Founded in 1982, Electronic Arts (EA) have survived more than a few changes in the gaming industry. One of the most recent shifts in the industry has been towards direct purchases from your console. Spotting the trend shift, EA created EA Access, a hybrid between Netflix and popping down to your local GameStop.
Only Xbox One users need apply
So the name might be a little ironic as access to EA Access is a little limited. This is a uniquely Xbox One only affair. The Xbox 360 was never included, simply because it’s coming to the end of its life. Sony made the decision to proceed without the service, believing “the EA Access subscription offering […] does not bring the kind of value PlayStation customers have come to expect”. You’ll have to make your own mind up on whether or not Sony were right to exclude themselves from EA Access.
What being a member of EA Access gets you
EA Access consists of three main parts.
EA Access: Early access
EA Access members get early trials off the latest Electronic Arts games. These are usually full version games for a limited time. Recently, EA Access members could try out Star Wars: Battlefront for ten hours prior to purchasing. These trials usually first appear a few days before games even launch.
EA Access: Discounts
Every time an EA Access member purchases the likes of the latest FIFA title from the Xbox store, they save 10%. Better still, this 10% discount applies to full games, pre-orders, expansion packs and in-game purchases.
EA Access: The Vault
This is the biggest and best part of EA Access membership. The Vault consists of some of EA’s top sellers from days gone by, so by being a member you have access to a range of full titles. As long as you are a member, you can download and play games from the Vault, leaving only two more things you’ll need to work out if this is good value or not.
EA Access: What games are in The Vault?
Effectively, this is one of the most important things along with cost. Here are a list of games in the EA Access Vault along with their rating (courtesy of IGN):
| Title | Rating |
|---|---|
| Madden NFL 25 | 8.5 |
| FIFA 14 | 9 |
| Battlefield 4 | 8 |
| Need for Speed Rivals | 7.9 |
| Peggle 2 | 9 |
| Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare | 7.8 |
| Titanfall | 8.9 |
| EA Sports UFC | 6.8 |
| Madden NFL 15 | 8.7 |
| NHL 15 | 7 |
| FIFA 15 | 8.3 |
| NBA Live 15 | 5.5 |
| Dragon Age: Inquisition | 8.8 |
| Battlefield Hardline | 8 |
That’s thirteen games you can play with your EA Access membership, which weigh in with an average IGN rating of 8 our of 10. EA have also committed to keeping the games in The Vault, so they won’t vanish after you sign up. They will also add a few games a year, meaning there is a certain excitement associated with being a member.
EA Access: How much does EA Access cost?
It boils down to this. You get loads of high quality games, discounts and exclusive playing time with EA Access membership, but what does it all set you back? There are two payment options, offering you a choice between monthly and annual payments. If you choose monthly, it will set you back €3.99 per month, with the annual option costing you €24.99 for the year. The annual approach saves you about a euro a month.
Simply put, if you were considering buying any of the games on the above list, chances are they would’t be a million miles away from being €25 so the EA Access membership makes sense to us. Follow Goos3D for the latest EA Access news, including the possible inclusion of Xbox 360 games from February.
Are you an EA Access member? What do you think of it?
