EA Sports: "Absolutely a time" for subs

By Robert Purchese Published 25 July, 2011

Consumers "drive" time and place.

There will "absolutely" come a time when you'll want "access" to EA Sports content via monthly or annual subscriptions, label vice president Andrew Wilson predicted to Eurogamer.

"If we look at what consumers have pushed other industries for: if we look at what consumers forced the music industry to provide, if we look at what consumers have driven as a result of television and movie subscription, if you look at us - there's absolutely a time somewhere at some point in the future where the consumers say, 'Hey, this is how we want to interact with you: we want to give you a monthly or annual subscription and we want access to everything you make,'" Wilson told us.

"They get to drive the time and place for it, and a lot of it is technology dependent, but absolutely we can see a future where that might be the way we deliver games."

Wilson's comments follow a leaked EA memo from April that unmasked plans for a paid EA Sports subscription service. This, we heard at the time, would "enhance your gaming experience" with "exclusive benefits".

Speaking to Eurogamer, Wilson revealed that "one of the things we're driving is EA Sports as a service". It's one of the reasons, he elaborated, that the company has opened another studio in Austin.

Whether, further down the line, all of EA's games could be piped down the internet to subscribers, is a dream dependent not on console technology but on broadband capability.

"It's less about the generation and more about internet infrastructure," Wilson said.

"The thing about consoles [is] that's a lot of content: six, seven gigs of information. Right now there are some places in the world where you can move that size of information around relatively seamlessly; there are a lot of places you can't.

"Right now the consoles themselves could facilitate it," he added, "but there are other barriers to entry that make getting it from Game or GameStop a viable proposition, at least today."

FIFA 12.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (46) Latest comment 10 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Desheep #1 10 months ago

    There will "absolutely" come a time when you'll want "access" to EA Sports content via monthly or annual subscriptions, label vice president Andrew Wilson predicted to Eurogamer.

    I assure you, there's not.
    Edited by Desheep at 25/07/11 @ 13:01

  • BabyJesus #2 10 months ago

    Fuck off all you greedy bastards.

  • metalangel #3 10 months ago

    As a consumer, can I "push" you to "drive" the online pass all the way back up your ass, please? Thanks.

  • superstu1337 #4 10 months ago

    No.

  • Madder-Max #5 10 months ago

    " 'Hey, this is how we want to interact with you: we want to give you a monthly or annual subscription....."

    /guffaws

    LOL! Fuck me. what planet do these people live on? very little is driven by the consumer. take TV. If I had a choice i would not opt for pay per view. this has been forced on us. Saying that consumers have a choice is like saying the energy markets are not one massive price fixing cartel!

  • Shikasama #6 10 months ago

    Amazing that they'll do all this just for me. Thank you so much EA.

    It's impressive how the industry at the minute is making someone like me, who spends 300-400 quid a month on games in some form or another, considering swearing off them all together when the next gen hits.

    I don't mind spending money on things I like but I abhor being nickle and dimed like games developers want to do these days.

  • TheEarlOfZinger #7 10 months ago

    lolwut

  • GamesConnoisseur #8 10 months ago

    There will be only be a market for subs, if there are fool gamers who are willing to be parted with their cashes but the scheme ll be sunk if there are too few buyers.

    SO dont get involved or you will just encourage them.

  • andywilkie35 #9 10 months ago

    STOP USING MY NAME TO SPOUT THIS ABSOLUTE HORSESHIT YOU CUNT

    Wish my name wasn't so common.

  • ILoveThrashMetal #10 10 months ago

    I would call them a cunt ,but they lack the depth and warmth.

  • rudedudejude #11 10 months ago

    Consumers forced the music industry?

    You mean piracy and the music industries inability to adapt as times change.

    This is just a model adopted by industries who are so far behind the times that they find themselves losing money and need to claw back profits.

    In the case of games it's probably due to the popularity in pre-owned trading.

  • linksdad #12 10 months ago

    Heres the deal then EA:

    You give us the first years subs included in the price. Then see how many second year subs you get.

    If its plenty, well done you've done a great job on a great product. (except next years version will be out by then)

    Or back to the drawing board.

  • RobTheBuilder #13 10 months ago

    The key question here is whether by content you mean 'Extra stuff we provide that is enticing' or 'Stuff we normaly give as part of the game but will remove to make more money'.

    Any interest will depend solely on the answer to that question.

  • Quixz #14 10 months ago

    They seem to have forgotten that we game because it's a hobby!

    With so many free to play games coming out and with the quality of the those games becoming very good EA are plan to go out of business.

  • super_monty #15 10 months ago

    Just cancelled my FIFA 12 pre order , this was the icing on the cake.

  • ThePissartist #16 10 months ago

    EA: "this is how close we are to taxing you, that's what you wanted, right?".

    No EA, I'm not into sports, I won't pay for a subscription to your games.

  • Madder-Max #17 10 months ago

    Hey EA Hey! yay! Hey i reall really wnat you to like interact with me please EA so i can go Yay EA are interracting with me yay!

    Hay EA. All I want is for you to take more money from me please EA and restrict access to in game content Pleeeaaaase!!!! Please EA......you WILL??!!

    Yaaaaaaaay!

    /bends over and lubes up.....keenly with a big smile
    Edited by Madder-Max at 25/07/11 @ 13:25

  • Daeltaja #18 10 months ago

    Basically they want retailers to close and everything to turn into a digital subscription service.

    Fuck off.

  • arcam #19 10 months ago

    The argument for ignoring PC gaming because it's too expensive gets less plausible every day.

    Much like buying a phone outright instead of getting one free with a contract, I feel like I generally come out on top.

  • Inmediasress #20 10 months ago

    Well I said it a thousand times but gaming went downhill since it became a multibillion industry and will continnue to do soo until there is another video games crash.
    There is a video games crash right now ongoing since a few years, only the big ones survive you hear every month that some studio or other is closed down that pretty much qualifies as a video games crash, it's just not as severe as it was back then.

  • joelstinton #21 10 months ago

    Its bad enough buying yearly updates of tiger, fifa, etc. And now this? you're having a laugh.

    Although, if. say they released Fifa, every two years, and have a year update, with squad rosters, kits, a couple new stadia, and teams etc, for say £9.99 Then yeah maybe. But that is never going to happen.

  • TheLittlestHobo #22 10 months ago

    Playing devils advocate, in a way FIFA fans that religiously buy the game every year are effectively paying a £40 pound sub. Say EA put out a FIFA subscription for £2 a month, giving you access to all new games and content. Would that be so bad?

  • FeralGamer #23 10 months ago

    Here I thought a time for subs was hinting at a either sumbarine game or sandwiches.

  • Madder-Max #24 10 months ago

    /Points at Hobo

    And it starts.....

  • Flipper79 #25 10 months ago

    HAHAHAHA, but seriously, please fuck right off. There's a big difference between paying a sub to get products provided by a wide array of talent where quality is still a necessity to compete, and paying a company like EA who try and dominate brands to the point where they feel they can get away with not even bothering to patch their broken games.

  • ZizouFC #26 10 months ago

    Don't tell me what I want.

  • jablonski #27 10 months ago

    The budget of Sports games must be way lower than other games, say FPS's.
    It's practically the same game every year, with no level design etc.

    Charging £40 a year for little more than an incremental update is bad enough.
    Then I have to pay £30 to play it on xbox live.
    Now I'm expected to pay a sub to access the games online content, on top of any project 10 dollar incentives in place?

    No. Fuck you.
    Can we just go back to getting a £1.99 Spectrum game out of a bargain bin and the whole thing is yours?

  • jumpdeveraux #28 10 months ago

    TV/Movie analogy is flawed as with those you typically get access to a vast portfolio of content from many different providers e.g. movie studios, record labels, tv channels. Your investment is lower risk as the size of the portfolio means there is more chance of finding things you like and also there's a bigger stream of new content always being added.

    I wouldn't trust subscribing to a single provider like EA Sports especially as they can't resist putting the milking machine on every customer teat and turning it up to 11.

    I assume that means there will be more titles coming out that are effectively online only with no single player component - that's the only mechanism by which you actually lose something meaningful if you stop paying.

  • geeza2020 #29 10 months ago

    Who exactly are these people that keep telling the big publishers that they want to move to a subscription model? Whoever you are, stop it you cunts!

  • DAN.E.B #30 10 months ago

    Theres the old EA coming back!
    There probably pissed off the Activision is getting all the hate these days and thought its time up their game
    Welcome back EA of old we knew we would see you again.

  • nuanimal #31 10 months ago

    Tell you what EA, I'll go along with the subscription plan if you charge me £40 a year to have access to FIFA/NBA/Tiger Woods etc, on my 360/PS3/PC/iPhone for 12 months.

    Otherwise fuck off.

  • consoledelight #32 10 months ago

    thanks, but no thanks

  • bumyoghurt #33 10 months ago

    I think a lot of you are missing the point here- they will STILL charge you £50 for the original game, but then a subscription service as well. It's the same as subscribing to Sky and then having to sit through advertisements.

  • bad09 #34 10 months ago

    No.

  • uknortherner2000 #35 10 months ago

    @spacedelete: "people i have a bad feeling for the future of gaming. im just glad i have retro consoles because of stuff like this."

    As far as retro gaming goes, I don't think my Spectrum +2 still works. Still, I have my Game Gear, GBA SP and PS2. At least I'll still be able to play complete, finished games with no shitty DRM, subscriptions or overpriced DLC.

  • ThePissartist #36 10 months ago

    MS, EA, Phil Harrison, Rare, etc need to come up with a better idea. This shit isn't going to work.

    Gaming subs can go away. Never paid for one, never will.

    My gaming interest has lowered massively recently, this type of shit will help me lose ALL interest.

    How do they expect kids and teens to pay for this? Along with all the people that won't pay subs.

    This idea is doomed.

  • Subdominator #37 10 months ago

    Of course there will be a time, it's already there. I would gladly pay them 60 bucks a year to play all the EA Sports games - but that's probably not what EA wants, right? They want us to spend more on their games instead of get more for the same money.

  • MasterOfTheStick #38 10 months ago

    Gamers will be shafted. Like it or not. It's just a matter of time.

  • Madder-Max #39 10 months ago

    "I think a lot of you are missing the point here- they will STILL charge you £50 for the original game, but then a subscription service as well. It's the same as subscribing to Sky and then having to sit through advertisements."

    and dont forget the ads that are now on catch up tv as well. u can fast forward but the programme title is not displayed so you have to rewind a bit back into the ads and experience 'brand exposure" again

  • soviet_ #40 10 months ago

    How can you blame EA for thinking of shit like this when there are plenty of mugs out there willing to line their pockets?

    Someone compared them to a cartel with fixed pricing like the gas and electric companies, wrong on so many levels. Energy is a commodity, gaming isn't. The consumer actually has a lot of power in the area of entertainment and disposable income when it comes to down to it but the majority are either happy as they are or too lazy/ignorant to do anything

  • bumyoghurt #41 10 months ago

    One more from me- they are also clearly doing this because they know that people buy a Fifa/NBA/NFL game once every 2-3 years rather than every year, because it's essentially the same game every year.

  • RobTheBuilder #42 10 months ago

    Right now the attitude of publishers towards retailers and their customers is terrible. For all the good games around, this kind of bullshit really helps us to see the value of first party publishers. Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, please stay away from this money grabbing.

  • BeachGaara #43 10 months ago

    If they did it fairly then fine. It'd be great. But they won't. Not at all. 'fair' dosn't exist in the corprate mind.

  • Murton #44 10 months ago

    Done right this would result in increased profits and be great for EA Sports fans. The subs obviously go directly to EA rather than being shared with a retailer so that's more revenue for EA and as long as it's priced to give a saving over buying them all at retail it will give value to consumers.

    Will be interesting to see if/when EA follows this route and how they do it.

  • 3william56 #45 10 months ago

    Bend over and lube up, sports fans...

  • monkeywithnoeyes #46 10 months ago

    we all hate the thought of a monthly sub for fifa... yet most of us still pay £30+ a year for an annual update. Isnt that just the same as paying £2-4 a month already?

    We're already cogs in the machine.. subs WILL happen