When EA first announced the Xbox exclusive EA Access plan, I was a little excited. Getting access to EA titles for a subscription fee on top of early access to games and discounts on pre-orders sounded like a sweet deal. Well, it’s definitely a case of too good to sound true.EA Access will allow members to play a new game up to five days before it actually release, without the need for a pre-order. Unlike traditional demos though, your play time will be limited. EA Access members all only get to play Madden 15 for six hours when it goes live for early access soon.
So it’s not really early access to a game, but rather a little taste before it hits shelves. That would be great – if you weren’t paying for the opportunity to play early in the first place.
EA Access is a subscription service, unlike getting a demo for free. Sure you get access to “The Vault” and all the other benefits that come with the service, but having early access limited seems like a cheap shot. I don’t see why EA can’t give you full access to the game just a few days before release, especially if you have a pre-order locked in for the game.
It somewhat makes sense for those just looking to try out a game before it is officially release, because a few days is more than enough time to polish off some titles. But if a subscriber has a pre-order in place, it only seems fair to give them unlimited access. Not a timed demo that they’ve essentially paid for.
It just makes EA Access even less attractive to buy into.
Last Updated: August 19, 2014
Sk3tz0
August 19, 2014 at 11:36
Funny How Everything Microsoft and EA says is always too good to be true..
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 19, 2014 at 11:38
Well if you’re getting full access to older titles & the chance to essentially demo new titles before buying, it’s not a bad deal really – if you’re a fan of the full games in the vault.
Rinceable
August 19, 2014 at 11:48
All 5 of them?
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 19, 2014 at 11:50
So what if there’s only 5 right now? Plus they’re sports games – people happily play those things to death. It’s a good deal for the right target market.
Hammersteyn
August 19, 2014 at 11:51
I’d wait till there was 50, then again they are mostly all the same anyways
Rinceable
August 19, 2014 at 11:54
Teheheheh
Umar Ver 1.OBJECTION
August 19, 2014 at 11:55
Really?Demos are standard, so are timed trials…They’re cutting existing services and acting as if its added value. No way in hell is it anywhere near okay
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 19, 2014 at 12:00
The service is primarily about the older, full games. This is an additional feature or “feature”, whichever you prefer.
Umar Ver 1.OBJECTION
August 19, 2014 at 12:45
Doesn’t seem like much of a feature to me 🙁
Kensei Seraph
August 19, 2014 at 12:19
Demos for AAA haven’t been standard for almost 5 years now.
Johan du Preez
August 19, 2014 at 17:21
Yup they are trying hard to hide the crap games before its release. How many people would have bought Watch Dogs/Sim City/Dragon Age 2 if there was demos.
Almost 0
Umar Ver 1.OBJECTION
August 19, 2014 at 11:40
And so it begins. Everyone was praising EA’s name. Now they taking demos and putting it under the EA Access as if to tell us, they’re giving us extra value for putting our pennies into this subscription…
Rinceable
August 19, 2014 at 11:48
Lulz.
Umar Ver 1.OBJECTION
August 19, 2014 at 11:56
Exactly. its a bloody joke…How people can still have faith in EA with a subscription is beyond me
Ryanza
August 19, 2014 at 11:51
I ain’t giving EA any money.
Xcalibersa
August 19, 2014 at 11:56
Why do people still trust this company?
test
August 19, 2014 at 12:01
Because sperst and spunkgarggleweewee
test
August 19, 2014 at 12:00
Who thinks up these time limits?
BF4 = one week
Early Access = six hours
Sim City = four hours
FoxOneZA
August 19, 2014 at 12:14
Nintendo does the same with Wii U demo’s but let’s all jump on the EA hate bandwagon.
Johan du Preez
August 19, 2014 at 17:22
The 10 people using the Wii U are ok with it … no ones else cares ….
Kensei Seraph
August 19, 2014 at 12:18
It actually sounds perfectly reasonable to me.
Oh god I think I’ve come down with some terrible disease which is attacking my brain.
Either that or the internet cable theft here at work has strangely long reaching side effects.
Sir Rants A Lot: On Pandora
August 19, 2014 at 12:31
Actually, it seems reasonable. You are really paying for the other features. The vault games and all that. Six hours is sometimes enough for a lot of titles and unlike a demo it’s full access to the game and not just 1 stage or 1 team etc.
That being said, I don’t see why EA don’t open up this free access to everyone. Shorten the timeframe a bit. Say 3 or so hours (more than enough for demo purposes) and only require subscription for access to the vault and other such features.
Pieter Smal
August 19, 2014 at 12:50
If you do not understand irrational company behaviour, this equation explains a lot:
Microsoft + EA = American companies.
Pieter Kruger
August 19, 2014 at 14:06
Who cares about the early access being limited?? It’s the cherry on the cake, the big deal here is all the games you get for the price of a single game surely?
DrKiller
August 19, 2014 at 14:11
Not sure why you so negative about the EA access… 6 hours is all you need to finish the whole game anyway 🙂