You'll Still Have to Pay for EA Play Independently on PS5, PS4

With Gamepass, that’s a pretty good deal.

Microsoft going very aggressive and now we know all their prices and the dates for preorders, hopefully Sony give us some good news soon

This and a £250 console is going to make Xbox quite attractive in current climate. I’m still on for ps5 but casual gamers who play sports games and fortnight etc could well go for this.

It's also being bundled with the PC version of Game Pass, so this is an absolute steal of a deal.

Their exclusives won't be anywhere near Sony's in terms of quality or quantity, but I think Microsoft are doing an amazing job. £449 is cheap for something with those specs, and £249 is incredible to get your foot into next-gen if you don't have a 4K TV.

I know it's been said plenty of times, but just buying a console and subscribing to Gamepass would be such a fantastic experience, and thanks to All Access, can be done without breaking the bank.

No I won't. Nothing I want on it anyway.

Not to be that guy but I'm really not understanding this "free" games thing. Aren't you paying for the service primarily to access those exact games? In what world does that make them free?

EDIT: To be clear I do see how one can view them all as free when bundled with Game Pass but it doesn't seem like that's the deciding factor as to whether the games are described as free, if that makes sense.

It was always better value on Xbox due to backwards compatibility. Dead Space and Mass Effect are quality games that are worth the money alone if you can complete them in one year for £20.

@zupertramp It's one of those silly marketing terms, like "console launch exclusive". PS+ games aren't free, games with gold aren't free,

@zupertramp Think it more meant that if you had game-pass already you now getting the EA games at no extra cost so from that point of view it is free, but yes you still paying for it in reality.

@Menchi Yeah I hear you. I just don't get it. PSNow games aren't referred to as free so not sure why this would be any different. It's fine though, I'm over it. I was just struck by the fact that we're still touting that "free games" list.

I don't know enough about EA Play but including it at no extra cost with Gamepass is a win for MS regardless.

I really think the biggest story of the day is getting a brand new next Gen console for $35 a month. I don't think a $299 budget console owner is really looking to lock in $600 over 2 years, but for an X owner who wants it all their eyes must be bulging wide in disbelief.

Sony will be not only hard pressed to match that, but to come anywhere close to that announcement. Heck they don't even bundle PS+ with PS Now, and sometimes give the same games to each.

Not just about the price, it is about the reaction.

I dont see how EA or Microsoft make money from this? Presumably microsoft are paying EA money as part of every gp subscription. Which further dilutes their profits. Which means less reinvestment into first party titles. Which means lower quality outputs...or am i missing something??

Microsoft sure are being agressive this time around. Great for the consumer in the short term, but i am concerned about the long term sustainability and viability of this model - and i do wonder if this will damage gaming in the long run.

Wow MS are actually competing again after having a generation off!

This surely has to force Sony into being aggressive also. Maybe a PS Now sub bundled with PS+?

I think Sony now need to do some talking as MS have all the focus right now...

It hasn't got ssx/tricky or the dead space trilogy so this is no skin off my back.

@AdamNovice What do you mean with that? Yes most games are also for Steam And third parties. But it's about paying only 10 euros for one month and getting 100s games for free to play that you normally have to pay for

@rjejr agreed. Sony would be wise to get a finance deal sorted themselves but I feel this is MS funding that and they have big bank vaults!

EA😂😂😂... Literally the worst. I haven't bought any of their games since the Battlefront 2 fiasco

I'll buy their inevitable Mass Effect trilogy remaster, because I'm a hypocrite lol

PS5 is such good value

@Rob_230 I think it's been pretty clear the past year or so with all of it's minor studio acquisitionsMS is all about quantity over quality.

So yes, lower quality, but they hope people pay for higher quantity, ie Netflix.

@zupertramp it’s clever marketing that has caught the wider audience. The are totally not free, they’re behind a paywall. If anything they could be called “good value games” not free games!

In the battle of the online service offerings,it sounds great value for Team Green. But then again,hasn't been that much in the way of EA offerings that'd justify me having it this gen anyway. Maybe Jedi Fallen Order if I find a good sale for it,or the Unravel games, but most of their live-service stuff has interested me in a longtime.
If they'd at least offered up PS2 classics games ala SSX Tricky, NFS Underground 1 & 2 etc.,in the absence of PS3 offering,it'd been at least something. But was already poor value compared to its XB counterpart.
$500 AU for Series S,& $750 Aussie for the X aren't exactly as value packed as they might be elsewhere.

"We'll have to wait and see what Sony's response entails."

Probably something silly like exclusive games.

Ooh, it even comes with Game Pass PC! It’s such a good time to be platform-agnostic, with everyone fighting for your attention.

Ouch. Another blow for Sony. Let's see how they react!

Id rather throw a fiver down the toilet every month than sub to EA access

@Menchi what would you call them?

@AdamNovice Yes, You don’t own the games but how many people actually play the same game again after it’s completed? Am guessing for most, it’s like Netflix. You can try out games you never thought of purchasing and if you like it, you still have the option to buy it.

And for $24.99 a month (for 24months), you get Game Pass, EA Access and an Xbox Series S....

That may well be a great way to get into next gen.

I am definitely getting a Series S this year, it is an amazing deal at an amazing pricepoint.

But I want a PS5 this year aswell, just hoping Sony blow me away with a news update this month (Miles Morales gameplay, price and preorder dates, Ratchet and Clank release date)

@Carck I assumed the comment I replied to meant going forward, and going forward you don't buy 5 or 6 small indie game companies if the plan is quality over quantity.

Doesn't mean the games have to be bad, just that quantity is the goal, lots of games for people to continue paying monthly, rather than 1 good single player game ever few mo ths like Nintendo banks on.

Game pass ultimate also includes x cloud.

@AdamNovice I see people all the time going for physical games so they can resell them. This is perfect for them.

@Dodoo I'm not sure what Sony can do finance wise but they better come up with some big PS5 launch news besides Spiderman DLC locked behind a $500 pay wall. That free minigame ain't it.

I suppose their best bet is changing focus back on the games but there are so many multiplat games these days, and MS has so many games available day 1, that's no Sony slam dunk either.

Plus now MS has Xcloud so PS Now ain't all that.

I'm still 50-50 Sony Nintendo but MS has set a high bar for this news cycle.

The pressure is really on Sony now, MS are NAWT playing this new gen, Sony really cant be releasing a PS5 at more than £450 and if they do, it wont go down well I think, a "less powerful" console in the eyes of the GP that costs more than the most powerful, its bad PR right off the bat.

If they do release at more than £450 they are really really going to have to aggressively hard sell it to people, and I dont think they can, esp with the bundles, gamepass and monthly payments that MS have revealed today. I think Sony have a fight on their hands its upto them now on how they fight it. A restructured PS+ / Now bundle would be a good first step.

@naruball The monthly games are more like bonuses than actually free.

Free would be something given without any strings attached. Bonuses are extras given on top of a given standard.

I'd avoid calling them part of the service paid for because, as seen with PS+, the service provider can change what and how many of them it offers.

@Royalblues Because Xbox are the enemy?

😜

Nah not really BUT the exclusives on Xbox don't interest me (maybe Ori although I can live without ever playing that series) and Sony have killed it this gen so I feel a certain loyalty towards them. Basically if you don't care what you play then go with Xbox, if you prefer quality sp titles then go with Sony.

All major third party titles will of course be available on both consoles (and PC) but with Sony you'll be getting sequels to Horizon, God of War and whatever the likes of Sony Bend and Naughty Dog have in store for the future. That'll do for me!

I do think Sony will need to review PS Plus & Now. Maybe amalgamate the two or something.

@Royalblues Sony can do no wrong in their minds. I’ll be buying the PS5 and XSX possibly through all access.

Unlike what Microsoft is doing with Xbox, Sony's PlayStation still gives you the option to say NO to EA. Lets keep it that way!

Let's be honest Microsoft HAVE to go all out this gen after the abysmal last gen, if they failed this gen then that would of been the end for their console division, but looks like they have clawed some ground back with this and the series S

@Col_McCafferty Ori is on switch if you have one? Well worth playing...

@playstation_king yeah you can see they’ve been gearing up for this gen after literally playing dead for the whole Xbone generation. Is good as it’ll push Sony...

It’s good value. Still not interested in any subscription kind of things but it will be convenient for a lot of people...

Honestly might get an Xbox next year after PS5 if I can. Game Pass is amazing and with this it is even better.

@Dodoo Nah, no interest in a Switch. Hardly anything on it I like.

I mean, I'd play BotW if it was on PS but that's about it. I guess Ori as well so that's two games.

😉

Game pass is good, 10 years of old fifa games not so bothered

Xbox are doing everything right (because they have to) and this is really really good for all gamers.

Now if they can get their first party titles in check, they can easily win the next gen 'war'. By that, I mean releasing strong single player games that showcase the power of the system, not just multiplayer & games as a service titles, which unfortunately is their main objective.

@Col_McCafferty well seeing as you’re almost convinced, you should definitely get astral chain too! Lol

So quick google for 12 months.

GAME Pass Ultimate - £99

PS Plus - £39.99
PS Now - £39.99
EA Access - £19.99

So basically Sony just combine Now and Plus and make it cheaper then that’s cheaper than Ultimate and I believe Now has over 600 games. I don’t know what Game pass has.

You can Stream to PC VIA PS Now / Remote play (Not as good as Xbox option)

You can play PS games on mobile by remote play. Doubt streaming PS NOW this method would work but the downloadable games will work. (Again not as good)

Sony has lot to announce still but depending on how they play this they can match / better game pass in some aspects. Interested to see what happens

I certainly hope this isn’t intended to be the ace up the sleeve for Microsoft. It is added value that noone can argue with if the price of Gamepass does not increase with EA Play, but EA Access was probably the least desirable game service around. At least it’s a nice little added bonus, but last I checked the lineup of EA Access was padded to the brim with old sports titles and iteration after iteration of Need For Speed. All the desireable titles look like they can be played in a month or two.

Still, good on Microsoft for getting added value for their streaming service wherever they can.

I'm actually going to look into getting a Series S with XGP. Too good of an offer to pass up. Especially for backwards compatibility. Gotta show MS some love! They're actually trying this time. As for PS5, there's nothing I am interested in right now (Horizon FW, but that's a long way off) so I might buy a PS5 in a year or even two.

Microsoft have smashed things out of the park so far. Incredible value on their next gen consoles, services and offers.

Sony need to step up and soon.

@Dodoo Ha, still not interested.

😉

@Rob_230 I'll break it down: Microsoft pays EA a certain sum of money for the service to be included in Game Pass. EA gets some good money for it.

Microsoft makes money by simply existing as the dominant operating system, Office suite, and Cloud provider around the world. It also makes money through government contracting and corporate consulting. Pretty much allowing it to operate it's gaming services as a "gift" to gamers.

Bottom line: Microsoft is just a dominant IT corporation worth over $1 Trillion. It's video game market might as well be a tax write-off.

i've never used the service before and had no intention of using it in the future - so, no loss for me.

@Royalblues I'm not mad at it, in terms of value for the customer it is great. I do however seriously wonder long-term what happens to the quality of games and terms of employment for games developers. Game Pass has lost Microsoft over $2.4bn so far, more if you factor in lost revenue from sales of their first party games and associated development costs. Microsoft aren't a charity, and at some point it'll need to turn a profit. You can bet your bottom dollar EA aren't missing out on their "fee" for EA Play, so Microsoft are probably fronting them a boatload of cash. Personally I can see this all going very wrong, but hey, enjoy it while it lasts is my advice. I don't care if Microsoft bankrupt their game division trying to push Game Pass.

i still have a feeling that Sony is waiting to announce their answer to Game Pass pretty soon. just a feeling. it won't be the exact same thing, as their exclusives are far more central to their success, but Sony has to respond in SOME way.

Oh no, however will I live on without EA Play?

you can play all these games and use all these services on the current gen console?! why are people stupid enough to invest in a brand new console?! There's nothing next gen about this model at all. They've basically rebranded the one x and renamed it the series s.

@Royalblues who was ranting? I said it was a good deal for consumers. However, at some point shareholders will want to see their ROI in the Xbox Division. The losses Game Pass has made are quite famous, but you can check it in Microsoft investor calls, it has lost them a boat load of cash now. So, at some point they'll need to see numbers growing rapidly for the service, or it turning a profit. The Xbox Division isn't a charity for gamers, although it might seem like that right now. My point is something will have to give sooner or later.

@Royalblues I think for me personally I'll keep an eye on the offerings on Game Pass, but also what Sony do with PS Now. Essentially they had the idea first, and all the infrastructure when they bought Gaikai. So in a way Microsoft have caught them napping with the amount of money they were willing to throw at it.

However, the way I would have approached Game Pass were I Microsoft would be to put all of my games on the service, but do so 18 to 24 months after launch. So people who want to buy the games buy them, and then Game Pass is a way of sweating more money out of your games while still being a great deal.

Putting new games day and date on Game Pass is a recipe for disaster. Halo Infinite has cost Microsoft $500m and then some so far to develop. It's a very expensive game and 10m subscribers at $10's a pop a month, or whatever it costs in the US, is not going to recoup that spend ever. It's just not. Servers cost money, other games cost money, EA Play will cost money, and all of that has to come out of the Game Pass subscription. It doesn't add up for big AAA games.

I don't think Sony could pump out games like Spider-Man, Demon's Souls, God of War, Ghost of Tsushima and The Last of Us etc. if they were having to drop them onto a subscription service day and date of release at the sort of price Game Pass is. At some point something would have to give, either the quality of the games, or the price of the service. I still think Game Pass will become a repository for free to play type games as a service with monetization, or episodic games with some Indies thrown in a d the odd old third party AAA game that will use it as a way to sell you DLC or a sequel. And maybe that's fine, but in its current form it isn't sustainable.

I think I'll just own my games instead.

@Loftimus "It hasn't got ssx/tricky or the dead space trilogy so this is no skin off my back."

EA Play does have both, SSX and the Dead Space Trilogy on BC on XBox.

Here is a list of games available on the XBox version of EA Play

XBox BC is perhaps a reason why EA Play has always been a lot better value on XBox than on PS4.

Edit: fixed link

Game Pass is great value for budget gamers and young families as it is. Kids can’t afford $60 games each month, but with GP you get all the top games for a similar price to Netflix.

Our family has benefited from both Game Pass and PS Now, so for Microsoft to add a ton more games at no extra cost, that is great.

I think the strategies of Sony and Microsoft are different and it will be great to see what happens in the future. They can both succeed even with wildly different offerings.

Microsoft is bringing their A game and that's great news for the rest of us, now Sony must respond in some way. So maybe making the console cheaper than it was originally planned or bundle in PS now.

I refuse to believe Sony would be stupid enough to not do anything and just continue as usual as nothing has happened. Microsoft is clearly out for blood and Sony must hit back harder.

@Peach64 it’s a great deal... and the gamepass Netflix approach is awesome too.

I don't subscribe to ea acces so this is a non starter for me.

Back to prison architect I go.

@Col_McCafferty Let me remind you that those "exclusives" will be arriving on PC with better graphics in a couple of years. MS has the upperhand all the way. Specially in the middle of a pandemic economy.

I really think the Series S will be viewed as a poor console in the next few years or so, I think it will backfire before the gen is over.
As for this, it’s neat I guess, but I have no desire for a rotating library of games. I’d rather just own my games.

@Dodoo I'm fairly certain they're talking about the new one which is Microsoft Exclusive.

@Oscarjpc I really think that the PS5 might do poorly if there's no rent to own model like with XBOX All Access. I've been all about Playstation since the beginning. I own around 160 PS4 titles with season passes on a huge chunk of them so I'm deeply rooted in the Sony installbase, but for $35/mo over 24 months with free online and a giant library of games WITH a Series X and backwards compatibility back to the original XBOX, I'm getting one too. I haven't owned an XBOX since the original. That deal is just too good. Yeah, I get my PS4 library playable on the PS5, but if I want to pop in one of my PS1, 2, or 3 games I need at least 2 additional consoles hooked up. In addition, the Series X is an even more powerful console. The only thing Sony really has going for it are the exclusives, but if they tap into the PC market like they did with Horizon Zero Dawn they're going to lose their exclusives edge. The only way I see Sony staying competitive at this point is with a monthly pricing model.

Microsoft have done an amazing job with pricing. I was always getting a PS5 for the exclusives but it won't break bank to get a Series S for $200 with a deal somewhere

I can 100% see myself picking up my first ever xbox with the series S and subscribe to gamepass to play MS exclusives and any old games i may have missed out on from 360 days.

@Oscarjpc Well PC's that will be able to match let alone top the PS5 cost a lot more and games.dont always run well on a PC (as we saw with HZD). Plus, maybe you and others are happy to wait 2-3 years before playing the HZD sequel but many gamers won't. Heck The Boys on Prime received loads of One Star reviews merely for making people wait a week between episodes!

I do think these Xbox announcements are a real shot across the bows and Sony will need to respond with something equally as enticing.

The thing is though it's not as if all major third party games are released day one on Game Pass and there's no clearly defined timeline when to expect the latest CoD or Assassin's Creed etc to be available for 'free'. If you want to play these titles within a short timeframe of their release them you're still going to have pay for them separately. It's a good deal for people that don't really give a toss about gaming.

😜

@Carck If i take away the sports titels its not worth a lot more. Missing out on some of the PS3 titels its getting even less for me its not worth it.

At this point in time, I feel Sony are messing around too much and unless they actually DO something soon, I may well just bite the bullet on Xbox especially if I can get one with 2 years gamepass/EA for £25 per month. I'm a fairly casual gamer for all intents and purposes. As long as I can play a footy game, THPS, a couple of 3rd person adventures and my lad can play Fortnite, PvZ and Minecraft, everyone's mainly happy. For that price/deal, why not. UNLESS Sony finally actually give us some news and make an attractive proposition.

None of this matters, Sony is launching with a spider-man game. Its over.

@Tharsman thankyou for info. I was referring to it not being on ps4 so thats why it doesn't bother me. I am considering a series s at that price though.

Edit: especially now i know i can play dead space.

@Carck Why i dont own a Xbox im talking about the PS4 version.

@Col_McCafferty NO, man. It's a good deal for everyone that does NOT toss $60+ on day one for a game that needs three patches. I know almost no one who buys games day 1 to keep. Most of my buddies just sold TLOU2 to afford GoT. Look at all the used copies on E-bay, man. Gaming is an expensive hobby. And if you buy Day 1 at 60+ you won't have enough money for ALL the good games. This year alone, there have been at least 9 must-play titles. That's 540$ in day 1 purchases. With 300$ you get to play more than 130 slighty older games, and you wait for PS "exclusives" to hit pc. And you're saving big bucks. Which given the economy these days it IS a big deal.

@Oscarjpc Well that's your preference but I have mine. Day One Horizon Forbidden West and I expect it will be worth every penny.

PC owners might be okay to wait another 2-3 years before getting to play it but not me nor I suspect will millions of other players.

With your attitude what's the point in Sony even releasing another console, might as well just focus on software only.

🙄

I see a price increase for xbox game pass coming soon