EA unveils Netflix-style game subscription service for Xbox One

By Will Fulton July 29, 2014

EA has announced an unprecedented subscription service for Xbox One, called EA Access. For $5 per month or $30 per year you will be granted unlimited access to a constantly-growing “Vault” of popular EA titles. The service is rolling out as a beta to selected users now, but will be available on every Xbox One soon.

In the beta, subscribers will have access to FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, Peggle 2, and Battlefield 4, with the promise of more games being added soon. A tweet from Game Informer clarifies, via an EA spokesperson, that the publisher has no plans to ever remove games once they’re added to The Vault, and any game progress will be saved even if you let your subscription lapse and later rejoin.

In addition to the Vault games, subscribers will be granted a 10-percent discount off of all EA digital purchases for Xbox One, from full games and DLC to in-game membership services like Battlefield 4 Premium or FIFA Ultimate Team. EA Access members will also be able to try out upcoming titles like Dragon Age: Inquisition and Madden NFL 15 for up to five days prior to their release. Any progress you make during the trial period will then carry over should you decide to purchase the game.

You can sign up on the EA Access website to be informed when it becomes available in your region. Soon you will also be able to purchase memberships at GameStop stores or through Amazon.

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Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…

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