Edit. I see someone did use the word scam. I don't think it's a scam, but I'm not very favourable towards publisher based subscritpions.

I did download Dragon Age Origins for my PC for free recently. Now that's a publisher based "subscrition" I can get behind.

I'm totally on board with Sony not having EA Access. Sony's ambition is PS Now and PSN+, EA access, and then other future publisher subscription services isn;t a good fit with where Sony is going. Don't like Sony's direction? No one is forcing you to buy a PS3/4/Vita/PSNow enabled phone/tablet. 

Would I sign up for EA Access if it comes to PC/PSN? Doubtful. Pretty much all the EA back catalogue I have any remote interest in playing I have already played, and PSN+ is offering up more than enough "passing interest" games that I will get me through any must have game droughts. I already have a 10+ "passing interest" game back catalogue that I have amassed from PSN+. With the combination of must have games and passing interest games I get from PSN+ I know I will already have more games available to me than I can ever hope to play before platform independant game streaming becomes the mainstream way of playing video games.

So for me even $5/month is a waste of money for EA Access.

And let's not pretend EA is giving you more choice choice. EA chooses what games go into the vault, so your choice is always limited to what games EA is prepared to give away. Over time, the selection of "free" games on offer to you through PSN+ will be much larger than the selection of games EA is willing to put in its vault. 

In my estimation $60/year for PSN+ looks better value than $60/year for EA Access. Though EA Access might be better value than Games with Gold, but I can't comment because I don't know what you get with GWG.

The majority of EA's games don't interest me except for a handful of games and those few I'm willing to just outright buy physical copies of. If there were a subscription service for certain game genres like jrpg's or rpg's in general, I would definitely subscribe to it. Otherwise I'm just gonna stick to netflix, crunchyroll and playing physical copies of games.

I understand Intrinsic's point about if everybody is willing to pay up then companies like EA "COULD" (important here) do what he fears. But I think if everybody does that thing it's because everybody thinks it's of great value. When/if it doesn't represents great value anymore, what exactly prevents people from not renewing their subscription? You act like if people adopt this they suddenly get tied up and hold no power as to how they buy the games.

Also I see a lot of people comparing this service to PSNow but no one seem to think Sony "COULD" do the same thing. People kept saying Sony would never charge to play online... well they did, now would anyone say Sony would never hide extra features behind PSNow? I wouldn't. Especially if people are willing to shell 2.99$/4 hours of gameplay...

scam? hell no. I don't have it because there isn't enough in it for me. However my friends have all purchased it as the price of a years access is LESS than the price of a single game and their is games they want. It is an extremely good value for money if it interests you. If you are calling it a scam then so is PS+ and XBL

You know, beeing optional doesnt rule out it beeing a scam in any way.

Personally i think its a waste of money. But, i also think Gold and PS+ are the same. Paying to be able to use your connection to play a game you already payed for. lulz!

I think all the subscriptions are scams. But I got one of them on temporary free trial so my brother and friends can play online when they visit during the holidays.

It will not truly be worth it until it gives me a great game once a year. So far not so good.

It's not a scam it just a paid demo, which should be playable for free.

The irony is you’re not going to get a decent discussion going in the gaming world until it comes to PS4. The reality is if you’re against it, you’re automatically a Sony fanboy or if you’re for it then you’re a Xbox fanboy. Until people put away platform bias and look at the product as a whole and the implications of it the majority of feedback is going to be “They’re just jelly” type of comments.

Lower it to $1.50/£1 and I'd very much be willing to pay just a £1 to try a game to see if I like it... I'd then go out and buy it used from a store. :P

I don't think anyone was ever worried about it being a scam as such (who can't see that it is good value? of course it is) but they were more fearful of what it could lead to. EA Access succeeds, it means other companies do it. Suddenly we are all signing up to 3 or 4 services to get our gaming fixes, some people may not even bother buying new games, just waiting for it to appear on Access. Profits go down for major games releases. So they release games sooner in Access or put the price up to compensate. These games appearing on Access will no longer be available on Games for Gold or PS+ as they are direct competition, devaluing those services. Segregating the industry even more. One day you will have PS exclusive content, Xbox exclusive content, Access exclusive content. No one person getting the full experience of the game....

Okay so all hypothetical but still.