EA: 'Online subscriptions could be the future'

EA Sports vice president Andrew Wilson has claimed that online subscriptions could be the future of the industry.

Online subscription models are typically reserved for massively multiplayer online titles like the popular World of Warcraft series.

"If we look at what consumers have pushed other industries for, if we look at what consumers forced the music industry to provide, if we look at what consumers have driven as a result of television and movie subscription, if you look at us - there's absolutely a time somewhere at some point in the future where the consumers say, 'Hey, this is how we want to interact with you - we want to give you a monthly or annual subscription and we want access to everything you make,'" Wilson told Eurogamer.

"They get to drive the time and place for it, and a lot of it is technology dependent, but absolutely we can see a future where that might be the way we deliver games."

In terms of the technology required, Wilson doesn't see consoles as a hurdle for releasing subscription-based games. Instead, he argues that it may be broadband internet access that limits gaming from a download-only future.

"It's less about the generation and more about internet infrastructure," Wilson explained.

"The thing about consoles [is] that's a lot of content - six, seven gigs of information. Right now there are some places in the world where you can move that size of information around relatively seamlessly; there are a lot of places you can't."

Activision will offer an online subscription option with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 called Call of Duty: Elite, which will give players enhanced stat tracking, access to all DLC maps and the option to enter contests and tournaments for prizes.