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Sony: EA Access Doesn't 'Represent Good Value To The PlayStation Gamer'
Following EA’s announcement of the company’s new subscription program, Access, we were curious about it being tied only to Xbox One. We reached out to Sony for clarification, and it seems like PlayStation 4 owners shouldn’t hold their breath for the program.
“We evaluated the EA Access subscription offering and decided that it does not bring the kind of value PlayStation customers have come to expect,” a Sony representative told us via email. “PlayStation Plus memberships are up more than 200% since the launch of PlayStation 4, which shows that gamers are looking for memberships that offer a multitude of services, across various devices, for one low price. We don’t think asking our fans to pay an additional $5 a month for this EA-specific program represents good value to the PlayStation gamer.”
EA's Access program costs $5 per month or $30 per year and offers discounts to members, free (while membership is active) catalog titles, and pre-release access to game trials up to five days in advance. The program is in beta now, with Xbox One preview members getting first access yesterday evening. FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, Peggle 2, and Battlefield 4 kick off the program as free-with-membership titles.
While Sony could certainly change its mind down the line, we don’t expect that to happen any time soon. For more on EA Access, check out yesterday’s coverage.
Our Take
While EA Access might not be coming to PS4, I wouldn’t necessarily count out the publisher’s games in PS Plus. There is still value for EA there, especially as those free-with-membership games have great potential to move the needle for DLC that has long since dropped down the sales chart.
This also doesn't mean that Sony can't change its mind later. If demand is great enough and value increases, EA Access could migrate over down the road. For now though, this is a clear statement that PS4 players shouldn't hold their breath for the program.
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