Why would it be herding?
The consumer has a responsibility in this situation as well. If you don't want to pay $5 for a month of EA Access to test out Madden before you buy it (which is better than the rental store fee you'll pay on August 26th, if they have a copy waiting for you when you show up) then it's up to you. EA isn't making anyone buy the EA Access.
But another thing that many don't realize is that the demo is rarely the gold-build of the game. It's usually a late-beta without every tweak that has been implemented (see past Maddens and how changes from demo to retail have been noticeable); because getting a demo in and approved by MS/Sony is a time consuming process as well.