Microsoft prepares to challenge Apple and Google with new mobile store،
It seems that Microsoft is preparing to enter the mobile gaming arena. According to Bloomberg, Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store could face some competition. Phil Spencer, head of the company’s Xbox video games division, revealed that Microsoft is in talks with partners to launch a mobile games store, challenging the dominant positions held by Apple and Google in the sector. During an interview at the CCXP comics and entertainment convention in Sao Paulo, Spencer refrained from providing a specific launch date for the online store. However, he said the project is not years away and could be ready sooner than expected.
Microsoft recently completed its $69 billion acquisition of gaming powerhouse Activision Blizzard. Spencer said the move was partly driven by Activision’s strong position in mobile gaming, with hits like Candy Crush and Call of Duty Mobile. Spencer argued that this strategic deal was key to elevating Microsoft’s relatively modest position in the $90 billion mobile games market.
The deal took its time and was finally finalized in October, almost two years after the big announcement. The delay put a damper on Microsoft’s plans to aggressively pursue its app store program. And let’s face it, the business scene has shifted gears since Microsoft first announced the merger.
After a good period of solid growth, the mobile gaming scene has hit a rough patch. In 2022, players loosened their purse strings 5% less than the previous year, according to a study by Data.ai. And rumor has it that this trend will likely continue this year as well.
Microsoft’s mobile store would also enter a regulatory area that is no walk in the park, particularly when it comes to smartphone-based digital marketplaces. Epic Games, the masterminds behind Fortnite, has taken jabs at both Apple and Google with lawsuits over what it claims are unnecessarily restrictive and unfair practices in their iOS and Android stores.
Epic suffered a setback in its dispute with Apple, but brought the matter to the attention of the United States Supreme Court. Epic is still embroiled in legal proceedings with Google, which at least allows third-party app stores on its devices.
However, the European Union’s Digital Markets Act could also force Apple to open up its app store ecosystem, something Apple opposes.
Microsoft could exploit long-standing discontent among market leaders to gain support for its in-store offering. Xbox’s cloud gaming technology is already here, allowing users to stream hit games directly to their mobile phone.
Spencer also said the company had “talked about choice, and today on your cell phones, you have no choice.” For Xbox to remain relevant not only today but for the next 10 to 20 years, it must establish a strong presence all over the world.a variety of screens.”
