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New Xbox One Madden NFL 16 Bundle Includes A Year Of EA Access
It's not uncommon to see major releases bundled in with consoles to help bolster sales, but the latest Xbox One bundle brings more than your average bundle. In addition to packing in a digital copy of the newest version of EA Sports' popular football franchise, the newly announced Xbox One Madden NFL 16 bundle includes a year subscription of EA Access.
EA Access, which is valued at $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year, grants you access to the EA Vault, which includes unlimited access to full versions of games such as Battlefield 4, Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, and Titanfall. In addition, the Vault will be adding Game Informer's 2014 Game of the Year, Dragon Age: Inquisition, later this summer. EA Access subscribers also get limited early access to games from Electronic Arts (including Star Wars Battlefront later this year), as well as a 10% discount on all digital purchases of EA games on Xbox One.
The bundle also features a 1 TB internal hard drive, the highest amount of storage currently available for Xbox One. The bundle hits on August 18 for $399, with Madden NFL 16 activating on August 25. However, with the included EA Access membership, those who pick up this bundle will be able to begin checking out Madden NFL 16 on August 20. To learn more about Madden NFL 16's Franchise mode, you can read our preview here.
[Source: Xbox.com]
Our Take
Though Madden isn't for everyone, it is a very popular title. When you throw in an EA Access subscription, however, this bundle becomes much more enticing. Sure, the EA Access Vault is full of sports titles from 2013 and 2014, but it also gives new console owners an instant library from one of gaming's biggest publishers. The 1 TB hard drive, which is probably the minimum amount of storage I'd recommend for Xbox One owners who plan on buying several titles, further sweetens the deal. It wouldn't be surprising to see Xbox try to steal away some of PlayStation's momentum as the holidays approach, so this could be the first step in a more aggressive campaign.
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