Microsoft has been performing well on consoles and PC with Xbox Game Pass and first-party titles, and it looks like Microsoft wants to expand further into the mobile gaming industry. While talking in an interview with Financial Times, Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft gaming, talked about many things, including the Activision deal.
He further talked about how he wants to deliver games across any screen without facing restrictions from other companies. Phil Spencer stated:
Today, we can’t do that on mobile devices but we want to build towards a world that we think will be coming where those devices are opened up.
Microsoft is planning to launch a new mobile game store on iPhones and Android phones. If the deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard is approved, fans may see Microsoft in the mobile gaming industry by 2024.
The mobile gaming industry is led by two big giants, Google and Apple. However, the upcoming Digital Markets Act in the EU will decrease their control by allowing third-party application stores on their operating systems.
Phil Spencer further said that Microsoft’s current lack of mobiles game would be rectified with the Activision Blizzard deal, as they know they have an apparent hole in the capability that can be filled after the deal. Once the acquisition is complete, Microsoft will own giant mobile games like Candy Crush and Diablo Immortal.
The company could also use Activision Blizzard franchises like Overwatch and World of Warcraft for a more extensive mobile presence. These franchises need no introduction to the console and PC ecosystem, but they have not yet found a home on mobile devices.
Currently, Microsoft is looking to convince regulators that acquiring Activision Blizzard will not harm the competition. The gaming giant has signed deals with Nintendo and Nvidia and also wishes to reach an agreement with Sony. However, Sony has proven to be more challenging than others.
The next few months will decide the fate of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard. Subsequently, Microsoft’s mobile gaming ambitions will also be decided soon since the company cannot become a mobile competitor without Activision Blizzard’s IPs.
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