American multinational and technology company Microsoft has announced plans to launch its mobile game store in July this year, rivaling Apple and Google.
This disclosure was made by Xbox President Sarah Bond who announced the move at the Bloomberg Technology Summit.
Bond says the store is launching on the web, versus an app, which would be accessible across all devices, all countries no matter what, independent of the policies of closed ecosystem stores”.
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Speaking on the launch of the Microsoft mobile game store, she said,
“Microsoft saw an opportunity to create a store that goes truly across devices where who you are, your library, your identity, your rewards travel with you versus being locked to a single ecosystem. The company intends to facilitate gaming across consoles, computers, and mobile devices. Microsoft’s blockbuster cross-platform game Minecraft may be an early addition to the web store. The game store is accessible across all devices, all countries, no matter what, independent of the policies of closed ecosystem stores, and We are going to extend from there”.
Starting in July, Microsoft will start by launching first-party portfolio games such as Candy Crush and Minecraft. The company is going to extend that capability to partners so that they can also take advantage of it and have a true cross-platform gaming-centric mobile experience.
According to the tech giant, the idea is to avoid the fees charged by Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store, making Microsoft and partner games more accessible to a wider group of people.
Microsoft’s move to launch a gaming store signifies a strategic push into the lucrative mobile gaming market, aiming to disrupt the dominance of Apple’s App Store and Google Play. With this initiative, Microsoft seeks to offer a compelling alternative platform for developers and gamers alike, potentially reshaping the mobile gaming landscape.
The official announcement comes as Microsoft has been talking about launching an Xbox mobile gaming store for quite some time pow Recall that last year December, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said the company was in discussions with partners about launching an Xbox mobile store, and noted that it would arrive sooner than later.
Microsoft first hinted at a mobile store back in 2022 when it announced a deal to acquire Activision Blizzard. Microsoft had said in fillings that one of the major reasons it wanted to acquire Activision Blizzard was to help build out its mobile gaming presence. In October 2022, Microsoft’s filings with the CMA revealed that it planned to create a new “Xbox Mobile Platform” that includes mobile games by Activision and King.
While the EU’s Digital Marketing Act (DMA) forces Apple and Google to open up their mobile app stores, Microsoft is looking to provide an alternative to the two in the United States and beyond the EU.