Electronic Arts unveiled a subscription-based video game service at E3 2018. — AFP Relaxnews
Publisher of FIFA, Battlefield and The Sims, Electronic Arts unveiled a subscription-based video game service at E3 2018, further normalizing the gaming industry trend.
Microsoft division Xbox launched a Game Pass service in June 2017 and, one year on, Electronic Arts is providing its own version of the scheme for a computer gaming audience.
Origin Access Premier scales up the concept its existing Origin Access (PC) and EA Access (Xbox One) plans, which offer older titles from the Electronic Arts catalogue for US$4.99 (RM19.94) per month.
The Premier tier differs in that, like Xbox Game Pass, it applies to not just old games but also all of EA's internally developed games and, rather than pre-release trials, they'll be full games.
August 2018's sports title Madden NFL 19, will lead the line, followed by glossy soccer simulation FIFA 19 (September 2018), World War II action game Battlefield 5 (October 2018), and sci-fi action title Anthem (February 2019).
In each case, fans are being encouraged to sign up with the prospect of a week's early access before an official retail launch.
That's one difference from the Xbox scheme, which currently includes games from a larger number of publishing partners.
On a monthly basis, Origin Access Premier is more costly than Xbox Game Pass – US$14.99 (RM59.89) instead of US$9.99 (RM39.93) – but incentivizes longer-term commitments with an up-front annual membership of US$99.99 (RM399.71), equivalent to a US$8.33 (RM33.30) monthly fee.
Among options elsewhere in PC gaming, the Humble Bundle offers US$12 (RM47.97) monthly pack of pre-selected games plus access to a separate archive; Amazon's Twitch Prime membership comes with monthly games; Utomik, launched May 2018, proposes US$9.99 per month for a 790-game catalog from over 50 partners – a roster from which EA is conspicuously absent.
Looking further afield, Nintendo and PlayStation also have game catalog membership schemes, though not yet on the same comprehensive scale.
PlayStation Plus membership includes three to five PlayStation 4 games per month, the occasional PS VR release, as well as two PlayStation 3 and two PlayStation Vita games (PS3 and Vita to be phased out in March 2019).
In this way, long-term members can build up vast game libraries for the length of their subscription.
Looking ahead, Nintendo is preparing to launch Nintendo Switch Online in September 2018, locking off online multiplayer and voice chat as subscriber benefits, though at the much lower price of US$3.99 (RM15.95) per month, US$7.99 (RM31.94) per quarter, or US$19.99 (RM79.91) per year; access to a regularly updated Classic Games Selection is an additional perk. — AFP Relaxnews
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