Microsoft is building an app store 'Xbox mobile game store' to compete with Apple and Google

Microsoft is developing its own mobile games store, according to documents filed with the UK financial authority in connection with its acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Microsoft is building an Xbox mobile gaming store to take on Apple and Google - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/19/23411972/microsoft-xbox-mobile-store-games

Xbox's plans for Activision Blizzard include a mobile games store
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/mobile/xbox-is-revving-up-a-mobile-games-store

In January 2022, Microsoft announced that it would acquire Activision Blizzard, which works on the ' Call of Duty ' series.

Microsoft announces acquisition of Activision Blizzard for about 8 trillion yen, Cotic CEO who is in the midst of sexual harassment problem retires after completion of acquisition - GIGAZINE

Both Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are companies with a strong presence in the game market, so the UK Competition and Market Authority (CMA) is carefully reviewing whether the merger of the two companies will violate antitrust laws.

In response to this, Microsoft submitted an opinion (PDF file) to the CMA dated October 11, 2022, saying, ``With this acquisition, we will become a next-generation game store that can be used on various devices, including mobiles. The Xbox brand will build on Activision Blizzard's existing community of gamers to extend the Xbox store to mobile and bring gamers to the new 'Xbox mobile platform'. can be induced, ”he said, revealing the idea of promoting the construction of a mobile game store.

On the other hand, Microsoft also said, ``In order to move consumers from the Google Play Store and App Store on mobile devices, it is necessary to significantly change consumer behavior.'' It shows that the barriers to entry into the game market are very high.

The key is the content of Activision Blizzard, which announced the acquisition this time. The company has achieved great success with “Call of Duty Mobile,” a mobile game in the popular FPS “Call of Duty” series, and “ Diablo Immortal ,” released in June 2022, sold 3.2 billion yen in just two weeks. It has gained tremendous support, such as selling super, and this makes Activision Blizzard a mobile game that surpasses the PC and stationary game machine markets.

Activision Blizzard reveals that mobile games are selling more than the total of PC & game consoles - GIGAZINE

Activision Blizzard also owns King Digital Entertainment , famous for the persistently popular ' Candy Crush ' series of game apps, and if this acquisition succeeds, Microsoft will have very strong content in the mobile game market. can hold a lot.

Microsoft has also launched an ' open app store principle ' that allows developers to use their own payment system for in-app purchases when acquiring Activision Blizzard, and applies this principle to the Xbox mobile game store. doing.

Vladimir Romanov, founder of mobile game apps such as Magic Jigsaw Puzzles ZiMad , said, 'We believe that app stores other than Apple and Google will be a strong source of revenue for developers. Our goals are diverse. It is to expand success and revenue by capturing more users who cannot access the App Store or Google Play Store for various reasons, ”he commented, welcoming the policy of allowing its own payment system.