Electronic Arts Offers Five Free Games (Temporarily!) with New Annual Service

Pay $24.99 now, play free games later. There might have been a time when the prospect of getting to play a game three days before its official release was so tantalizing that I just couldn't pass it up, regardless of the cost. Electronic Arts ERTS is hoping that I'm not the only one, as the company has launched an annual service called EA Sports Season Ticket. The service is headlined with one intriguing promise: by paying the annual fee of $24.99, PSN and Xbox Live users can gain access to a full downloadable version of Madden NFL Football, NHL hockey, FIFA Soccer, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR golf and NCAA Football three days before they are released. Technically you will receive a little extra time with the game, as EA says that the digital download will be available at 6:00 p.m. EST four days before the game's official release date “to ensure subscribers get a full three days to play following the download time.” This downloadable version is offered free of charge. All you have to do is subscribe to EA Sports Season Ticket. There is a catch, however: once the game is available at retail, your downloadable copy will, as EA states, “time out.” At that point you will no longer be able to play the downloaded version of the game. To keep playing, EA says that you will have the option to “purchase the same full game on disc at retail.” While the early play is a cool idea, it seems strange that EA isn't giving consumers the option to simply buy the full game online and keep the digital download they have already acquired. Personally, I prefer to buy games on disc, as most hardcore gamers do. With this service, EA is clearly targeting the hardcore audience. But if the company is already giving us the full game, why take it away? Why not re-brand this offering as what it really is: a full-length demo? In addition to the aforementioned offer, EA Sports Season Ticket will provide users with a 20% discount on “all available downloadable content for participating EA SPORTS titles.” (To be clear, EA is referring to the same five games mentioned earlier in this story.) Users will also gain access to what EA refers to as “free premium web content,” which is said to extend “the game experience beyond the console to a web browser.” This feature begins with the “premium Creation Center packs” for FIFA Soccer 12, which will be available to consumers until their EA Sports Season Ticket membership expires. (This is EA's kind way of saying, “Renew annually!”) Finally, EA is touting a “membership recognition” feature that allows subscribers to be easily identified in-game and on their easports.com profile. This identity comes in the form of a digital badge. “EA Sports Season Ticket is an exciting program for our core fans – it lets our biggest fans play earlier, play more and play better than anyone else,” said Peter Moore, President of EA Sports. “EA Sports Season Ticket is an important step in our vision for transforming how deeply fans connect with the sports games they love through digital products and services. We're excited to continue evolving EA SPORTS Season Ticket as we listen to what consumers want most in their gaming experiences.” “We are excited to be selected as the exclusive retail marketing partner for the roll-out of EA Sports Season Ticket,” adds GameStop President Tony Bartel. “GameStop is in a unique position to deliver this digital product utilizing its multichannel network. We will continue to work with progressive publishers to bring great gaming experiences to our customers.” In terms of marketing this new service, EA has teamed up with GameStop GME to launch an “innovative multichannel marketing campaign.” What that means, exactly, no one knows. But EA did announce that the service will be pitched to members of the GameStop PowerUp Rewards program, which includes both a free and paid ($14.99) version. Follow me @LouisBedigian