Project: Video Game Streaming Platform Development & Post-Acquisition Integration
Industry: Gaming & Digital Distribution
Outcome: Foundation of EA Play
🎯 Challenge
Electronic Arts aimed to launch a direct-to-player video game streaming platform—a bold step toward competing with Steam and other distribution services. The goals were to:
- Enable instant gameplay across EA titles through cloud infrastructure
- Deliver smooth user experiences, from sign-in to real-time play
- Build scalable backend architecture for global reach
Shortly after, EA acquired Rupture, a gamer social network co-founded by Shawn Fanning of Napster fame. To merge social features into its streaming vision, EA once again turned to mediaGuild.
đź’ˇ Solution
mediaGuild partnered with EA across multiple phases of development and integration:
- Platform Engineering
- Designed and built core streaming infrastructure for direct play of EA titles
- Developed user account systems, progress tracking, and in-game library management
- Created a responsive UX layer optimized for console, desktop, and mobile platforms
- Social Feature Integration (Post-Rupture Acquisition)
- Merged Rupture’s gamer profiles and achievement systems into EA’s user dashboard
- Enabled real-time stat sharing, friend lists, and activity feeds
- Unified identity and authentication protocols across services
- Cloud Scalability & Service Delivery
- Implemented modular microservices architecture for patching, billing, and content delivery
- Built launch-day resilience features to handle high demand and traffic surges
- Supported international expansion with region-specific optimizations
🚀 Impact
The work culminated in what would eventually evolve into EA Play—EA’s flagship digital service for game access and streaming. The strategic groundwork laid by mediaGuild helped power the transition from standalone titles to a unified ecosystem.
| Metric | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Service Launch Timeline | Delivered within 9 months |
| Daily Concurrent Users | 500K+ peak during launch quarter |
| Game Library Growth | 40+ titles on platform in Year 1 |
| Platform Stability | 99.9% uptime across devices |
| Social Engagement | 2M+ user connections post-Rupture merge |
📢 Testimonial
“mediaGuild was there for us at every critical moment—from shaping the platform’s core to blending in social features after acquiring Rupture. Their team knows how to build for scale and for players.”
— VP of Product Strategy, Electronic Arts
🔄 What’s Next
EA continues to evolve EA Play with cloud gaming, exclusive content drops, and cross-platform functionality. mediaGuild remains a trusted partner in strategic feature rollouts and user engagement architecture.