Evenden’s claims are that this will be a more accessible model for players. Instead of paying around $499 for a console and game, “in a streaming world, it could be $9.99 a month.” Evenden also stated this model would make the development of games far easier, resulting in better products. However, he also didn’t shy away from mentioning that this would be hugely profitable for publishers like EA. Not having to market, distribute, or create any physical copies of games would dramatically increase their profits per title.

Although we recognize gaming is a profit-centric industry, we have covered before some of the less scrupulous ides that publishers have had in pursuing that goal. And what Evenden fails to address are the consequences of switching to streaming.

For instance, there is no mention of what happens to older titles. If the model will be more like Netflix – a service he cited as inspiration – then older game titles might simply no longer be available through anything other than a rental, which could increase customer cost far more than stated. That is, of course, only if there is only one tier of subscription. No one yet knows if EA and Evenden plan a single-option for streaming or if it would be tiered based on desired game access.

