Comcast tests streaming games to your cable box

[froggyboy604]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MdJxO3_fA0

A partnership with Electronic Arts (confirming Reuters rumor from last year), it's not going to compete with PlayStation and Xbox, but is closer to what Roku, Amazon and Android are already doing for TV gaming. At least for now, the games offered are older and mobile-versions of games like Plants vs Zombies, Real Racing 2 or FIFA 13. There's not a connection for a standard gamepad, so players control them with phones and tablets (right now the list appears to cover iOS, and mainly Samsung Galaxy phones/tablets on the Android side). The main requirement? Comcast's X1 TV platform, so if you have it you can sign up to be a beta tester here. 

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I think the games like Plants vs Zombies, Real Racing 2 or FIFA 13 are good games to play between those long commercial breaks, or when there is nothing on TV, but you are too lazy to turn on your game console. 

It is too bad that you can't use a wireless gamepad, or your TV remote as a controller, and require you to own a smartphone, or tablet to use as a controller.

 

[Demon_Skeith]

I'm sure it could be modded or hacked to use a wireless controller.

 

[froggyboy604]

I bet, the beta testers will suggest that a wireless controller is added when it is out of beta, or a controller will be released on the next version of the Comcast Xfinity cable box.

 

[lb]

to play between those long commercial breaks,

Wouldn't this affect advertising companies? Their revenue comes mostly from the number of viewers that watch their commercials...

 

[froggyboy604]

Wouldn't this affect advertising companies? Their revenue comes mostly from the number of viewers that watch their commercials...

Yes, it would probably affect advertising company revenue unless Ad companies uses commercial which are streaming game to let users play on Comcast's new settop box which support streaming games.

Redbull, and other companies use mobile games to promote their products.