Good move for competition?
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- Microsoft’s mobile game store is coming in 2024.
- As revealed by the Xbox boss in an interview, it will be on iOS and Android devices.
- However, it also depends on Microsoft’s push in purchasing Activision.
Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, revealed during an interview with Financial Times that Microsoft’s mobile game store could arrive on iOS and Android devices, as early as 2024.
“We want to be in a position to offer Xbox and content from both us and our third-party partners across any screen where somebody would want to play … Today, we can’t do that on mobile devices but we want to build towards a world that we think will be coming where those devices are opened up.”
The deal, however, depends on regulators’ decision regarding the tech giant’s attempt to purchase Activision Blizzard, as it will rely heavily on games like Call of Duty: Mobile and Candy Crush Saga.
Redmond’s $68.7 billion offer is seen by many, including its biggest competitor Sony, as something that could kill innovation and competition in the market. EU and US regulators have been discussing giving the greenlight, and Microsoft has been trying to win them by announcing plenty of deals that could still keep Activision’s games (like Call of Duty) on competitors’ devices like Nintendo and PlayStation.
“The transaction will improve Microsoft’s ability to create a next generation game store which operates across a range of devices, including mobile as a result of the addition of Activision Blizzard’s content. Building on Activision Blizzard’s existing communities of gamers, Xbox will seek to scale the Xbox Store to mobile, attracting gamers to a new Xbox Mobile Platform.”
What can you do on Microsoft mobile game store on iOS and Android?
Dubbed a next-generation store, Microsoft’s plan to launch an Xbox mobile store wasn’t new. In 2022, just a month after they proposed the acquisition plan, Redmond officials announced that their new mobile store could potentially shake rival Apple and Google’s dominance in mobile gaming.
However, Microsoft would need EU and US regulators to take action against Apple and Google since the two rivals do not allow alternative stores on their devices.
“Shifting consumers away from the Google Play Store and App Store on mobile devices will, however, require a major shift in consumer behavior. Microsoft hopes that by offering well-known and popular content, gamers will be more inclined to try something new.”
As mentioned, Microsoft still relies heavily on Activision’s titles like CoD: Mobile and King’s Candy Crush, and many other titles should be following suit. And, with that said, the proposed Xbox mobile store could also allow devs to run their own app stores within the platform, and this means big news for small & indie game studios.
What do you think about this latest expansion? Let us know in the comments!
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