Many of us couldn’t be without our streaming services these days. Whether we’re embarking on a box-set binge on Netflix or downloading our favourite albums on-the-go with Spotify, it seems that the streaming revolution is here to stay. So perhaps it was only a matter of time before the gaming industry finally embraced today’s on-demand culture.
Last week, game publishing giant EA announced their plans to bring their very own video game streaming service exclusively to Xbox One. The service is called EA Access and will give Xbox One users unlimited access to selected EA games, both old and new, as well as exclusive discounts on upcoming titles and downloadable content, all at an affordable rate.
EA Access will also give users early access to upcoming games before they’re official launch date. The first wave of users for example will be able to try the 2015 EA Sports range or the hugely anticipated fantasy sequel Dragon Age: Inquisition up to five days in advance, while all progress made during these trial periods will be saved and can be picked up after the game’s official release.
The beta is currently underway with a handful of lucky Xbox One owners being able to stream a selection of EA games including Battlefield 4, FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25 and Peggle 2.
Tentatively priced at around €3.99 a month or €30 a year, the business model and pricing of the service has already received some great feedback from the press and public alike. However, not everyone believes that EA’s new streaming service is going to be good value for money.
Sony have openly criticized EA’s new initiative, commenting that the service just isn’t “good value” for their PlayStation customers. Given that most PlayStation fans will have already taken advantage of PS Plus, a subscription service that not only allows players to play online but also offers them a selection of totally free games on a monthly basis, you can understand their concern. With the addition of yet another subscription, the recurring costs would just keep stacking up.
But maybe Sony’s apprehension towards the EA Access service has more to do with attitudes and concerns towards their own upcoming streaming service. Announced earlier this year, the PlayStation Now service adopts a rental-based pricing structure, with users being able to stream games for an allocated time period for a certain price.
While Sony’s accessibility to a wide range of publishers immediately outweighs anything EA alone can offer, their numbers don’t quite add up. If the current ongoing beta is anything to go by, it appears that some games are totally overpriced, particularly when compared to their physical counterparts, particularly in the used market.
Throw in the factor that you’ll only be able to play these games for a limited time, and it seems obvious that Sony need to go back to drawing board when it comes to how they will charge for their streaming service. Nobody wants to pay full price for a two-year old game, particularly when a used copy will usually be cheaper, and doesn’t a limited lifespan.
So while the games industry has taken its first steps into the world of online streaming, it appears to have already stumbled upon a bit of a crossroads. Sony’s PlayStation Now has the reach but at first glance isn’t great value for money. Meanwhile EA Access has got the pricing spot on; particularly if you’re one for buying FIFA on an annual basis. But obviously there are will have limits to what they can offer, given the amount of rival publishers armed with triple-A titles competing for their share of the market.
And what’s to stop other companies such as Konami, Capcom, Activision, or Ubisoft following suit, by also setting up their own streaming services, similar to EA Access? If that were to happen, you’d end up with more subscriptions than you’d know what to do with.
While a film on Netflix or an album on Spotify may only take up a few hours of your time, games generally require a much larger chunk of your time, particularly when you throw online multiplayer modes and downloadable content into the mix as well.
There’s no doubt that streaming games is going to become a major factor in how and where consumers purchase their games in the future. These early forerunners both have potential, but we’ll have to wait and see which option proves to be more popular further downstream.
Of course, we’re still in the early phases of both the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. In the past, the rivalry between Sony and Microsoft has been fought over exclusivity, graphical capabilities and online multiplayer services. However, if current revelations are anything to go by, it seems increasingly likely that the battle between this generation of hardware will be decided by whoever provides the best on-demand streaming service, all for an affordable cost.
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