Microsoft is building one store mobile Xbox to offer the games directly on mobile devices, challenging Apple and Google. The software giant first talked earlier this year about a “next generation” store it would “build for games”. However, he has now revealed the details of the plans in a document filed with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) of the United Kingdom.
Microsoft challenges Apple and Google: the company wants to build its own mobile store
The CMA is currently investigating the acquisition from 68.7 billion dollars from Activision Blizzard and asked Microsoft to provide context. In the documents presented, Microsoft states that one of the main reasons for the purchase is the “Will to strengthen its presence in the mobile gaming sector“. His plans apparently include creating one platform and a Xbox mobile game store. Here’s what the company says in the documents:
The transaction will enhance Microsoft’s ability to create a next-generation game store that operates on a range of devices, including mobile, by adding content from Activision Blizzard. Building on Activision Blizzard’s existing gamer communities, Xbox will look to take the Xbox Store to a moving scale, attracting gamers to a new Xbox mobile platform. However, moving consumers away from the Google Play Store and App Store on mobile devices will require a major shift in consumer behavior. Microsoft hopes that by offering well-known and popular content, gamers will be more likely to try something new.
Call of Duty: Mobile e Candy Crush Saga are two very popular mobile games, respectively published by Activision e King. Microsoft could leverage these titles to help build a store that can compete with Google Play e App Store. Given Apple’s policies that block third-party app stores on iOS, it’s hard to imagine that Microsoft will compete with iPhones anytime soon. But that doesn’t stop the company from imagining a mobile app store for Xbox.
This Microsoft idea of getting into mobile gaming comes as the company pushes more and more Xbox Cloud Gaming. Microsoft was quick to support Xbox Cloud Gaming on Steam Deck’s Valvefollowed by a partnership with Logitech e Razer for their cloud gaming-centric devices. This means that a push towards mobile gaming could take place on multiple fronts, not just on smartphones and tablets.
Beyond the hardware, the stakes are very high. Building a successful rival to the Google Play Store or the App Store would indeed be a huge challenge, and to do so Microsoft will have to woo third-party developers if it wants to break into the hearts of the public. At the moment the CMA has not yet fully discussed the potential entrance Microsoft in the mobile gaming industry as part of its investigation. Instead, she focused on console gamewhich Microsoft claims to be a smaller and smaller part of the overall market.
At the moment we have no further information but we are curious to know how Microsoft will act on this topic.