Microsoft is reportedly gearing up to launch its Xbox mobile game store, possibly as early as next year. The software giant initially revealed its plans for an Xbox mobile store last year, and now, Xbox head Phil Spencer has stated that the company is developing the store in anticipation of firms like Apple and Google being forced to open up their mobile app stores.
“We want to be in a position to offer Xbox and content from us and our third-party partners on every screen where someone wants to play,” said Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer in an interview with the Financial Times on Tuesday (3/21/22). “Today, we can’t do that on mobile devices, but we want to build a world that we believe will exist where those devices are opened up,” he added.
The Xbox mobile game store is aimed at competing with the dominance of Apple and Google’s mobile game stores and will rely on content from Activision Blizzard, such as Call of Duty: Mobile and Candy Crush Saga. These are two massively popular mobile games, published by Activision and King, respectively.
While Microsoft is constructing the Xbox mobile store, regulators will need to act against Apple and Google to ensure that such stores can thrive on Android and iOS devices. Apple does not allow alternative stores on its iPhone and iPad devices, and even competing payment methods are unavailable in most countries.
Companies such as Microsoft and Spotify are hoping that the EU’s Digital Markets Act will force Apple and Google to change the way they distribute apps on mobile devices, ultimately opening up their platforms and stores for competition.
Currently, Microsoft has a minimal presence in the mobile gaming sector, which the Xbox maker acknowledged in a submission to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) last year. “Microsoft currently does not have a significant presence in mobile gaming, and the (Activision Blizzard) transaction will bring much-needed expertise in mobile game development, marketing, and advertising,” revealed Phil Spencer.
According to The Verge on Tuesday (3/21/22), Microsoft is also building a broader Xbox mobile platform. Microsoft quickly backed Xbox Cloud Gaming on Valve’s Steam Deck and partnered with Logitech and Razer for their cloud gaming-focused handheld devices.
The upcoming Xbox mobile store will also enable developers to run their app stores within the Microsoft Xbox mobile platform. However, all of this is still contingent on regulatory approval of the proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Microsoft recently argued with the CMA, highlighting apparent errors in the regulator’s financial mathematics. The company also faces regulatory scrutiny from the European Commission and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
While the EU is reportedly likely to approve Microsoft’s deal, the FTC sued to block it last year, and the case is still in the document discovery phase, with an evidentiary hearing scheduled for August 2. FTC lawyers recently requested documents regarding Microsoft’s next-generation gaming ecosystem, which may refer to the company’s plans to build the Xbox mobile game store.
