Comcast Ends EA Games on X1 – Report
UPDATE: Comcast has now confirmed that it's shutting down the Xfinity Games service on April 12.
Gaming isn't a strong suit for pay-TV companies.
In the latest sign that cable companies haven't conquered the gaming world, DSLReports is citing a source who says Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is now ditching the Xfinity Games service it first launched as a pilot back in 2013. (See Comcast Begins EA Games Pilot and Comcast Nears Gaming Launch With EA.)
According to the source, the service, which paired Comcast set-tops with streaming titles from the EA Games library, is scheduled to shut down on April 12.
The idea behind the EA Games partnership was to show consumers how powerful X1 set-tops could be. But apparently, they're not powerful enough, as early reviews reported significant latency and suggested games were virtually unplayable as a result.
It appears the Comcast gaming service never left the trial stage after the company touted its beta launch last summer. (See Comcast Plays Games With X1.)
Comcast isn't the only cable company to flame out in the gaming world. Cox Communications Inc. shut down several experimental OTT services last month including FlarePlay, the cableco's subscription gaming service that required a $30 TV-connected console from Toys R Us. (See Cox Snuffs Out 'Flare' OTT Services.)
— Mari Silbey, Senior Editor, Cable/Video, Light Reading
