While PlayStation users prepare for the PlayStation Now open beta tomorrow, EA has announced that their own service, EA Access, will launch its beta today on the Xbox One. The beta will hit a limited quantity of Xbox One users before being deployed to everyone soon after.
The EA Access beta will launch with four games: FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, Peggle 2 and Battlefield 4, with others in the works. EA Access members will also get to try select EA titles like FIFA 15, Madden NFL 15 and Dragon Age: Inquisition 5 days before they are available to the public. An EA Access subscription will run you $4.99 a month or $29.99 annually.
EA has always been great in terms of bringing great software and content to the store shelves, but in my eyes, they’ve been subpar in delivering a reliable service (Origin) that feels as imperative as say, Steam. I’m not one to knock the ambitions of publishers aiming to create these services and platforms, but at this moment, I haven’t seen anything outside of Steam that has compelled me enough to indulge.
And as far as this being a direct competitor to PlayStation Now, I think we’d be best suited reserving our criticisms on which one will be better at this moment, especially with PlayStation Now being powered by the excellent Gaikai technology and EA having a muddy track record in the online functionality space.
What do you think about the emergence of these game streaming services? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
[HT: The Beat]
“EA has always been great in terms of bringing great software and content to the store shelves”… Oh my… I wish I could include that gif of Rocket Raccoon laughing here…
Meh. I must say on PC Origin is the most frustrating thing. If EA really want to be a player they should offer up their PC games on Origin and Steam and then competing against themselves they might be incentivised to turn Origin into something worthwhile.
I will say this though, Origin is nowhere near as bad as UPlay.
No where that I’ve read does it say that this will be a streaming service like PlayStation Now. It only says subscription, even on the official site it states you download and play the games at any time.
Also to the commenter above, the price is $5 a month OR $30 a year.
Oh boy… 29.99 + 4.99 a month for Peggle (I can buy for a couple bucks) and a couple other games… SIGN ME UP!!!
You don’t have to pay an extra $4.99 a month. The subscription options are either $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year. You don’t pay both, it is one or the other.