PS4 Boss Says "We Don't Have Anything Against EA Access"

PlayStation EU boss Jim Ryan doesn't have anything against EA Access, the newly released subscription program for Xbox One, but don't expect it to show up on 
PlayStation 4 anytime soon. That's because, Ryan says, it does not match up with Sony's goals for the PlayStation platform, at least not right now.

"We don't have anything against EA Access, we just need to position it," Ryan told Metro. "These sort of offerings they've got to fit into the framework of everything we do and everything that we offer. And we're just not quite comfortable with how it sits within the whole ecosystem of our digital offering, including PlayStation Plus."

Some gamers were surprised when Electronic Arts announced EA Access as an Xbox One-only program. Sony's official line on the matter is that it believes EA Access does not offer the kind of value that PlayStation owners have come to expect.

EA Access requires a $5/month or $30/year subscription, which gets you unlimited and permanent access to games within The Vault, as well as discounts on digital content, and the ability to play upcoming games before they are released. Ryan says, however, that the monthly subscription "adds up of course" over the span of months and years, and he still maintains that PlayStation Plus is a better value. "We've got PlayStation Plus and we feel that offers our consumers the best value in terms of a subscription offer," Ryan said.

Ryan wasn't the only PlayStation executive to broach the subject of EA Access recently. Worldwide studios president Shuhei Yoshida tells Eurogamer that if Sony were to introduce EA Access to PS4, it could lead to a situation where other publishers follow suit. And as a result, the consumer would have to choose by publisher which program to subscribe to. According to Yoshida, "That's not something we believe is best for consumers."

Yoshida also made it clear that Sony's decision about not offering EA Access on PS4 could change. "Nothing can be final. It's not a technical matter. It's more a business matter," he said.