Of course, we should probably stop calling this Early Access, because it’s not really. The launch date for EA Sports College Football 25, regardless of what the executives tell you, was 16th July – it’s just peasants purchasing the standard edition have been forced to wait an additional three days. You’re going to see more and more publishers adopt this strategy moving forwards.
It should be noted that the Deluxe Edition does come with some additional in-game content on top of the earlier release date, so there’s inherent value there – but clearly the push for $69.99 games hasn’t been enough, and publishers are finding crafty ways to drive those prices higher. We’re sure Rockstar is going to make a killing when it inevitably follows the same strategy for GTA 6 next year.
Back on topic, though, the enthusiasm for EA Sports College Football 25 is incredible, and it tagged on another 600,000 players prior to its official launch through subscription EA Play. These are staggering numbers, and you’re probably going to see the game absolutely explode over the weekend. Circana analyst Mat Piscatella said this “may indeed be the mass market breakout hit this console gen really needs”.
