Related: Why Mass Effect Legendary Edition's Day One Patch Is So Bigĭuring the initial launch window, Mass Effect Legendary Edition will be restricted to EA Play Pro members, according to an EA FAQ.
The basic version of EA Play is incorporated into some Xbox Game Pass subscriptions. PC gamers have the option of EA Play Pro, which costs $15 per month or $100 per year but lifts all barriers on playing new or early-access games. In effect, just a slim minority of gamers will get subscription playtime.ĮA Play costs $5 per month or $30 per year, and includes a select number of EA titles depending on the platform - the service currently supports PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. To offer an incentive over other services, EA includes the ability to play some new-release titles for up to 10 hours, and 10% discounts when it comes time to buy games or DLC.
That would help to explain the situation with Mass Effect Legendary Edition, which is seeing a conventional launch on May 14, but with much more restricted access through services like EA Play. Subscription services are all the rage in movies and TV, but have only gradually taken hold in games because the latter are more complicated on a variety of technical and business levels.
