Over the past year-or-so, we've been hearing about plans for Xbox to develop a mobile gaming store to compete with Apple and Google, and Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has confirmed that work is still going ahead with this.
In an interview with Bloomberg this week, Spencer highlighted how the team is "actively working" on this mobile store idea, and there's even discussion taking place with "partners" about what they'd ideally want to see from it.
"It’s an important part of our strategy and something we are actively working on today not only alone, but talking to other partners who’d also like to see more choice for how they can monetize on the phone."
It was back in late 2022 that Microsoft revealed plans to the UK CMA about this store (as part of the Activision Blizzard takeover), explaining that the intent was to "shift consumers away from the Google Play Store and App Store on mobile devices" by building a "next generation game store" that would allow the Xbox Store to be scaled to mobile.
There's no kind of release date for this mobile store just yet, but Spencer told Bloomberg this week that he didn't think it'd be multiple years away, suggesting it'd be "sooner than that". Could it arrive in 2024? We'll have to wait and see...
What are your thoughts on this idea? Let us know down in the comments section below.
[source bloomberg.com]
Comments 17
No thanks not interested I'm interested in the xbox console and the games not this junk
Between Alpha Dog, King, Digital Legends and Solid State Studios, as well as their third party published titles; it makes sense to have one. But no point if they are going to shut each game down after a year!
Please not f2p model...give us some quality
MS is really embracing publisher, third party role. And in a very weird way, I think it might not be a bad move at all.
This is what Phil Spencer has wanted all along.
@Dan1283 same here.
@Daaan14 with a subscription business model, they could try to differentiate themselves in the marketing by offering actually good mobile games that are not all about sucking people dry of their money.
That said, I believe they will still make awful mobile games that are about sucking people dry, because Xbox games like Halo and Forza are full of season passes, MTX, etc.
And hey, it's no secret that one of the main resons why they bought ABK was the K...
Didn't Epic try this and is now in court over it?
I guess I could see where Android would allow this since it's more of an open platform; but Apple most certainly won't be having any of it on iPhone.
Microsoft can't even have the Cloud Streaming App on iPhone - you have to use the website to do so.
Can't play anything in my Flintstones phone, so not for me.
He lost me when he said "monetize on the phone."
No thanks, I'm not up for games that don't end.
I would be interested in this. I hate the Google play store.
This will be a huge opportunity for MS to really hit a wide variety of gamers, since mobile is the fastest growing market when it comes to games. It'll be nice to take some wind out of the apple store/google play store's sails.
Make that revenue to fund even more games for the console/game pass.
Love it!
How about just create a decent app that I can use to buy games for my Xbox. The PlayStation app is really easy to use and browse.
Man, what a waste of resources...
I know, I know, it prints money and all that, because casuals is where the real money is. Hope at least if can fund the real games after all the suits get their share.
@GamingFan4Lyf Really? Fortnite is free-to-play, but they wanted to save Google and Apple's commissions for DLC. Even if Epic was sued, were they sentenced to anything? A Microsoft store would be very good for the sake of competition, but Apple will block it like they blocked Game Pass. I wonder why is it legal to do that, are iPhones considered a closed system like a Nintendo Switch? Are Android devices manufactured by dozens of different companies a closed system, too?
@Banjo- The whole thing is a mess and Epic took both Apple and Google to court over being able to run its own store inside Fortnite and then Apple and Google countersued Epic over violations of contract with being on their respective stores.
Currently, the verdict is that Epic can't run its own store within Fotnite because it violates Apple and Google storefront policies.
So, Epic is in the appeals process.
I'm guessing those are being considered "closed systems" just like consoles. So the idea of Microsoft getting its own store on mobile is a lot less likely - well, unless Microsoft is okay with Apple and/or Google taking a cut.
@GamingFan4Lyf I thought that they wanted to "sell" Fortnite outside of Google Play and Apple's shop (on their website) and then sell the DLC directly.
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