EA Access PS4 PlayStation 4

Microsoft's claiming that Xbox One owners will be able to play Star Wars: Battlefront first. While the headline that's doing the rounds may cause heart attacks among PlayStation 4 owners – the Redmond firm's no stranger to timed exclusives, after all – the situation isn't as bleak as it may initially seem. Indeed, the organisation's referring to EA Access – the subscription service that grants members to a PlayStation Plus-esque locker of free software, as well as various perks, such as pre-release trials.

It's a story that's going to get a lot of mileage for the guys in green: we've heard that Sony has a marketing partnership with EA for its forthcoming space faring foray – though we haven't been able to track down a concrete source – but early access to the game would make a pretty strong counter to any hypothetical advertising contracts. The Japanese giant has, of course, said that it doesn't believe EA Access – which costs $4.99/£3.99 per month – represents good value. Almost a year since launch, though, we're not sure that we totally agree.

EA Access PS4 PlayStation 4

In fact, paying members get access to a sizeable pool of software, including Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare and Battlefield 4. This is on top of other perks, such as discounts and the aforementioned early access. It's proved itself in the eight or so months since launch to be a decent option for fans of EA titles. However, we can see Sony's concern: allow one publisher to launch its own subscription service, and it won't be long before the others follow. That could potentially take us down a dark path.

But while we admire Sony's guts in standing up to the biggest publisher in the world, can it allow its competitor to flaunt early access to big games like Star Wars: Battlefront for much longer? And should it be deciding what constitutes good value on our behalf? We appreciate its stance, but surely it should be down to us – the paying customers – to determine whether the added benefits of EA Access are worth the subscription fee that they're being sold for. Perhaps it's time for the platform holder to reconsider – and take back the differentiator that its rival has been boasting about.

Would you like to see EA Access on PS4, or do you think that Sony would be opening a can of worms by enabling publishers to introduce their own subscription services? Sign up in the comments section below.

Is it time to introduce EA Access on PS4? (61 votes)

  1. Yes, I’d like to subscribe18%
  2. Hmm, I’m not bothered41%
  3. No, it’s not good value41%

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