Sports gaming site
pastapadre.com is reporting that
EA Sports may institute a subscribtion-based persistent online profile system to many of its sports franchises. Now persistent online profiles are nothing new, most gamers have them in one form or another, but charging a subscription fee is new, and sounds like a bit of a stretch on EA's part.
The rumored perks of this subscription service range from membership badges and discounts on DLC for participating
EA Sports console titles, to the ability to transfer already paid-for DLC from one game to the next (meaning, for example, you wouldn't have to re-buy all those Tiger Woods courses again next year) and the ability to download games before their official street date.
So, yes, there are some good perks, but at this point any kind of subscription-based service is just inviting backlash from gamers that already feel nickle and dimed to death.
You can read more on the subject at both
joystiq and
gameinformer for an arguably less cynical take on the subject.
I'll just say it: I hate this idea. The constant battle to drain my wallet by tricking me into buying things that only exist so I'll buy them just bums me out.
