Microsoft Launches Mobile Gaming Store, Challenging Apple and Google: Microsoft is preparing to launch
its own online store for mobile gaming accessories in July,
offering an alternative to Apple and Google’s app stores and their associated fees.
Content
Microsoft Store
Microsoft’s Goal
The dominance of Apple and Google
Digital Markets Act Regulation
Microsoft and the Mobile Gaming Market
Technology Giants
Microsoft Store
The store, which will operate through a browser,
will initially feature Microsoft games and offer discounts on in-game items for popular titles like Candy Crush Saga.
Xbox president Sarah Bond revealed the plan at the Bloomberg Technology Summit,
noting that the store will later include offerings from other publishers.
Bond explained that the store would be web-based instead of app-based,
ensuring accessibility across all devices and countries,
regardless of the restrictive policies of closed ecosystem stores.
Microsoft’s Goal
Microsoft aims to create a store that transcends device boundaries, allowing users to carry their gaming identity,
library, and rewards across multiple platforms instead of being confined to a single system, as explained by Bond.
The initiative is designed to enhance gaming experiences across consoles, computers, and mobile devices,
with “Minecraft” possibly being among the first games available on the new web store.
“This web-based store is the first step in our journey to building a trusted app store based on gaming,”
an Xbox spokesperson said in an email.
The dominance of Apple and Google
Currently, Apple and Google dominate the main app stores where developers release their games,
imposing fees of approximately 30% on sales. Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft’s gaming division,
revealed in late 2023 that the company is discussing launching its own Xbox app store with partners.
Digital Markets Act Regulation
The European Digital Markets Act, which came into effect this year,
allows technology companies to establish their own web stores
directly to consumers and avoid Apple and Google’s fees.
In early May, some TikTok users reported seeing links to a TikTok web store
where they could purchase TikTok coins at a discounted price.
Microsoft and the Mobile Gaming Market
Microsoft has been slow to enter the mobile gaming market, valued at $90 billion.
The Xbox unit will likely make significant progress following its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard,
the owner of games like Candy Crush and Call of Duty.
Since its 2012 launch, users have downloaded Candy Crush more than 5 billion times,
generating $20 billion in revenue.
Technology Giants
Since 2020, when Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, launched its Project Liberty campaign,
technology giants have been competing for dominance over the future of digital storefronts for mobile games.
Epic announced a 20% discount for users purchasing Fortnite currency directly from its website.
In response, Apple and Google removed Fortnite from their app stores,
leading Epic to file lawsuits against both companies,
alleging illegal monopolistic control over their mobile phone systems.
Microsoft Launches Mobile Gaming Store, Challenging Apple and Google