Introduction To Game Publisher Gaming Subscriptions 

If you had to choose a firm dedicated to game development and publishing that would be most likely to have the power to run their own subscription service, it would undoubtedly be Electronic Arts. So it’ll be no surprise that they do in fact have a solution in place for subscribing to specifically play EA game titles.

EA are of course the developers of such huge titles as FIFA and Madden, two games that sit within a list as long as your arm of intensely engaging titles. Many of the games on this list can be played on EA’s subscription service known as EA Play. 

So are EA the only publisher with their own subscription?

Well no. They’re in a small group of services from firms dedicated to developing or publishing ( the other notable name is GameHouse), but there are some big names who also publish their own games but it’s not necessarily their main business – Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. Subscription offers from these are arguably better known for their console gaming services, though (certainly for Microsoft and Sony) they have multiple interests in many other aspects of technology development.

These three run their own subscription models under the banner of their consoles – Microsoft with Xbox Game Pass, Sony with the Playstation subscription options, and Nintendo with Switch Online.

To answer an  obvious question with perhaps an obvious group of answer…

Why would all these guys be running subscription services when they’re already well known either from their console operations or publishing history/reputation?

The main reason of course is money. It’s why they’re all in business. But to understand why they are all investing in subscriptions has multiple facets and is worth grasping….

1. Consoles and the big games are becoming ever more expensive. That rules out accessibility (or at a minimum restricts it) for a wide number of gamer’s. Subscriptions can reduce total costs, eliminating in some instances the need for expensive and/or upgraded hardware, and making a wide range of games available (including in some cases those big AAA titles). 

In fact, some recent acquisitions by the big console makers indicate they may already be on a path which takes them away from reliance on consoles to bolster profits and more towards the subscription offers. In other words, they have one eye on a future where a console in your living room may not be the big money-spinner it is now. The interest in cloud gaming is another big indicator here.

Microsoft would appear to have an advantage here over Sony and Nintendo, with their huge market share in PC operating systems via Windows. This gives them a unique strategic advantage which they seem to be looking to exploit with their investments in Game Pass.

In the foreseeable future,  chances are you won’t need an Xbox to have access to all Xbox games via PC (Windows) or mobile (Android). There is some potential for Microsoft to overtake Sony and Nintendo.

 2. As more and more subscription services come on line, and the models for those services mature and evolve, the number of games on the list for anyone to play will increase exponentially. With many thousands of games to choose from, brand loyalty will become even more desirable. The potential is that without a subscription offer, the big firms could be losing out not only in the brand and game awareness stakes, but also from a ‘cross-shopping’ perspective – consoles, other hardware, merchandise.  

So it’s clear that unless something earth shattering happens, the time has come for gaming subscriptions. The bigger names in publishing like EA have the resources and brand loyalty to make the subscription model work, both for themselves and for us the subscribers.

If these services do continue their upward path, it remains to be seen which other publishers – if any – can form some valid opposition to the few already in the game.

If all this has got your mouth watering at the prospect of cutting some costs while still getting some great games – and you’re considering diving in and signing up to a publisher-led gaming subscription, it’ll be a good idea to check out the other types of subscriptions covered here on SubscriptionGames.com first.