With a subscription EA could have more incentive to enhance features over the years, I.e improve season graphics, overhaul UI elements as there’s either two sim 5 players free or subbed. I’m a feast or famine player, so I could pay £9.99/month to try a new pack for a weekend, and then not pay again for 6 months. At the moment there’s so many bugs because each expansion pack, game pack or stuff pack is optional, so there isn’t one ‘universal sim player’. With an optimistic hat on, this could be beneficial to players. Then a monthly subscription allows access to any previous and future DLC.
I’m thinking that The Sims 5 could work similar to an MMORPG expansion theme? The base game is free to play, with a limited set of items, worlds etc. This is my two-pence (iOS app designer, so in the freemium world)