Microsoft bought Activision Blizzard in early 2022. Now, in this context, the company’s plans have become known to want to position itself significantly better in mobile gaming.
Mobile gaming is booming. Using the smartphone to play games reaches completely different target groups than classic gambling via console or PC. Accordingly, more and more established names are changing over. One of these names is now apparently also Microsoft, at least that suggests a filing with the CMA (Competition & Markets Authority, the British competition authority). What’s behind it?
Microsoft is planning its own Xbox Mobile Store
From the submission, via the industry magazine The Verge first reported, it appears that Microsoft is planning its very own mobile gaming platform. The company gave a first indication of these long-term plans in early 2022 when it bought the developer studio Activison Blizzard. As part of this acquisition, the CMA has asked Microsoft to flesh out these plans. The studio will now probably play a central role in the further procedure. Specifically, the documentation states:
The transaction will enhance Microsoft’s ability to create a next-generation game store that will work across a range of devices, including mobile, as Activision Blizzard’s content is added. Building on Activision Blizzard’s existing gamer communities, Xbox will seek to scale the Xbox Mobile Store and attract gamers to a new Xbox mobile platform. However, the shift of consumers from the Google Play Store and App Store to mobile devices requires a fundamental change in consumer behavior. Microsoft hopes that by offering familiar and popular content, players will be more inclined to try something new.
Microsoft via GOV.UK
Clear competition to Google and Apple
What is interesting about these statements is that Microsoft seems to be planning an even larger strategy. On the other hand, the company formulates the clear claim to attack the big platforms of Google and Apple in the field of mobile games.
Among other things, they would like to rely on the already established gaming brands from their own company. And via Activision Blizzard, there is also plenty of know-how on board from this side, including “Candy Crush Saga” developer King Digital Entertainment. Microsoft also owns the rights to games like Call of Duty: Mobile.
Activision Blizzard also has other well-known games such as “World of Warcraft”, “Diablo”, “Star Craft” or “Overwatch” in its portfolio. These could be planned in the future in the form of mobile offshoots for the Xbox Mobile Store. However, Microsoft has not yet revealed any details about the content of the planned platform.
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