed to opt in really show the lack of forward thinking on Sony part. This is supposed to be the most open console ever and they shut this down? Playstation Now must really suck for Sony to resort to this kind of protectionism.

Regardless both Sony and Microsoft are garbage when it comes to their digital offerings. The pricing on thier stores are simply not competitive compared to Steam's offerings, and the lack of savings does nothing to deter the masses from buying used games.

There will never be a digital future on the console with this kind of greed and incompetence.

[FayZ_]

ea access is a choice and sony doesn't want to give you that choice #4ThePlayers LOL