[ALL] Paid Subscription Would Offer Early Downloads, Free DLC, For EA Sports Titles

[IamMedellin]

 

An online survey indicates that EA Sports has plans to offer a paid subscription that, among other features, would deliver some paid downloadable content for free and make full versions of upcoming games available for download before their release date.

"Discounts on all downloadable content for participating EA Sports console-based titles," was the first bullet point mentioned, of sure interest given how much of it the sports publisher pushes in titles like FIFA, NHL, Madden, NCAA Football and Tiger Woods PGA Tour (SSX was also mentioned, and specifically cited as "SSX: Deadly Descents," meaning this survey went out before that title's name change at the beginning of April.)

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters, offers several additional courses as paid DLC, all available in a $50 package. It and other current EA Sports titles also offer career and franchise mode boosts and other optional content, for a charge.

The bigger draw may be, for devotees of certain series, the ability to get the game over the PlayStation Network or Xbox Live before it streets. Indeed, this would be indicative of a push toward total digital distribution, a path EA Sports president Peter Moore has said is definitely the future for publishers.

Finally, "Ability to transfer paid content from your current participating titles to future title versions," would also be worth it for many subscribers. That $50 package of courses in Tiger Woods 12 is, you guessed it, playable only in Tiger Woods 12 (that we know for now.) Transferring paid DLC such as golf courses to future titles would also be a subscription perk. It may also hint at Moore's earlier comments of greater portability of one's experience, achievements and career progression across editions of the same series.

Asked to comment on the survey, EA Sports spokesman Rob Semsey said at this time the publisher has no announcements.

The full text of the survey (pictured):

"This subscription gives members access to exclusive benefits for Madden NFL, FIFA, NHL, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, SSX: Deadly Descents, and NCAA Football. While you're a member, this new subscription service will enhance your gaming experience by providing you with:

• Discounts on all downloadable content for participating EA Sports console-based titles.

• Full downloadable versions of aprticipating titles before they come out in stores.

• Exclusive membership recognition badge that appear both in-game and on your web profile.

• Ability to transfer paid content from your current participating titles to future title versions.

• Free and exclusive opportunities to extend your EA Sports experience to PC and Web

• Free and exclusive EA Sports downloadable content for participating console-based titles.

• Your subscription will be available for purchase from participating retailers, through the EA website, or on your console.

I always thought it would be activision that took the 1st step

[j.hen]

Fuck you EA

[JayDizzle]

Glad they figured out the way to change the meaning of "free."

As long as you make it look like your stretching out the time you can use a company's "benefits" for a price (you could even do it like PSN+ did with the 3 month extension even though you still paid for it), you can get away with charging as much as you want.

Video games are marching toward luxury and away from hobby everyday.

[leaffan]

Take your paid subscriptions, dlc and whatever and shove it up your ass EA.

[CCBrink]

So now you have to pay for live/PS+, pay for online multiplayer codes, and now pay for VIP access to companies like EA?

I blame Jewstop.

None of what you mentioned is a requirement.


You only have to pay for a multiplayer code if you receive a used copy of a game. More and more game companies are adapting the "online pass" and I agree with it.

I don't see a problem with this "VIP" service at all because they aren't forcing you to pay for anything. There is nothing wrong with a company giving people the option to spend their money if they are willing to do so. EA and other publishers are running a business after all.

[PP]

None of what you mentioned is a requirement.


You only have to pay for a multiplayer code if you receive a used copy of a game. More and more game companies are adapting the "online pass" and I agree with it.

I don't see a problem with this "VIP" service at all because they aren't forcing you to pay for anything. There is nothing wrong with a company giving people the option to spend their money if they are willing to do so. EA and other publishers are running a business after all.

So you like being nickel and dimed by these companies? What ever happened to extra content added into a game as a way to get people to buy it? Now the companies see you sheep buying this shit and keep piling it on more and more. For example lets look at Tiger Woods 2012. There are DLC courses added into the career mode. So if you don't buy them you can't play that week in career. Not to mention instead of adding a lot of courses into the game and saying HEY LOOK WE HAVE X # of COURSES, EA decided to package a bunch of ones as DLC and charge 30$ and 15$ for two different packs, some of which were in previous Tiger games as it is. Instead of building onto a previous years game by slowly adding more courses and keeping the old ones they are finding a way to extract money from dumbasses like us who buy this shit. Every game will go that way with more limited courses, maps etc as they pile on more DLC. In EAs case they want to charge you so that you can re-use DLC from a previous game probably in regards to something like tiger, but would it even be cheaper? Don't even get me started on pre-order dlc exclusives either.

At least PS+ has some value. You aren't losing out on anything by buying it. You get access to a tons of stuff. EA is just going to add less to their games and more to DLC. Its all about the $.

[KNUBB]

I don't see why people are up in arms over an optional service. It doesn't say you can't play online without paying their subscription. It is OPTIONAL and that is perfectly OK with me.

[leaffan]

I don't see why people are up in arms over an optional service. It doesn't say you can't play online without paying their subscription. It is OPTIONAL and that is perfectly OK with me.

Because optional will lead to a requirement if it appears to be a nice little cash cow. duh.

[KNUBB]

Because optional will lead to a requirement if it appears to be a nice little cash cow. duh.

You're thinking about it too hard. If they do end up making it mandatory I have no problem not buying that game. It is really not that difficult of a decision.

[hackett]

Awww..... poor kids. I feel so bad now.

[JayDizzle]

Had a paragraph ready to go but longwinded speeches go over like shit in pie around here...

Simply put, if there's a fee to use a game like a Warcraft or a DC Universe Online past the initial purchase of the title itself, it's NOT a bad thing.

Paying for DLC that adds as a prolouge or further fleshing out of a game's story is NOT a terrible idea.

It's a business and gaming is a luxury now, not the hobby most of us grew up with and if you're not willing to pay for it, others are more than willing to open up their wallets to take your place.

[JayDizzle]

Awww..... poor kids. I feel so bad now.

These are some of the same kids that are making PSN unusable right now.

[CCBrink]

The reason they are doing that is to battle Gamestop from selling the game for $5 less than retail price and making 100% profit from it. As long as Gamestop and other stores drop the price the cost of the online pass I'm cool with it, but everyone and their mother knows this will not happen. Therefore your majority of families who go to Jewstop and buy a game used because the Proactive using nerd behind the counter pushes them to buy it used won't even realize that they need an online pass till their kids put the game in.

If you guys don't know what I'm talking about look up the Homefront horror stories.

I know the purpose of the online pass and still agree with it. I have never experienced a Gamestop employee try to push a used game on me. I rarely buy used games, but that sounds pretty shady. Next time I go, I will ask them if they are required to let the customers know that a pass is required.

[Guest]

My big concern is moving away from having a physical copy of your game to digital. I don't think that will happen for quite a while, as there will be plenty of opposition from retailers like Best Buy, Gamestop and various other department stores. However, on one hand, I am concerned about having space to store all of the games, and what happens if I delete one, only to want to play it a year later for whatever reason? Also, the fact that I don't physically have a copy of the game is a hard pill for me to swallow.

As someone else said, video games are slowly turning from a hobby to luxury. I disagree with it all, and it seems like EA is the group leading the charge. Because they have such a high market share with their sports titles, as well as their other games, we are going to suffer sooner or later.

[JayDizzle]

GameStop's only ambition is to fill quotas and to ensure that individual stores get preorders up.

When you get a "Power-Up" card, you're actually paying for the Game Informer subscription that comes with it, not the piece of plastic...

The percentage that take off of purchases is to keep you coming back to put in money towards the preorders and to buy games/accessories/guides during "sales."

Shit, the "sales" are just times where they need to offload overstock of stuff that they can't sell full-priced otherwise.