Microsoft is reportedly intending to launch a new app store for games on iPhones and Android smartphones by next year subject to its $75bn investment of Activision Blizzard getting cleared by regulators, a report from Financial Times says.
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.”
Phil Spencer-chief executive of Microsoft Gaming said in an interview.
Microsoft Activision Blizzard agreement is under extreme objection from regulators who notice the agreement affecting the competition in the market. However Spencer says that the move will help increase competition on smartphones – “the largest platform people play on” and where Apple and Google have a stronghold.
Gaming is a gigantic industry, with about 2.8 billion consumers worldwide, and it is expected to increase to more than 4.5 billion by 2030. Here, Microsoft itself admits a larger piece are those playing games on smartphones
Microsoft’s investment in Activision Blizzard is an effective move toward grabbing this market. Microsoft’s recent shortage of mobile games was an “obvious hole in our capability” that it is expecting Activision Blizzard to fill, Spencer added.
The tech behemoth says that there is too much variance between developers and gamers today; app store policies and practices on mobile gadgets limit what and how developers can present games, and they also restrict what and how gamers can play them.
The world needs open app markets, and this requires open app stores. The principles we’re announcing today reflect our commitment to this goal.”
the company wrote in a blog post.
