Gaming
Microsoft launching mobile game store to take on Apple and Google
The browser-based store will debut with Microsoft’s own games.
Microsoft Corp. is set to introduce its own online store for mobile-game consumables in July, offering an alternative to Apple Inc. and Google’s app stores and associated fees.
The upcoming browser-based store will initially feature Microsoft’s own games, providing discounts on in-game items related to popular titles like Candy Crush Saga.
This announcement was made by Xbox President Sarah Bond at the Bloomberg Technology Summit, highlighting Microsoft’s plan to eventually extend access to the store to other game publishers.
Bond emphasized that the store will launch on the web rather than as an app, ensuring accessibility across all devices and countries, independent of the policies set by closed ecosystem stores.
Microsoft identified an opportunity to create a store that transcends devices, enabling users to carry their identity, library, and rewards seamlessly across various platforms rather than being restricted to a single ecosystem, as stated by Bond.
In a statement via email, an Xbox spokesperson described the web-based store as the initial phase in Microsoft’s efforts to establish a trusted app store with a gaming-centric foundation.
Currently, Apple and Google hold significant control over app stores where developers release games, charging an estimated 30% fee on sales transactions.
Last year, Microsoft’s gaming head, Phil Spencer, revealed discussions with partners about launching an Xbox app store, aligning with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, which permits tech companies to create direct-to-consumer web stores to bypass the fees imposed by Apple and Google.
Notably, TikTok users recently reported encountering links to a TikTok web store, offering discounted purchases of TikTok coins, indicative of the growing trend towards bypassing traditional app stores.
Although Microsoft entered the $90 billion mobile gaming market behind some competitors, its Xbox division is poised for a significant impact following the recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $69 billion, which includes popular titles like Candy Crush and Call of Duty.
Candy Crush, introduced in 2012, boasts 5 billion downloads and has generated a substantial $20 billion in revenue over the years.
The battle among tech giants for control over digital storefronts for mobile games intensified in 2020 when Epic Games Inc., the creator of Fortnite, initiated its Project Liberty campaign, offering a 20% discount on Fortnite currency via its own website. In response, Apple and Google removed Fortnite from their app stores, leading to legal disputes initiated by Epic against both companies, alleging monopolistic control over mobile phone ecosystems.
