When Electronic Arts (EA) gave the world EA Play roughly ten or so years ago, it already felt like customers were being ripped off. EA Play is the company’s subscription-based service, which charges users a monthly or yearly fee in exchange for access to a library of washed-up FIFA titles and the odd half-decent title (see Mass Effect and It Takes Two). Now, the service is seeing a massive price hike effective immediately. Emphasis on massive.
By the time EA Play reached South Africa’s shores, it rocked up with a fee almost worthy of consideration: R50/m or R200/year. Aside from the aforementioned library of games, a subscription also offers a minimal 10% discount on upcoming titles and in-game titles, appealing most directly to folks who eagerly await the company’s next FIFA or Madden title every year.
EA Play(ing us for fools)
EA began warning subscribed customers of the change via email yesterday, noting that new prices will come into effect from 10 May 2024, according to GamesIndustry.biz, or “until your next renewal date that occurs on or after X” date. Thanks to u/ssa17k on Reddit, we’ve got an idea of what the email being sent to customers looks like.
And we haven’t even mentioned EA Play Pro, the company’s higher-tier subscription service, which is also included in the price hike. The difference here appears that Pro members can secure new titles instantly, rather than waiting for them to shrivel up and be passed onto the cheaper subscription package.
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In South Africa, the monthly price of EA Play is being hiked up to R90/m (R40 increase), while a year will now set customers back R650/year (R400 increase). Step up to EA Play Pro, and you’ll pay R305/m (R105 increase), whereas a year of the service now costs R1,700/year (R500 increase).
EA’s email doesn’t mention the reason behind the massive price hike, though according to GamesIndustry.biz, the FIFA-maker is looking to “reflect changes in currency value and to bring fees in line with market value.” Translation? “We’d like more money, please and thank you.”