EA launches Origin Access subscription service

Electronic Arts has announced its latest approach to convincing gamers to use its Origin digital distribution service: an all-you-can-play subscription deal, priced at £3.99 a month.

Dubbed Origin Access, the new service offers players access to The Vault. Dramatically named, The Vault is simply a section of Origin which allows users to download and play games free of charge - so long as they keep paying the monthly subscription fee for Vault access, of course. In addition to a list of EA games - which the company promises will grow over time - Origin Access subscribers are also promised temporary trial access to the full versions of other titles, with progress carrying over should they choose to buy. The final carrot: all purchases made by an account with Origin Access will have a 10 per cent discount automatically applied.

The games confirmed for launch are: Battlefield 3; Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe; Battlefield Hardline Digital Deluxe; Dragon Age: Inquisition Digital Deluxe; Dragon Age II; Dragon Age Origins Ultimate Edition; SimCity; FIFA 15; Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare; Need for Speed Rivals Complete Edition; Dead Space 3; Dead Space 2; Dead Space; The Sims 3 Starter Pack; and This War of Mine. The first trial game available will be Unravel, starting on the 4th of February.

The Origin Access service is available only on Windows, with no hints from the company as to whether it plans to offer support on OS X or other platforms. More information is available on the official website.