Xfinity Games Will Offer 'All-New Experiences' That Differ From EA Access

Comcast Corporation CMCSA and Electronic Arts Inc. EA have teamed up to develop a new streaming game service that promises to cut cords, discs and consoles.

The new service (which was built for the cable provider's X1 Platform) is going into beta today. According to Polygon, Comcast will use player feedback to determine the pricing structure when Xfinity Games is officially available.

This is not the first time that Electronic Arts has dabbled in online game delivery. The company currently has its own service, EA Access, that allows users to download and play a variety of console games for $4.99 per month. EA also offered a sports-specific service called EA Sports Season Ticket that sold for $24.99 per year until the company announced its closure in August 2014. While there was some overlap between EA Access and EA Sports Season Ticket, Comcast plans to offer something unique.

"Xfinity Games' library is different than EA Access," an EA spokesperson told Benzinga. "Rather than giving gamers access to EA's console titles, the Xfinity Games beta delivers all-new experiences designed specifically for this unique way to play."

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The beta will offer a "growing library" of more than 20 sports, family and puzzle games. No downloads will be required -- players can simply stream them through the X1 platform. This should not be confused with the Xbox One console from Microsoft Corporation MSFT, which is an entirely different product.

"The games were built with this play style in mind," the spokesperson continued. "For example, we developed a Web-based interface to make the controller unique for each game -- whether it's swipe controls in 'PGA,' tilt controls to steer in 'Real Racing 2' or shaking your phone to roll the dice in 'MONOPOLY.'"

Mobile Inspired?

If the demo video is any indication, the Xfinity Games experience might be similar to Fire TV or Apple TV.

Benzinga asked EA if this means that Xfinity Games will feature content that is similar to the Web or mobile games that already exist.

"It varies by experience, but they are designed specifically for the platform," the spokesperson replied.

Disclosure: At the time of this writing, Louis Bedigian had no position in the equities mentioned in this report.

Image credit: Mike Mozart, Flickr