EA Sports launches Season Ticket sub services for Xbox 360 and PS3

EA Sports has launched Season Ticket, which is an annual subscription service for its main sports franchises FIFA, Madden, NHL and Tiger Woods' PGA Tour.

The service will cost subscribers 2000 Microsoft Points annually and it allows members to download the full version of each new release three days before it hits stores. Once the game is released to the general public, the download will expire. However, those who earned levels and achievements during the three-day period will be able to transfer the game data back over into the game once it is purchased.

Other incentives include a 20 percent discount on all EA Sports DLC, access to free "premium web content", and a membership badge for in-game and profile bragging rights.

"We've been talking to consumers in the US and over there in Europe about the type of thing they would like to see that they aren't currently getting from their EA Sports experiences," EA Sports' Peter Moore told GI.biz in an interview.

"It's very important to communicate that this doesn't change anything about EA Sports other than to add a layer on for people who are interested in those areas. It doesn't subtract or detract in any way from the core experience."

Moore said the program isn't about "making a profit in the early going," but about providing value to the firm's core sports consumer.

"It's about figuring out...a price that isn't going to eliminate a huge amount of people for the value that's delivered," he said. "We took it to the consumers and asked what they thought. The price we landed on is around 2000 points, and we think it's a great price."

The service is available for Australia, Europe, North America and New Zealand on Xbox 360, and on PS3 in North America.