CMA Filings reveal Microsoft intends to create its own ‘next generation game store’ for mobile
Oct 21, 2022
Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard was a meticulous and protracted process. The two key players in the agreement, the US and UK governments, have yet to provide regulatory permission. However, Microsoft highlighted its mobile goals in response to the UK government’s statement of their issues with the deal. Microsoft stated that their mobile plans might go far further than just utilizing Activision Blizzard’s brand catalog. They plan to use the arrangement to fund the development of a “Next Generation Game Store” to compete with already-existing digital marketplaces across several platforms, including mobile. If this does happen, it would be yet another major blow to the monopoly that a select few app stores currently hold in the mobile market.
What follows is the whole section. The acquisition of Activision Blizzard’s content as a result of the transaction (The Activision Blizzard Deal) will increase Microsoft’s capacity to develop a next-generation gaming store that works across various devices, including mobile. 17 By expanding the Xbox Store to mobile devices and using the existing gaming communities of Activision Blizzard, Xbox hopes to draw users to a brand-new Xbox Mobile Platform. However, a significant change in consumer behavior is necessary to get users of mobile devices away from the Google Play Store and the App Store. By providing well-known and well-liked material, Microsoft intends to encourage gamers to try new things.
Breaking it down
What does this entail, then? One is that Microsoft is making the case that to develop a rival to the Google Play and iOS App Stores, they will need to build on the already-existing Blizzard catalog. This is hardly surprising given that games like Diablo Immortal generate enormous income, demonstrating well-known titles’ potential to expand into the mobile market. In addition, based on the work of King’s Candy Crush creators, Activision Blizzard also made it into our list of the Top 50 Game Makers of 2022. We may have to wait a couple of years for Microsoft to thoroughly prepare for its entry into the mobile market if the transaction is approved and the company proceeds with its ambitions.
Similar to how Epic Games and Apple clashed, this might force Microsoft and already-established app shops to make amends. Offering a new option to their current storefronts will probably enrage businesses like Apple, which are accustomed to having tighter control over what appears on their platforms. With their mobile manufacturing branch, Microsoft is in a better position than Epic, but it might not be an easy transition.