EA Access

EA Access

EA Access logo (since 2016)
Developer Electronic Arts
Type Subscription gaming service
Launch date August 11, 2014
Platform Xbox One
Status Released
Website www.ea.com/eaaccess/

EA Access (stylized as EA access) is a subscription-based gaming service by Electronic Arts. Initially pitched to both Microsoft and Sony for use on their consoles, EA Access launched only on Xbox One on August 11, 2014. The service allows access to select games published by Electronic Arts, along with additional incentives.

Structure

EA Access logo used for 2014-16

Upon downloading the EA Access hub from the Xbox Games Store, users purchase a membership in either one- or 12-month increments. Memberships can be purchased through the Games Store or from select retailers.[1] During the membership period, users have unlimited access to the full versions of a selection of games published by EA, dubbed "the Vault".[1] The games are downloaded to the console's storage device and remain available as long as users continue their membership. If membership is suspended, access to the games is restricted, but all progress and game saves are retained. Users may purchase games available in EA Access outright, along with other EA games, at a discounted price.[1] EA Access members can purchase DLC for Access or other EA titles at the same discount.[1] Games offered in the initial beta launch include Battlefield 4, Madden NFL 25, FIFA 14 and Peggle 2.[2] More games will be added in the future, with additions occurring at EA's discretion as opposed to timed availability, such as making a title available on Access a set number of days after its retail launch.[3] When a game is added to the Vault, EA has pledged that it will not be removed at a later date.[3] However, the Terms of Service do state that EA does retain the right to remove titles with 30 days' notice.[3]

Users interested in select upcoming titles and who pre-order them through Access will be able to download special limited versions of the games that are released five days prior to the retail launch. Any progress earned within the limited versions carries over to the full retail version.[1] EA describes these early-release versions as not being more traditional demos, but instead full-featured versions that are time limited, with the exact extent of content varying from game to game.[4] Games confirmed for this program include Madden NFL 15, NHL 15, NBA Live 15, FIFA 15 and Dragon Age: Inquisition.[2] In the case of Madden NFL 15, the Access early-release version will be the only planned way to sample the game prior to release.[5]

EA Access does not require users to have a paid Xbox Live membership, although a Gold-level membership is required for use of any multiplayer features that are included in Access-enabled games.[6]

Additionally, games published on the EA Partners brand (such as Respawn Entertainment's Titanfall series) are not eligible for EA Access benefits.[7] However, Titanfall was added to the Vault in June 2015, as part of an E3 2015 promotion that also enabled a free trial for all Xbox One owners.[8]

Additionally, EA Access subscribers are also able to receive downloadable content for games in the Vault free at during various limited time periods, such as the Naval Strike and Second Assault DLCs for Battlefield 4.[9] Subscribers who download the free DLCs offered during the free period are able to keep them regardless of subscription status. On May 3, 2016, Premium access for Battlefield 4 and Hardline were offered free for a limited period of time, enabling subscribers to download all released expansions for both games at no cost.[10] While Battlefield 4 Premium content can be accessed with an active subscription, subscribers were allowed to keep Hardline Premium features regardless of subscription status.

On February 29, 2016, EA Access has expanded to include Xbox 360 titles via the Xbox One's backward compatibility feature, starting with the original Plants vs. Zombies.[11] Dead Space was added (without any official announcement) on March 31.[12]

Release and reception

EA Access debuted in beta form exclusively on Xbox One on July 29, 2014,[1] and was officially launched on August 11, 2014.[13] Electronic Arts approached both Sony and Microsoft with the service, but Sony declined to make it available on their PlayStation 4 console.[14] A similar version called Origin Access launched in January 12, 2016 on PC.[15]

Shares of video game retailer GameStop, which sells both new and used games, fell over five percent after Electronic Arts' announcement.[16] A similar price drop occurred after PlayStation Now was first announced and that the stock price subsequently recovered.[16] GameStop will be one of the retailers selling EA Access memberships.[16]

Games in the Vault for Xbox One

No. Title Date released Date added Ref.
1 Battlefield 4 November 22, 2013 July 29, 2014 [3]
2 FIFA 14 November 22, 2013 July 29, 2014 [3]
3 Madden NFL 25 November 22, 2013 July 29, 2014 [3]
4 Peggle 2 December 9, 2013 July 29, 2014 [3]
5 Need for Speed Rivals November 22, 2013 September 2, 2014 [17]
6 Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare February 25, 2014 October 15, 2014 [18]
7 EA Sports UFC June 17, 2014 December 12, 2014 [19]
8 NBA Live 15 October 28, 2014 February 25, 2015 [20]
9 Madden NFL 15 August 26, 2014 March 5, 2015 [21]
10 NHL 15 September 9, 2014 April 9, 2015 [22]
11 FIFA 15 September 23, 2014 May 8, 2015 [23]
12 Titanfall March 11, 2014 June 15, 2015 [24]
13 Dragon Age: Inquisition November 18, 2014 August 4, 2015 [24]
14 Battlefield Hardline March 17, 2015 October 14, 2015 [25]
15 Madden NFL 16 August 25, 2015 February 2, 2016 [26]
16 Plants vs. Zombies September 8, 2010 February 29, 2016 [27]
17 NHL 16 September 15, 2015 March 29, 2016 [28]
18 Dead Space October 14, 2008 March 31, 2016 [29]
19 FIFA 16 September 22, 2015 April 19, 2016 [30]
20 Rory McIlroy PGA Tour July 14, 2015 May 10, 2016 [31]
21 NBA Live 16 September 29, 2015 May 25, 2016 [32]
22 Need for Speed November 3, 2015 July 12, 2016 [33]
23 Unravel February 9, 2016 July 12, 2016 [33]
24 SSX February 28, 2012 August 9, 2016 [34]
25 Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 February 23, 2016 August 30, 2016 [33]
26 Bejeweled 2 Deluxe November 22, 2005 October 6, 2016 [35]
27 Zuma Deluxe November 22, 2005 October 6, 2016 [35]
28 Feeding Frenzy March 10, 2006 October 6, 2016 [35]
29 Heavy Weapon January 17, 2007 October 6, 2016 [35]
30 Feeding Frenzy 2 September 17, 2008 October 6, 2016 [35]
31 Bejeweled 3 October 19, 2011 October 6, 2016 [35]
32 Mass Effect November 20, 2007 November 7, 2016 [36]
33 Mass Effect 2 January 26, 2010 November 7, 2016 [36]
34 Mass Effect 3 March 6, 2012 November 7, 2016 [36]
35 Mirror's Edge November 11, 2008 November 9, 2016 [37]
36 Mirror's Edge Catalyst June 7, 2016 November 9, 2016 [38]
37 EA Sports UFC 2 March 15, 2016 November 10, 2016 [38]
38 Star Wars Battlefront November 17, 2015 TBA [35]

Games for Origin Access

No. Title Date released Date added Notes Ref.
1 Battlefield 3 October 25, 2011 January 12, 2016 [39]
2 Battlefield 4 October 29, 2013 January 12, 2016 [39]
3 Battlefield Hardline March 17, 2015 January 12, 2016 [39]
4 Dead Space October 20, 2008 January 12, 2016 [39]
5 Dead Space 2 January 25, 2011 January 12, 2016 [39]
6 Dead Space 3 February 5, 2013 January 12, 2016 [39]
7 Dragon Age: Origins November 3, 2009 January 12, 2016 [39]
8 Dragon Age II March 8, 2011 January 12, 2016 [39]
9 Dragon Age: Inquisition November 18, 2014 January 12, 2016 [39]
10 FIFA 15 September 23, 2014 January 12, 2016 [39]
11 Need for Speed Rivals November 19, 2013 January 12, 2016 [39]
12 Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare June 24, 2014 January 12, 2016 [39]
13 SimCity March 6, 2013 January 12, 2016 [39]
14 The Sims 3 Starter Pack June 2, 2009 January 12, 2016 [39]
15 This War of Mine November 14, 2014 January 12, 2016 [39]
16 Torchlight II September 20, 2012 February 26, 2016 Not available in France [39]
17 Titanfall March 11, 2014 March 22, 2016 Not available in South Africa [39]
18 The Banner Saga January 14, 2014 April 5, 2016 [40]
19 FIFA 16 September 22, 2015 April 19, 2016 [30]
20 Dungeons of Dredmore July 13, 2011 May 25, 2016 [41]
21 Mass Effect May 28, 2008 May 25, 2016 [41]
22 Mass Effect 2 January 26, 2010 May 25, 2016 [41]
23 Mass Effect 3 March 6, 2012 May 25, 2016 [41]
24 Medal of Honor: Allied Assault January 22, 2002 May 25, 2016 [41]
25 Peggle February 27, 2007 May 25, 2016 [41]
26 Trine July 3, 2009 May 25, 2016 [41]
27 Trine 2 December 7, 2011 May 25, 2016 [41]
28 Unravel February 9, 2016 July 16, 2016 [33]
29 Need for Speed March 15, 2016 July 16, 2016 [33]
30 Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 February 23, 2016 August 30, 2016 [33]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lawler, Richard (July 29, 2014). "'EA Access' subscription on Xbox One brings all-you-can-eat gaming for $5 per month". Engadget. AOL. Archived from the original on July 30, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  2. 1 2 Moriarty, Colin (July 29, 2014). "EA Announces Subscription Service on Xbox One: EA Access". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on July 30, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pereira, Chris (August 7, 2014). "EA Promises Not to Remove Games From EA Access' Free Games Vault". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on August 7, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  4. ↑ Sirani, Jordan (August 7, 2014). "New Details Emerge on EA Access' Game Selection and Trials". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on August 7, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  5. ↑ Samit Sarkar (August 11, 2014). "Madden NFL 15 won't be playable early unless you pay for EA Access". polygon.com. Vox Media, Inc. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  6. ↑ Cavalli, Earnest (July 30, 2014). "EA unveils Xbox One subscription service, EA Access". Joystiq. AOL. Archived from the original on July 30, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  7. ↑ Earnest Cavalli (August 10, 2014). "EA unveils Xbox One subscription service, EA Access [update]". Joystiq. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  8. ↑ Kyle Hilliard (June 15, 2015). "Titanfall And Dragon Age Inquisition Joining EA Access Vault, Vault Opening To All Gold Members This Week". gameinformer.com. GameStop. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  9. ↑ Saed, Sherif (2015-08-28). "Battlefield 4 DLC Naval Strike free this week for EA Access members". VG247. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  10. ↑ http://www.ea.com/eaaccess/battlefield?utm_campaign=eaa_eaa_ww_ic_soco_twt_eaa-bf4hpremium-050316-tw&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&cid=4796&ts=1462313373634
  11. ↑ Saed, Sherif (2016-03-01). "EA Access adds first non-Xbox One game to the vault". VG247. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  12. ↑ Williatham, Atle (2016-04-01). "EA Access adds Backwards Compatible Dead Space to Xbox One". Gamezone.com. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  13. ↑ Eddie Makuch (August 11, 2014). "EA Access Now Available On Xbox One". gamespot.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  14. ↑ Karmali, Luke (July 30, 2014). "Sony Passed on EA Access for PS4 as It's Not 'Good Value'". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on July 30, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  15. ↑ "PC Game Subscription | Origin Access | Origin Games". Origin.com. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  16. 1 2 3 Makuch, Eddie (July 29, 2014). "GameStop Shares Tumble After EA Access Announcement". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on July 30, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  17. ↑ Campbell, Evan (September 2, 2014). "Need for Speed Rivals, More 6-Hour Trials, Coming to EA Access". IGN. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  18. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (October 15, 2015). "Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is now part of EA Access". Polygon. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  19. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (December 12, 2014). "EA Sports UFC joins EA Access next week". Eurogamer. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  20. ↑ Futter, Mike (February 25, 2015). "PSA: NBA Live 15 Joins EA Access Vault". Game Informer. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  21. ↑ Scammell, David (March 5, 2015). "Madden NFL 15 now free on EA Access". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  22. ↑ Sirani, Jordan (April 9, 2015). "NHL 15 Added to EA Access Vault". IGN. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  23. ↑ Devore, Jordan (May 8, 2015). "FIFA 15 now included in EA Access". Destructoid. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  24. 1 2 Grant, Christopher (June 15, 2015). "EA Access Vault free this week, Titanfall and Dragon Age: Inquisition on the way". Polygon. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  25. ↑ Orry, James (September 23, 2015). "Battlefield Hardline to be added to the EA Access vault in October". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Madden NFL 16 Comes To The Vault On Feb. 2". Ea.com. 2016-01-28. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  27. ↑ "Twitter". Mobile.twitter.com. 2016-02-29. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  28. ↑ "NHL 16 Now Available in The Vault on EA Access". Easports.com. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  29. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (April 1, 2016). "Xbox One EA Access Adds Second Backwards-Compatible Xbox 360 Game". GameSpot. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  30. 1 2 "FIFA 16 Coming Soon to The Vault". Easports.com. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  31. ↑ S. Good, Owen (May 2, 2016). "EA Access adds golf to its lineup with Rory McIlroy PGA Tour". Polygon. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  32. ↑ Sarkar, Samit (May 6, 2016). "NBA Live 16 coming to EA Access in late May". Polygon. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  33. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Coming Soon to EA Access". www.ea.com. Electronic Arts. July 6, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  34. ↑ Pereria, Chris (August 10, 2016). "Xbox One's EA Access Adds Another Free Game to Its Vault Library". GameSpot. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  35. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "The EA Access Vault Expands this Year with Sports, Action and Arcade Titles". www.ea.com. Electronic Arts. October 6, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  36. 1 2 3 Grubb, Jeff (November 7, 2016). "Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 now work on Xbox One and are part of the EA Access vault". VentureBeat. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
  37. ↑ Pereira, Chris (November 2, 2016). "Mirror's Edge Catalyst Becomes an Xbox One EA Access Freebie Soon". GameSpot. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  38. 1 2 Orry, James (November 4, 2016). "Mirror's Edge Catalyst and UFC 2 join EA Access next week". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  39. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Matulef, Jeffrey (2016-03-14). "Titanfall is coming to Origin Access next week". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  40. ↑ Favis, Elise (April 3, 2016). "The Banner Saga Joins Origin Access Next Week". Game Informer. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  41. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "EA Origin adds Mass Effect Trilogy". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 2016-05-25.

External links

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