Microsoft Corp. MSFT is gearing up to challenge rivals Apple and Google with its own Xbox mobile gaming store. The company is said to be in talks with partners now that the $69 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition is complete.
What Happened: Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, is talking to gaming industry partners to launch a gaming store on mobiles, reported Bloomberg.
This is being seen as a strategic move to compete with rivals Apple Inc. AAPL and Alphabet Inc.'s GOOG GOOGL Google, who dominate the mobile gaming industry thanks to the iPhone and Android.
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"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 choices for how they can monetize on the phone," Spencer said during the CCXP comics and entertainment convention in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
This is not the first time that there has been talk of an Xbox mobile gaming store. Spencer has been saying it on record for a while now, dating back to 2022 – which was coincidentally revealed thanks to the proposed Activision Blizzard acquisition.
However, things are heating up now, and Spencer wants to hit the iron while it's hot. According to reports, the Xbox mobile gaming store could be launched sometime in 2024.
"To make sure that Xbox is not only relevant today but for the next 10, 20 years, we're going to have to be strong across many screens," Spencer said.
Why It Matters: The timing is crucial for Microsoft. The European Union's Digital Markets Act will come into effect in March 2024, with increased scrutiny on Apple and Google's app store practices.
More particularly, Apple, which has never allowed the average iPhone or iPad user to sideload apps on their devices, is reportedly giving up. According to code found in a recent iOS update, Apple is gearing up to allow users to sideload applications.
This could just be the opening that Microsoft needs to mark its presence in the mobile gaming industry.
Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, had earlier said that the company is “working with the EU” to allow sideloading apps on iOS.
"We've talked about choice, and today, on your mobile phones, you don't have a choice,'' Spencer added.
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