When Xbox launched Xbox Game Pass in June of 2017, players were understandably shocked at the concept. The idea was simple: players have a subscription where they have access to over 100 games, including first-party Xbox titles, that can be downloaded and played whenever they want. Over time, the service evolved constantly adding new titles to its library, adding a PC version, and creating a new tier of membership called Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which included both the console and PC Game Passes along with Xbox Live Gold for $15 a month.
Although Xbox Game Pass has likely been seen by many as a great innovation in gaming, it wasn't exactly a brand new concept. Before Xbox Game Pass, EA had its own subscription service which at the time was called EA Access. The service, now known as EA Play, did (and still does) have a very clear difference between it and Xbox Game Pass. While full first-party Xbox games are available on Game Pass the same date as they release, EA Play only allows its subscribers to play its new titles for a 10 hour trial period when they launch.
Now in a move that most players were not likely expecting, Xbox has announced that starting holiday 2020, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will automatically receive an EA Play subscription at no additional cost. Now not only will players have access to games like Grounded, Gears Tactics, and the upcoming Halo Infinite as part of their monthly $15 investment, but they will also be able to play titles like Mass Effect, The Sims, Dragon Age, and Titanfall 2 for free. This partnership adds an incredible amount of value to an already valuable service; however, one tweak could take this team-up to epic proportions.
To take EA Play subscriptions to the next level, EA could follow Xbox's lead by eliminating its 10 hour trial system and just making its new releases available in full on release day. This practice could essentially serve two functions for EA: getting its new games in the hands of more players and helping to patch over the perceived ill will between the publisher and fans.
Growing Lesser-Known Game Audiences
Players that are familiar with EA's history are likely aware of the release tragedy that was Titanfall 2. For those that don't know, Titanfall 2, the critically-acclaimed sci-fi FPS that helped spawn Apex Legends, had the misfortune of releasing in-between 2 FPS giants in October of 2016. One was Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, which took the historic shooter franchise in a sci-fi route.
The other, surprisingly enough, was EA's own Battlefield 1 which saw players taking part in World War 1 battles. By releasing in the middle of these two classic franchises, Titanfall 2 was the odd game out and saw its player base dwindle quickly, despite critics seemingly preferring it over the other FPS titles. Thankfully, the game has seen a small resurgence recently with Titanfall 2's inclusion on Steam.
With this information in mind, a possible Titanfall 3 could benefit from being available day one on EA Play. Many developers who have released their games on Xbox Game Pass have noted that their audience sizes were far larger than they originally planned thanks to the subscription service. With Xbox Game Pass, players likely see downloading a game and giving it a try is a no risk situation seeing as there's no extra investment necessary. This likely could have helped Titanfall 2's problem as the game's name didn't have the same weight behind it that a Call of Duty or a Battlefield does.
Regaining Good Will with Players
It's no secret that players aren't exactly fond of EA for the most part. Over the past several years, the publisher has been enthralled in many gaming controversies such as the aggressive microtransactions in both Star Wars Battlefront 2 and FIFA, awful bugs and glitches in Mass Effect: Andromeda, and the seemingly never-ending saga that is Anthem. These missteps with the gaming community have stacked over time and have seemingly caused players to perceive EA as a company that only cares about money, even if that isn't true.
Partnering with Xbox Game Pass could be seen as a step in the right direction for realigning with players, and eliminating its 10 hour trial period on new games for day one access via it (and thus via Game Pass) could elevate this good will. While it is unlikely, it would likely go a long way for the Xbox ecosystem, for the player perception of EA, and for the players themselves.