Gaming giant EA announced a new service Tuesday called EA Access that allows players to pay a flat monthly rate for the ability to play a growing library of games for the Xbox One. The $5 per month or $30 per year grants rights to a "Vault" of AAA titles like "Madden NFL 25" and "Battlefield 4," and new games will be added continually. It's similar to Sony's PlayStation Plus program, which also provides games and other benefits for a monthly or yearly price.
What's the catch? For one thing, none of the expansion packs are included — Access members get 10 percent off, but map packs and the like can still add up to quite a bit. And although trials of brand new games will be available ahead of launch, the full versions of the hottest games will likely not be available through Access — for instance the current EA and Xbox One flagship title, "Titanfall." Still, budget-minded gamers who don't absolutely need the latest and greatest might decide that $30 for a year's worth of proven hits is a bargain.
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— Devin Coldewey, NBC News