Xbox Gaming in South Africa

EA Sports has announced that the new EA Sports Season Ticket subscription service kicks off today, giving 'core fans' of various sports franchises early access to new releases, discounts on DLC, free premium web content, and membership recognition to show off their allegiance to the brand.

"EA SPORTS Season Ticket is an exciting program for our core fans – it lets our biggest fans play earlier, play more and play better than anyone else," said EA Sports boss Peter Moore. "EA SPORTS Season Ticket is an important step in our vision for transforming how deeply fans connect with the sports games they love through digital products and services. We’re excited to continue evolving EA SPORTS Season Ticket as we listen to what consumers want most in their gaming experiences."

And how much would you expect to pay for all this? 200 MS Points? 600 MS Points, I hear you say? Well, you'd be wrong. It's 2000 MS Points or $24.99 for 12 months. Oh.

We're not quite sure what you're really paying for here. If you buy every DLC pack released for EA Sports games then you may be able to come out even, so the real kicker is the early access. But is it worth around R200 per year for just 3 days early access? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Check out the all the "features" in full (as per the press release) below, along with the announcement trailer for EA SPORTS Season Ticket:

• Early Full-Game Digital Access: Three days before a game’s scheduled release, fans will be able to download and play the full version of all five participating titles [FIFA, Madden NFL, NHL, Tiger Woods PGA Tour and NCAA Football] on Xbox 360 and PS3™. The digitally downloaded game will time out when the game is available at retail and consumers have the option to purchase the same full game on disc at retail. EA SPORTS Season Ticket subscribers can transfer all achievements earned during the three-day download period to the purchased disc, resulting in an early edge over the competition.
• Discounted Downloadable Content: Subscribers will get a 20-percent discount on all available downloadable content for participating EA SPORTS titles. Downloadable content, which enhances and refreshes the core game experience, includes such items as Ultimate Team packs, accelerator packs and gear upgrades.
• Free Premium Web Content: Premium web content extends the game experience beyond the console to a web browser. All participating titles will feature premium web content that will be free to EA SPORTS Season Ticket members beginning with the premium Creation Center packs for FIFA Soccer 12. These packs provide a deeper set of customization tools and abilities within Creation Center to build your own teams and tournaments, and will be available to the consumer until the membership to the program has expired.
• Membership Recognition: Subscribers are easily identifiable with an exclusive membership recognition badge displayed both in-game and on their EASPORTS.com profile.