In August 2014, we launched EA Play (formerly EA Access) into the gaming world to meet players where they were. And what started as a subscription service has grown into so much more — it has become a vibrant community where millions of players worldwide dive into some of the best games in the world, and enjoy in-game member rewards and exclusive discounts.
Since launch, tens of millions of highly engaged members have played hundreds of millions of games through EA Play. They’ve discovered new favorite games by playing over 230 million game trial hours – enough to fly around the earth 5.4 million times and have snagged over 760 million rewards across our franchises, offering billions of dollars in value - and that’s all before the exclusive discounts on EA purchases. It's a brand that our players have come to know and love.
As we mark the 10-year anniversary of EA Play, we're celebrating its continued evolution into what it is today – the best way for anyone to explore the expansive world of EA. A world filled to the brim with unrivaled sports action, blockbuster IPs, and some of the most culturally relevant gaming titles on the planet that connect millions of players.
To delve deeper into what makes EA Play stand out and to explore its journey over the past decade, we connected with Joe Traverso, Vice President of EA Experiences - Commerce, Social, and Subscription. In this Q&A, Joe offers remarkable insights into the unique aspects of EA Play, being one of the first companies to offer a subscription model in gaming, his thoughts on EA Play these past 10 years, as well as a glimpse into the exciting future that lies ahead.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today, Joe. Let’s get right into it. When looking at the EA ecosystem and, in particular, how players interact with our world-class products, what makes EA Play stand out to you?
A few things are part of that, and it all starts with the core pillars of the subscription. First, It's a huge opportunity to introduce new players to games they may not have played before and convert them into fans. Through EA Play, we've seen millions of new players check out our franchises through the vast library of games we have in our Play List and through the exclusive trials of our latest games. Both these benefits allow our members to access the best of EA all in one place. I think that's a huge part of it.
But it’s not just about access to our titles, our member benefits and rewards allow players to go deeper into these blockbuster games giving them the value they can’t get anywhere else.
That’s fantastic. On the model itself, EA was one of the first companies to utilize subscriptions for gaming. Why do you think we were one of the first to do so? Is it something ingrained in the culture here?
You know, one of our company values is pioneering. And we're always looking for new ways to connect with our players and to bring them unique experiences. And what’s more unique than the breadth of Electronic Arts’ portfolio of content?
It was clear early on that we had an opportunity to bring those things together. And there was a way that we could do that that would resonate with new players and existing players alike by delivering the whole portfolio of EA to our players through a new model.
Our willingness to take those kinds of risks and put ourselves out there in a new and unique way is powerful. We're always trying to find new ways to give players choice and give them options for how they want to experience the game. And that is something that we've unlocked with EA Play for them.
Now, here we are 10 years later and there are no signs of slowing down. When you look back at this accomplishment, how do you feel about it?
I’m extremely proud of what we've accomplished with EA Play. We have introduced more players to our world-class, blockbuster franchises, and helped those players forge a closer relationship with their favorite games.
I'm incredibly proud of the partnerships that we've forged at Microsoft, Sony, and Valve, and we want to keep reaching more players through new partners and new ecosystems. And I'm proud of the innovation that we fostered in terms of these new interaction models, these new ways of engaging, and these new ways of experiencing all the amazing things that we're able to do.
And I think you're right. We're not intending to slow down at all. We're intending to continue to evolve the subscription to meet the needs of modern players and invest in ways that make it the best possible way to interact with our amazing franchises.
Love to hear it. Looking ahead, what can we expect for the next decade of EA Play?
As we look toward the future, I think you're going to see us continue to build on our foundations. We want to reach as many players as we possibly can, and that's going to be through things like bringing the subscription to new platforms, and forging new partnerships so that we can reach players that we otherwise wouldn't be able to reach.
We're evolving as the market evolves. And we're continuing to introduce value to our players as they evolve with us, and as our games continue to evolve. This includes exploring new modalities of interactions, so that we can connect with our members in ways that they may not have been expecting from us..
And I think the other part of it is continuing to listen to our members and learn what elements of our subscription resonate with them so that we can double down in the areas that deliver the most engagement and value.
"We're always trying to find new ways to give players choice and give them options for how they want to experience the game. And that is something that we've unlocked with EA play for them."
A future filled with fun
As we celebrate this milestone, we're excited about the future of EA Play and the innovations reshaping gaming. With new technologies on the horizon, the next decade promises even more excitement and possibilities for millions of our players worldwide.
As our industry continues to change and grow, the talented teams at EA have an incredible opportunity to build bolder interactive entertainment for hundreds of millions of players. We have decades of experience as a company in entertaining massive online communities, telling blockbuster stories, and harnessing the power of community.
To celebrate a decade of play, EA Play* is offering a major discount: $0.99** for the first month for new members across Xbox, PlayStation and PC, from now until August 15.
*Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See tos.ea.com/legalapp/eaplay/US/en/PC/ for details.
**Offers may vary. See retailer’s site for details.