In the summer of 2024,Microsoftwill officially enter the mobile game store market, further moving in the direction Xbox chief Phil Spencer laid out a few years back when he said that his division’s futurewouldn’t be limited to consoles. However, it should surprise no one that the announcement of the Xbox Mobile Game Store isn’t as simple or straightforward as users might think. At least it won’t be as simple or straightforward when it launches.
When it was first announced, the Xbox Mobile Game Store was billed as a competitor tothe Apple StoreorGoogle Play Store, though it appears it’s going to need to ramp up to competing when it first launches. During a panel at theBloomberg Technology Summit, Xbox President Sarah Bond went more in-depth about how the game store was going to work and the aspirations the company has for it when it is finally completely up and running.
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Xbox Mobile Game Store won’t have an app
For now, the store is web-based
Despite the fact that the store deals with mobile apps and games, Microsoft has decided that for now, it’s not getting its own app for iOS or Android. Instead, there will be a website. Bond explained in her presentation that the reason for this is that it’s accessible via any device. Without specifically calling out Apple, Bond made it clear this is a workaround forApple’s rather restrictive policiesregarding applications it allows on its app store.
Without specifically calling out Apple, Bond made it clear this is a workaround for Apple’s rather restrictive policies.
Bond said the store is launching on the web so that it is “accessible across all devices, all countries, no matter what, independent of the policies of closed ecosystem stores.”
She also said that her company believes carrying out the app store the way they propose allows more flexibility for gamers. “Your library, your identity, your rewards travel with you versus being locked to a single ecosystem,” She added.
Having a dedicated website instead of an App Store app will simply mean that Apple users will navigate to the site and then can add it to their iPhone home screen so that it can function like something they downloaded.
Xbox has not yet addressed whether a full-fledged app might eventually come along, but its worth noting the Xbox Game Pass still functions the same way, and it doesn’t appear a downloadable app for that offering is due to arrive anytime soon, if at all.
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No games will be available at first either
The Xbox Mobile Game Store is moving slow
Originally, Bond talked about some games launching alongside the mobile game store and specifically mentioned Candy Crush. However, Microsoft has since clarified that when the store launches in July, there won’t be any games for a while.
Instead, the company is planning on only having discounts on in-game items and the like. In other words, it appears at least right off the bat, that the store is going to be selling in-game currency and cosmetics. That might not sound all that exciting to some, but Microsoft has also made it clear the ultimate goal is to offer games on the service.
Bond made it clear this is a workaround for Apple’s rather restrictive policies regarding applications it allows on its app store.
There is still plenty of incentive to go and buy discounted digital currency, even if there isn’t much on offer beyond those in-game items. This approach isn’t a new one from Microsoft as companies continue doing battle, especially with Apple over the fees it charges in-app.
When Epic announced back in 2020 that it would offer a 20% discount for users who bought Fortnite currency through its website, Apple and Google deleted the Fortnite mobile apps. Microsoft hasn’t yet said whether the discounts on buying in-game currency through the Xbox Mobile Game Store will be that steep a discount, but it’s clear it will loosely follow the business model laid out by Epic.
The company did not explain why it seemingly changed its approach. It’s also not entirely clear when the decision to dial back what’s available at rollout, though considering Bond’s comments, it appears some sort of decision to delay offeringgames like Minecraftwas made not long after the Xbox Mobile Game Store was officially unveiled.
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First-party is first, but not the only priority
Call of Duty will be among the first, and third-party games will eventually come
While it’s not clear how long after the July launch date games will be added to the Xbox Mobile Game Store, it’s clear Microsoft’s first wave of titles will be all first-party. Candy Crush Saga was mentioned enough by Bond that it certainly will be one of, if not the first game on the platform.
While Microsoft plans to roll it out in July, it’s unclear if that means the month’s beginning, middle, or the very end of the month.
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Themobile version of Call of Dutywill also almost certainly quickly land on the store alongside Minecraft and some other Microsoft games. However, the company has said that it plans to offer third-party titles in the store at some point, though it isn’t close to offering a window of time when that will take place.
The next step in the rollout of the Xbox Mobile Game Store is to nail down an actual launch date. While Microsoft plans to roll it out in July, it’s unclear if that means the month’s beginning, middle, or the very end of the month.
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