14 DAY TRIAL // Andrew Wilson, the chief executive officer working at Electronic Arts, says that the launch of the new EA Access service will not limit sales for new big video games because dedicated fans will always be interested in getting access to new features and improved graphics for their favorite experiences.
EA Access is at the moment available on the Xbox One, and gamers can now get access to Madden 25, Peggle 2, Battlefield 4, and FIFA 14, with more games set to be added at a constant rate until the entire catalog includes more than 100 titles.
The service costs 4.99 dollars or Euro a month and it seems that it will not be launched on the PC or the PlayStation 4 from Sony.
Some analysts have speculated that the launch of Madden NFL 15 or Battlefield Hardline might be affected, as some players will no longer be interested in the new installments because of the attached price.
Wilson tells GamesIndustry.biz that “The commitment that we're making to those frontline products is that they will be bigger, more engaging, service oriented, with new and dynamic content every time you log in. People are now playing FIFA and Battlefield all year round. When I started a game would get played for four weeks, and then it was on to the next one.”
It will be interesting to see whether EA Access will make newcomers become interested in games they have not tried out before or if the company will see a decline in early adoption for its biggest titles.
Wilson adds, “Back in the day it was all about delivering $60 (48 Euro) of value; now, I want to deliver $1 (0.76 Euro) of value if you want to spend $1 (0.76 Euro), I want to deliver $10 (7.6 Euro) of value if you want to spend $10 (7.6 Euro). I want to deliver value on your investment and on your investment of time.”
Electronic Arts is at the moment focused on the launch of its next generation of sports titles, Madden NFL 15, NHL 15, and FIFA 15.
The trio has millions of fans all over the world, and the fact that they are getting yearly editions means that EA Sports needs to deliver constant improvements in order to keep the player base interested.
Later in the fall, the big release is that of Dragon Age: Inquisition, the new title from BioWare.
Battlefield hardline was also supposed to arrive before the end of the year, but the company made the decision to move it into early 2015.
