This Tuesday, Phil Spencer, Head of Microsoft’s Gaming Division, gave an interview to Bloomberg where he discussed the company’s future and shared some tantalizing updates. The Xbox chief had previously expressed interest in portable gaming devices, and when asked about it this time, he mentioned that “the expectation is that we will do something.” To achieve this, he has tasked his team with observing and learning from the market to develop a vision for the future, adding that such devices will take several years to materialize.
“Long-term, I love that we’re building devices. And I think our team could do truly innovative work, but we want to be informed by learning and what’s happening now.”
Emphasized the head of Xbox.
For now, Xbox designers and engineers are focused on optimizing the Xbox app’s performance on existing third-party portable devices. They are also partnering with hardware manufacturers to ensure seamless integration with their games and apps. “The Xbox app right now is good rather than great on some of these devices. Phil stated.
Xbox’s Plans in the Mobile Gaming Market
Microsoft and Tencent Join Forces in Mobile Gaming
Microsoft is keen on deals that provide “geographic diversity,” particularly in Asia, aiming to diversify its teams by targeting China. To this end, they have partnered with none other than Tencent, with whom they globally launched a mobile version of Age of Empires in October. Regarding this collaboration, Spencer remarked:
“It’s been a good space to learn from creative teams with truly unique capabilities. The real opportunity is partnering with creative teams in China for the global market.”
However, he clarified that no major acquisitions are imminent in this sector, as the company is currently preoccupied with restructuring Activision Blizzard.
Plans for an Xbox App Store on iOS and Android
Microsoft’s gaming division had announced a mobile app store slated for launch in July this year but delayed it to conduct additional market research. For now, the only alternative is a web-based storefront rather than a dedicated app marketplace. However, there’s no guarantee users will discover it, let alone find it appealing or trustworthy.
In this regard, Microsoft’s hopes lie with ongoing regulatory lawsuits involving Apple and Alphabet (Google). If either or both monopolies are forced to allow third-party app stores (already permitted on Android but not iOS), it could pave the way for Microsoft’s store on these platforms.
“I think the ball is moving in the right direction. This idea of open platforms, where users have more choice, creators have more options—you see the momentum, right?”
Spencer concluded.?