Is the EA Access service all it's cracked up to be? That's a question that many of us, including Gameranx's own Jake Baldino, have been asking since Electronic Arts announced plans for its own spin on Sony's PlayStation Plus — ironically, Sony deems EA's service a poor value for consumers, which is why it won't be coming to PS4. In any case, EA Access has launched today, allowing subscribers to freely download Battlefield 4, FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, and Peggle 2. You'll also be able to play Madden NFL 15 five days ahead of launch, which is the only way to check out the new football title early since there will be no publicly released demo.
Wait, what!?
As Polygon has explained, this is the first time since Madden NFL 06 that the series will arrive without a demo to give players a free taste. The only way to play it ahead of time would be to subscribe to EA Access, which of course leaves PS4, PS3, and Xbox 360 players up the creek without a paddle. There was speculation that EA would try to shortchange fans once its subscription service launched, and the company is validating those fears right out the gate.
Madden NFL 15 arrives on PS4, PS3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360 this August 26. If you want to subscribe to EA Access, you'll have to pay $4.99 a month or $29.99 for a year's membership.
