Origin Access - A subscription service

[Bri]

For those who may be curious, it looks like EA is now running a subscription service on Origin for the PC.  Don't take this as a personal endorsement from the site, but just relaying that it is out there.

Official information can be found here:
Origin Access - Subscription Service

In a nutshell, they will charge you $4.99 a month.  This is the U.S. price.

What do you get?

You will save 10% on games purchased through Origin. 

You get full access to games in their Vault, which you can find  here:
The Vault

You can play some games before their official release.

Also, here is the Origin Access FAQ page:
Origin Access FAQ

[Playalot]

Must only be for USA maybe? When I click those links here (New Zealand) I just get a message saying service not available in this area.

[Bri]

Must only be for USA maybe? When I click those links here (New Zealand) I just get a message saying service not available in this area.

It may be region locked.  Sorry about that.  I read the small print, but didn't see anything about the being US only.  Of course, it may say that, and I may have overlooked it.

[Indira]

Confirming what Playalot said. All three links are unavailable for us here. @Bri , is it possible to type-in(post) what's in the links themselves? I'm just curious to read what is written. I have no idea how to change location for my computer. It automatically use Zew Zealand.

[Bri]

Confirming what Playalot said. All three links are unavailable for us here. @Bri , is it possible to type-in(post) what's in the links themselves? I'm just curious to read what is written. I have no idea how to change location for my computer. It automatically use Zew Zealand.

Sure thing Indira.  Sorry for the inconvenience.  The first page link is just a brief announcement of the bullet points I put up (the price, what you get access to, etc.)  The second link is just what games are currently in the Vault, and presumably on the US side. 

The best, pertinent information comes from their FAQ which I've copy/pasted below.

Official Press Release:
At EA, we’re passionate about giving our players more variety, more flexibility, more value, and more fun. Today we're thrilled to announce a new membership service for PC gamers on Origin called Origin Access. It's available now in the U.S., Canada, UK and Germany and coming to more countries soon.

Origin Access brings players endless gaming with a growing collection of great PC games for just £3.99 a month.

This new service launches with 15 great games, including Battlefield 4™, Dragon Age™: Inquisition, The Sims™ 3, and This War of Mine with more titles from EA and independent developers added over time. The complete list of titles currently available in The Vault can be found at https://www.origin.com/store/origin-access .

Origin Access members will be able to:

·         Play More – Explore The Vault where members can download and play full versions of more than a dozen great PC games

·         Play First –Play EA’s PC games for a limited time before they're released. All your stats and progress carry over if you decide to buy the game

·         Play for Less – Save 10% on your Origin purchases – from full games and DLC to content packs and more

Origin Access was created to deliver incredible PC gaming experiences at an incredible value while making it easier for you to discover and play great PC games. We hope you’ll give it a try by signing up at https://www.origin.com/store/origin-access .



From the FAQ page:


What’s Origin Access?
Glad you asked! Origin Access is an all-you-can-play membership service for PC gamers. Membership unlocks The Vault, a growing collection of great PC games you can download and play as much as you want. Plus, members can play upcoming EA games before they're released for a limited time, and score an automatic 10% discount on Origin purchases, including full games, pre-orders, DLC, FIFA points, and kitchen sinks. OK, maybe not that last one, but you get the point.

How do I join Origin Access?
Simple – all you gotta do is sign up. Just follow the on-screen instructions and you’ll be knee-deep in games in no time.

How do I cancel my Origin Access membership?
Cancelling your Origin Access membership is quick and easy with your EA Account. (By the way, should you rejoin, all your games will be waiting for you, right where you left off). To cancel, log into either the Origin Client or Origin.com.

From the Client:
 1. Log into your EA Account.
2. Click "Origin" in the top menu and then click "Account and Privacy."
3. Click on the Subscription button on the left, then click "Cancel Automatic Payments."
 4. Follow the on-screen directions. Feel free to rejoin anytime. From Origin.com:

 1. Log into your EA Account.
 2. Click "My Account" and then "Manage Preferences" in the top navigation bar.
 3. Click on the Subscription button on the left, then click "Cancel Automatic Payments."
 4. Follow the on-screen directions. Feel free to rejoin anytime.

What’s The Vault?
The Vault is a growing collection of great PC games included in your membership. We’re talking full versions, yours to play as much as you want. Plus, more games are being added over time. The Vault is awesome now. It’s getting even… awesomer.

Will The Vault include third party games?
Yep! You’ll be able to play select games from other publishers with your Origin Access membership – and we plan on adding more over time, so your Origin Access library will keep on growing.

Why do games in The Vault vary from country to country?
Short answer: different countries have different rules about what games can be sold or made available. The result: what you see in The Vault may vary slightly by locale.

What are Play First Trials? Will my progress carry over?
Play First Trials let you download and play upcoming EA games before they’re released for a limited time. Yep – that’s right, you’ll be the first to play EA’s latest and greatest with an Origin Access membership. And because you’re playing the real game, not a demo, your progress will carry over, so you can pick up where you left off if you decide to purchase the game.

What’s the difference between a demo, a Play First Trial, and Game Time?
Demos: stand-alone chunks of a game designed to give players a taste of what it offers.

Play First Trials: the real game, yours to play before it’s released for a limited time. These are exclusive to Origin Access members. If you purchase the game once it’s out, your stats and progress carry over.

Game Time: these are trials available to all Origin players

What can I use my member discount on?
As a member of Origin Access, you'll score an automatic 10% discount on purchases from Origin.com, including new releases and pre-orders. Ditto for expansions, game packs, points, you name it. Please note: to receive the discount, the purchase must be made via Origin.

Do I always need to be connected to the Internet to play games with my Origin Access membership?
For Play First Trials, you’ll need an Internet connection. You can play some Vault games offline, but you’ll need to periodically reconnect to Origin to verify that you’re still a member.

Can I play Origin Access games on PC and Mac?
Origin Access is only available on PC. Vault games and Play First Trials cannot be played on a Mac.

I encountered an error while playing a classic title. What gives?
We heart classic games and we're committed to bringing them to Origin Access. Because technology has changed so much over the years (floppy disks, anyone?), playing older games on newer systems can sometimes lead to errors. Got more questions? Please contact Customer Experience.

How much is Origin Access?
An Origin Access membership is just $4.99 a month. That’s not a typo – for the same price as an oh-so-delicious frozen pizza, you get to enjoy endless PC gaming (though we highly recommend enjoying a pizza, too).

What payment methods can I use to purchase an Origin Access membership?
We currently accept credit card and PayPal.

Can I purchase an Origin Access membership at a physical retail store?
Origin Access memberships are only available for purchase online.

[Indira]

Thanks @Bri .
This is something to think about if it comes available for us. I'd love a chance to play Sims 2 in it's entirety. I completely missed the free-everything-except-base-game moment. I wonder if there is a way to circumvent the region-lock.

[dodi90]

I believe to circumvent the region lock you can utilize 3rd party program but the free ones have disadvantages.
They don't last very long so you need to reconfigure it every few days and the connection is pretty slow and unstable.
I believe they will eventually add this new feature to all the region so I don't think its worth it to circumvent the region-lock.

Personally i want some kind of a pass for their popular game. For example I would like buy Sims 3 base game and buy a pass of extra $25 to $30 to access all of their DLC (minus the store one obviously). For me US $4.99 is a fair price considering if they add Sims 4 eventually, you no longer need to shell that much money just to enjoy newer content after you shelve the game for a long time.

[Janna]

How does it affect getting games through this site?  I know that if I can't get the hard copies of games and have to download them I might as well get them from here. 
Aggravated that after buying a game from Amazon and thinking it was a hard copy it ended up having a code in the box, not a disc.

It sounds like it might be worth checking out some time later on.  Especially if I can get the games from here and the site gains from it.   

[MrsFlynn]

I don't know how Origin's offer will affect purchasing games through the site.

If you're ever in doubt what you can do is when any content for Sims 4 is available go to the link at the top right hand corner of the forum's homepage.

[Bri]

How does it affect getting games through this site?  I know that if I can't get the hard copies of games and have to download them I might as well get them from here. 

Purchasing through the various links should still benefit the site, even if you do the subscription service, but I am not sure.

For anyone in general, be careful before signing up for the subscription service.  For many people, it just wouldn't be cost-effective, especially if you only buy Sims 4 stuff.

I mean, if you purchase 2 Expansion Packs a year, @ $40 apiece, that would net you a savings of $8.  If you figure 3 Game Packs a year,  @ $20 apiece, the net savings would be $6.  If you allow for 8 Stuff Packs a year, @ $10 apiece, the net savings would only be $8.  Altogether, a savings of $22 (obviously I don't know the exact number of Expansion/Game/Stuff Packs that will be released)...and the subscription service will run you $60 in a year.

Of course, if you want to try earlier games, or if you buy heavily from EA, or just want access to games in the Vault, that might make it worth your while.

[dodi90]

Subs service is more for player that is late to the game that already has many DLC but really could not afford to buy it all at once. Sims 4 themselves cost you more than $100 just to enjoy all the content and I believe not all people can afford to buy them all at once. The idea of Subs is to let people enjoy the game for a bit and  let them decide if they wanted to buy the full game or just prolonged the subscription.

[Bri]

Subs service is more for player that is late to the game that already has many DLC but really could not afford to buy it all at once. Sims 4 themselves cost you more than $100 just to enjoy all the content and I believe not all people can afford to buy them all at once. The idea of Subs is to let people enjoy the game for a bit and  let them decide if they wanted to buy the full game or just prolonged the subscription.

That's a very good point dodi90 and makes sense.  And if you can't afford to buy a game, this could still give you access at a much cheaper point (sort of like other game services like Gamefly).

[Janna]

dodi90  does make a good point.  Because we have some extra money coming in each month, until hubby's physical therapy ends (approx four, maybe five months from now) I can afford to buy the expansion packs and stuff packs that interest me.

Without those checks, there would have been no way I could have bought the game, packs and stuff.  I will this week be picking up the OR and the Spa stuff pack.   That will  have me spending close to $200 I wouldn't have had. 
With the membership I would have been able to try out the game before I spent such a large amount of money (for me it is a large amount).   

For those who aren't sure they will like the Sims 4, or any of the expansion packs and stuff packs, it would be good to try them out.  Since you can cancel the membership, it would make it worthwhile to give it a try. 


I doubt I will do  it, as I have already bought the games.  As Bri has already mentioned, it can add up if you aren't into buying a lot of E.A. games.  Or if they are able to get games from other businesses.