Sandwiched in between the numerous games showcased during the EA Play event at E3 2018 was an announcement that could fundamentally transform the industry going forward.
EA will add streaming games content to its EA Origins Access subscription service later this summer – relaunching it under a new moniker: EA Origin Access Primer.
Priced at $14.99 per month, or $99.99 for a full year, EA Origin Access Primer will allow users without a dedicated gaming console or a beefy gaming PC to stream their newest titles, like Madden 2019, to any internet-connected device through the cloud.
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EA will also transform the EA Origin Access Primer into a digital content delivery system by allowing gamers to access the newest EA titles a full five days than that title’s retail release. Subscribers will also be able to play the game without having to buy it individually, as they have to do now through the service. In addition to EA’s own games, there is also a strong likelihood that we will see content from other companies, such as WB games, who expansion recently announced that a number of their titles, which include the Injustice series, Batman, and several other high profile games, would also be made available via EA’s service.
The seeds for this announcement were sown in late May when EA announced that they were purchasing the streaming technology that powered Gamefly’s streaming service.
It’s a significant development that could have a huge impact on the relationships between console manufacturers and publishers. It’s also extremely important should one of the “titans”, Apple, Google, or Amazon enter the market with devices capable of streaming and playing games.
EA’s ability to deliver their content to any internet connected device provides the publisher with a leverage over console manufacturers that has never been seen in the industry before. That’s because EA could theoretically ditch the need to be associated with a Sony or Microsoft. While the prospects of a company like EA saying goodbye to Sony and Microsoft seems laughable at first, it becomes much more serious when you consider that the industry will be shifting to an entirely digital delivery system with the arrival of the next generation. And if games are being published digitally, then how can a company like EA logically acquiesce to the continued royalty payments levied by console manufacturers? It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility for EA to say adios because they now own their own platform for delivering games – whether it’s to someone who can download the title to their beefy PC, or someone who can stream the content to their smart TV.
EA’s presence on any one of these platforms, even if it’s only the ability to stream a title, will still greatly enhance the legitimacy of an Apple or Amazon device, and provide a serious threat to console manufacturers.
That attraction for publishers like EA will increase exponentially as companies like Apple and Amazon start getting more serious about delivering a wider breadth of gaming content and options. It will be intriguing to see if other publishers like Ubisoft, who have recently gone on record stating they believe the next console generation will be the last, follow EA’s lead and begin constructing their own content delivery system separate from home consoles in the near future.
EA stated that streaming gameplay demos of the EA Origin Access Premier service would be available for attendees at EA Play throughout E3 2018.
What are your thoughts?
Do you think EA has completely changed the industry with the announcement of EA Origin Access Premier? Or do you think business will continue as usual? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Written by The Watchman
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