Xbox president Sarah Bond has revealed that Microsoft plans to introduce a web-based mobile game store in July.
Microsoft is preparing to launch its own online mobile game store in July. During the Bloomberg Technology Summit, Xbox president Sarah Bond announced that the store will feature games from various Microsoft game studios.
Reportedly, the browser-based gaming store will include titles like Candy Crush Saga and Call of Duty: Mobile, and will offer discounts on various in-game items. Bond highlighted that since the store will be web-based rather than an app, it will be accessible across all devices and countries, independent of closed ecosystem store policies.
She emphasized that regardless of a user’s identity or library, their rewards will travel with them and won’t be restricted to a single ecosystem. This move will also allow Microsoft to bypass the substantial commission fees charged by Google and Apple, which can reach up to 30 percent.
As most games are already accessible on competing app stores such as Google Play Store and Apple App Store, Microsoft’s strategy to attract gamers to its web store will be intriguing. It remains to be seen what kinds of discounts and incentives the company will offer to entice users to download and buy the latest titles from its platform.
While Microsoft is a leading player in the gaming industry, it has faced challenges in the mobile gaming sector. Bond suggested that the company might introduce a direct competitor to Google and Apple’s app stores in the future, although no specific details were provided.
In 2020, Epic Games offered a 20 percent discount on Fortnite currency for purchases made through its website. This led to Apple and Google removing Fortnite from their app stores, prompting Epic Games to file a lawsuit against both companies, alleging monopolistic behavior.