AfterDawn: News

Coming soon: Comcast to stream EA video games via cable boxes

According to "five sources" close to the company, Comcast may soon begin offering streaming video games from major publisher EA via their X1 cable box.

The companies have allegedly been testing the service for two years, and the streaming games will include hit franchises like FIFA and Madden.



Comcast's X1 cable box, the most high-end in the industry including a full interface, operating system and apps, also has the ability for voice control.

If accurate, the move would be the boldest by a cable company trying to get into the gaming world and fend off powerful rivals like Amazon and their set-top FireTV, which includes the ability to play games with a full-sized controller.

Comcast is currently in the process of acquiring Time Warner Cable for $45 billion, combining the biggest cable companies in the U.S. into a behemoth.

Source:
Reuters

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 5 May 2014 21:52

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• 8 comments

• bhetrick

  Comcast and EA?
  
  Sounds like the perfect fit for each other.
  

  6.5.2014 09:33 #1

• bobiroc

  Well this sounds like an expensive failure. I am sure they will make up their losses by extorting the few people that sign up for this with hidden fees and microtransactions. After all that is the EA way of doing business. Well that and lying to and cheating their customers.
  

  AMD Phenom II 965 @ 3.67Ghz, 8GB DDR3, ATI Radeon 5770HD, 256GB OCZ Vertex 4, 2TB Additional HDD, Windows 7 Ultimate.
  
  http://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices

  7.5.2014 21:52 #2

• bhetrick

  Originally posted by bobiroc: Well this sounds like an expensive failure. I am sure they will make up their losses by extorting the few people that sign up for this with hidden fees and microtransactions. After all that is the EA way of doing business. Well that and lying to and cheating their customers. Yep, that's what I'm saying. Both well hated and anti-consumer. Perfect fit for each other.
  
  

  8.5.2014 10:19 #3

• Ripper

  Errr so how would one go about playing these streamed games?
  
  I wince at the thought of how much one has to pay Comcast for internet fast enough to actually get a half decent experience out of this.
  

  
  

  8.5.2014 15:45 #4

• bobiroc

  Originally posted by Ripper: Errr so how would one go about playing these streamed games?
  
  I wince at the thought of how much one has to pay Comcast for internet fast enough to actually get a half decent experience out of this. It will probably be their watered down tablet versions of their games anyway. Doubt you are going to get the actual console/PC games.
  

  AMD Phenom II 965 @ 3.67Ghz, 8GB DDR3, ATI Radeon 5770HD, 256GB OCZ Vertex 4, 2TB Additional HDD, Windows 7 Ultimate.
  
  http://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices

  8.5.2014 15:56 #5

• Ripper

  Originally posted by bobiroc: Originally posted by Ripper: Errr so how would one go about playing these streamed games?
  
  I wince at the thought of how much one has to pay Comcast for internet fast enough to actually get a half decent experience out of this. It will probably be their watered down tablet versions of their games anyway. Doubt you are going to get the actual console/PC games. Well that's what I was thinking too but in what way is that worthy of a "two year" testing programme and even worth pursuing in the first place?
  
  Just realised I sound like I had dinner with the Queen about 5 mins before I posted, sorry about that.
  

  
  

  8.5.2014 16:07 #6

• xboxdvl2

  sounds to me like ea and comcast are looking for ways to make $$$$ without actually selling a product.honestly doesn't surprise me the greedy .......
  

  custom built gaming pc from early 2010,ps2 with 15 games all original,ps3 500gbs with 5 games all original,yamaha amp and 5.1channel surround sound speakers,46inch sony lcd smart tv.

  9.5.2014 04:11 #7

• Jemborg

  It's being trialled on the OUYA atm...
  
  LAN only not wireless atm. First with Lego Batman Arkam Asylum and Splinter Cell Somethingorother. One's Capcom and the other is... I forget. It's getting good marks but I can't tell you how well it's going personally as it ain't available in Oz natch :P
  

  Its a lot easier being righteous than right.
  
  
  

  14.5.2014 06:44 #8