Microsoft's app store on smartphones by next year, to rival with Google, Apple
Microsoft is aiming to capture big portion in gaming industry. But in the path, the biggest hurdle it faces is the restrictions and controlled access on the app stores of rival Google and Apple.
Microsoft is reportedly planning to launch a new app store for games on iPhones and Android smartphones by next year subject its $75bn acquisition 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 deal is under severe criticism from regulators who see the deal impacting the competition in the market. However Spencer says that the move will indeed help increase competition on smartphones - “ the largest platform people play on” and where Apple and Google have a strong hold. (ALSO READ: US sues Google over dominance of online ad market)
Microsoft eyes gaming industry
Gaming is a large industry, with approximately 2.8 billion consumers worldwide, and it is expected to grow to more than 4.5 billion by 2030. Here, Microsoft itself admits a larger chunk are those playing games on smartphones. (ALSO READ: Microsoft ambitious to expand to mobile gaming with Activision King acquisition)
Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard is a significant step towards capturing this market. Microsoft’s current lack of mobile games was an “obvious hole in our capability” that it is expecting Activision Blizzard to fill, Spencer added.
Why Microsoft wants a different app store?
The tech behemoth says that there is too much friction between creators and gamers today; app store policies and practises on mobile devices limit what and how creators can offer 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.