Xbox 360 App Xfinity Will Stop Streaming Come September Due To Possible Competition
When Xbox 360 received the Xfinity app in 2012, it was met with a lot of criticism and confusion. It wasn’t one of the most loved streaming apps available for Xbox 360, and other streaming apps like Netflix hated Xfinity when it came to Xbox 360 since according to them, it was a blatant abuse of network neutrality. Xfinity was streaming videos to the Xbox 360 console without counting it against its bandwidth caps, and all other streaming apps for Xbox 360 got alarmed by the competition.
But it seems Netflix is winning this one, since IGN reports that Comcast is pulling out its Xfinity app in Xbox 360 consoles when September comes in.
When Xfinity rolled out to Xbox 360 units in 2012, users flocked to the app since it was streaming videos outside the users’ data cap. There was even a point when Xbox 360 consoles were used more for streaming entertainment than gaming itself. Comcast defended itself in a previous report by the Inquisitr, saying that the app uses a private IP network, unlike other streaming apps for the Xbox 360.
“Comcast says the Xbox app gets special treatment because the video is ‘being delivered over our private IP network and not the public Internet.’ This gives the service a potentially large advantage over not just other video streaming apps like Netflix and Hulu Plus, but also over Comcast On Demand content streamed through the company’s website and mobile apps, both of which count against the data limits.”
But as the year passed, Netflix grew in millions, and Xfinity was eventually left behind in the Xbox console. Comcast’s attempt to purchase Time Warner Cable didn’t push through, as well, and it went downhill from there. So, is the death of Xfinity in Xbox 360 the reason why Comcast is pulling out the app in Xbox 360 consoles?
In response to a tweet by John Callaham, Comcast support admitted that they are pulling out Xfinity in Xbox 360 to make way for upgrades and improvements.
@JCalMN We are removing this to make way for new updates and improvements to our online experience for customers – PL
— Xfinity Support (@XfinitySupport) August 17, 2015
What’s interesting is another Twitter user’s reply to the conversation between Callaham and Comcast support, claiming that there is a possibility that the people behind Xbox One and Xbox 360 are not happy with Xfinity’s strategic direction — and this is the X1 platform.
@comcastcares @JCalMN It is because #XBOXOne and #XBOX360 are against comcast’s strategic direction… X1 Platform.
— Anoop George (@AnoopGeorge) August 17, 2015
X1 TV is actually a pretty revolutionary product, if done really well, and if it gets the right amount of aggressive marketing, could probably offset live streaming and maybe even game streaming in Xbox platforms. Because just last July, Xfinity launched a beta test for streaming games right to the user’s cable box. In a partnership with Electronic Arts, those who have an X1 TV platform will be able to beta test Xfinity’s game streaming through the TV cable box. Engadget feels this won’t pose competition for Xbox and PlayStation platforms, but no one can really tell, especially since this is the cheaper and easier way to do game streaming.
The Xfinity app will officially stop streaming to Xbox 360 on September 1.
[Image via Comcast]
