Coloress_Kafka
Member
So this is Android only?? Because you can have web apps on iPhone but it’s nowhere near mature enough to run a game as advanced as Minecraft.
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Bloomberg -- Microsoft to Launch Mobile Game Store, Vying With Apple, Google
- Thread starter Thick Thighs Save Lives
- Start date
- News
MS really ought to rethink using their executives as spokes-people for the company.
They are not doing them any favors - scarcely ever had (Panos Panay was probably the only good one I can remember in last 15 years - but then they fired him or he left or whatever). But at this point it's just like pouring oil on fire they want to put out.
The question is are they willing to take the gamble on delisting these games from GooglePlay/Itunes? Because that's what it's going to take to get people over - Candy Crush is a multi-billion/year IP but that all comes through the two stores right now, and noone has any reasons to change.
TheThreadsThatBindUs
Member
A mobile store that will be used on mobile devices needs a vehicle to get it into the hands of mobile device-users.
Apple has iOS and the iPhone. Google has Android and the Samsung Galaxy series..... what does MS have?
MS is still in denial about the importance of hardware. Still thinking MAUs will just crawl out from the ether. They're still just as delusional as ever.
Apple has iOS and the iPhone. Google has Android and the Samsung Galaxy series..... what does MS have?
MS is still in denial about the importance of hardware. Still thinking MAUs will just crawl out from the ether. They're still just as delusional as ever.
Mibu no ookami
Banned
It seems like they're going phase this in.
They're going to start with a website and then they'll probably put out an app. They'll start with things being available in both, and then eventually, yeah, I think they'll delist.
Once they can get enough games on the website, they'll put out the app. Once they have the app store on enough devices, they'll start pulling applications.
There's really no risk here to them.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
insanity.
LordOfChaos
Member
The future of Halo
ChorizoPicozo
Member
damn, she really is a PR Snake just like Phil.
cominment, cominment, cominment, blah blah, blah
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Mibu no ookami
Banned
It would be very easy to work with Samsung (who is already a partner of theirs) to get the Microsoft store on all galaxy devices from launch. Maybe they will give Samsung a percentage of revenue.
For iPhones, they'll be able to work with ATT, Verizon, and T-Mobile to get the App store on their devices from the jump.
The vision was pretty clear from the get go and so many app producers will jump on board if Microsoft offers them better percentages.
Loomy
Banned
ding ding ding ding ding
Samsung has their own app store and they're competing against the Play Store. I don't see them intentionally preloading Microsoft's app store on their devices.
TransTrender
Gold Member
This will be hilarious
poppabk
Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
Profit Stream. Even with all expense paid trips to South Africa to see real gems up close, King must have some nice margins on their 6 different match 3 games.
Barakov
Member
Bumblebeetuna
Member
Mibu no ookami
Banned
As I mentioned there are multiple vehicles for them to explore.
The Samsung app store is largely a joke and people generally only get free Samsung apps from it. Samsung could stand to gain significant revenue from a Microsoft app store, backed by apps that appear on both iOS and Android.
Eventually it won't just be a game store, it'll also probably be the exclusive place to download Microsoft suite, LinkedIn, and Teams. These are used by corporates across the planet.
There will probably be a time when regulators force Google and Apple from having their marketplaces pre-installed. And this is a reality that Microsoft is also hoping for.
If you look back in the day there was really no thought that internet explorer wouldn't be the market leader after being so for so long. It doesn't even exist today.
As I mentioned lots of drivers to try and gain adoption. You could even give away free apps, which is what Amazon had tried on android, but times were more difficult back then.
Nonehxc
Member
Lol, going against Sony, Nintendo and Valve, now against Apple and Google, all at the same time. Last stand artillery barrage here, folks. Fire everything through all the cannons and hope something hits to keep your job.
Because if you have all the apples in all the baskets, sure one will turn good.
Because you can't fuck all of it up, right?
RIGHT?!?!?!?
Because if you have all the apples in all the baskets, sure one will turn good.
Because you can't fuck all of it up, right?
RIGHT?!?!?!?
Mibu no ookami
Banned
You realize people can walk and chew gum at the same time right?
This is why they bought ABK. The games are already there. You think it's hard for Microsoft to set up a website? They already have a website for the Xbox store. All they need to do is create a section for mobile games and then upload the games to a server for download... They can literally do that in a few days.
What's more important is that tons of developers and publishers will flock to it because they're tired of Apple and Google's fees.
reinking
Gold Member
1. So successful they had to bring their games to Steam.
2. Just like they flocked to the Epic store.
I hope MS can find success on a 3rd party mobile app/website but I do not think mass consumers are looking for 3rd party app stores. This is something born out of the fight against Apple and it wasn't Apple customers asking for it. It was another billion-dollar corporation wanting to make money in the market.
Hardensoul
Member
Is Windows phone still being sold? Or is this for the Surface tablets.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
oh boy
Raven117
Member
This is what they want though. They have always wanted to fight apple and Google rather than Sony. I’m willing to bet the whole reason they created the Xbox was to fight for the living room and gain an advantage over apple and Google.
For a second, it almost looked like it might happen in the 360 era )after catching lightning in a bottle with Halo and Gears), but mistake after mistake they lost this advantage.
Now, they are just looking for an exit or another way to make money as they failed to “take over the living room” with Xbox. The overall strategy just didn’t work for them.
For a second, it almost looked like it might happen in the 360 era )after catching lightning in a bottle with Halo and Gears), but mistake after mistake they lost this advantage.
Now, they are just looking for an exit or another way to make money as they failed to “take over the living room” with Xbox. The overall strategy just didn’t work for them.
MayauMiao
Member
Robb
Gold Member
Makes sense now that the floodgates have opened and they also own a lot of mobile devs.
Not sure how viable it is though. But they do have a lot of huge productivity apps to incentivize using their store I guess. The biggest thing will probably be to get the app in the hands of users without them having to download it themselves.
Not sure how viable it is though. But they do have a lot of huge productivity apps to incentivize using their store I guess. The biggest thing will probably be to get the app in the hands of users without them having to download it themselves.
Content, locked up content. They've bought Candy Crush, Minecraft, and Cod mobile for a reason.
ByWatterson
Member
Goddamn they never have any original ideas.
ResilientBanana
Member
I’m glad they compartmentalized it into a store I won’t use. I can now easily avoid this trash.
MayauMiao
Member
I'm one of those who bought into the Lumia ecosystem. Absolute appalling how Microsoft managed to fucked up the Windows Phone and Nokia.
Windows Mobile Store will suffer the same fate.
Heisenberg007
Gold Journalism
Another Dead on Arrival product coming from the great minds of Xbox.
Do these idiots really think that people will go to a browser on a mobile device, visit their new store that's pretty much empty, and download a game just so Microsoft can save 30% revenue?
WTF is wrong with these people!
Do these idiots really think that people will go to a browser on a mobile device, visit their new store that's pretty much empty, and download a game just so Microsoft can save 30% revenue?
WTF is wrong with these people!
Bridges
Member
I'm surprised so many here are taking this as new news when they've been saying this would happen since pre-ABK? And throughout the entire trial they constantly repeated "We want King so we can build our own app store and compete in mobile" so this is not at all new.
As for me, eh, I don't really play mobile games aside from the occasional round of PUBG or Mahjong. But if all the games have achievement support I'd probably spend some time with it.
As for me, eh, I don't really play mobile games aside from the occasional round of PUBG or Mahjong. But if all the games have achievement support I'd probably spend some time with it.
Mibu no ookami
Banned
First, Steam and Epic are launchers not just storefronts.
Second, I think it is absolutely adorable that you think publishing a PC game on two different launchers is akin to launching a mobile app on two different storefronts.
Third, people buy into the steam launcher, making the resources need to bring a game over to a different launcher much less viable. The same is not true of storefronts. When you go to launch facebook messenger, do you launch it from the app store or do you just launch the application? So maybe you could think that the experience is the same regardless?
There is barely a lift for the publisher/developer to add same same application to multiple storefronts. It's just a file. That is not the case with launchers, but again, it's cute that you think it is.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
i thought your were smartish
Mibu no ookami
Banned
Another Dead on Arrival product coming from the great minds of Xbox.
Do these idiots really think that people will go to a browser on a mobile device, visit their new store that's pretty much empty, and download a game just so Microsoft can save 30% revenue?
WTF is wrong with these people!
Short sighted.
They're starting as a website because it's easier to manage across devices and regions until they can create an app store. Same reason why they're only starting with games, it's a simple thing to focus on.
You start off with a website that you can access the files from any region and it will detect whether you're on android or iPhone and download the appropriate version for your device.
Once they've built out the website essentially as a demo, they'll attract others who may depending on the size and traffic of the website put their games there exclusively.
Then once they've built it out, it'll act as the backend to their mobile app.
In time, they'll put non-games there too. And they'll work with different companies to get the app pre-loaded on devices.
For some reason people have limited vision and think you must immediately go from 0-100 rather than have a roadmap.
Internet Explorer had full market share dominance on windows... until it didn't...
As for why consumers might want to go to that site, maybe the games are available there early access, exclusively, discounted, or for free if you have gamepass e.t.c. e.t.c. there are lots of way to attract people to the site. Plus most advertisements for games take you to the app store, no reason why advertisements can't take you to the Microsoft site.
ShaiKhulud1989
Gold Member
Dear Microsoft PR team:
AndrewRyan
Member
I feel as though there's a Windows Phone guy still left at Microsoft that cashed in all their chips to make this happen.
tommib
Banned
They already failed with the Windows Phone. They’ll fail again with their abandonware store.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
is almost like you are living in a different universe.
What's your timeline for this to be fully realized?
Oddvintagechap
Banned
geesh. She and her team were responsible for cultivating and managing Microsoft’s gaming partnerships, crafting and executing deals and negotiations and shaping strategy and M&A. She had nothing to do with first party games. like relax.
Mibu no ookami
Banned
Who cares what the timeline is? None of this necessarily takes a long time individually, but whether it takes a year or 2 years what difference does it make?
It all starts with partner outreach.
- Have product managers reach out to the the publishers of the top 200 paid and top 200 free apps and games on iOS and Android respectively
- Invite them to register as Microsoft publishers promising them less restrictions and cheaper fees
- A registration Portal needs to be created, they already have these templates available
- Once registered they can publish their APKs and IPAs on their Microsoft website
- a submission, review, and security process needs to be created, but again they already do this with the Microsoft store on Windows
- Invite them to register as Microsoft publishers promising them less restrictions and cheaper fees
- Once a requisite number of apps are available from publishers, Microsoft can reach out to partners such as Samsung, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T about getting the appstore preloaded on devices.
- Microsoft can develop a storefront app that uses the website as a backend for iOS and Android
- Microsoft can give endusers a set amount of time like 6 months to download and update existing Microsoft packages from the Microsoft appstores and that updates will cease from the Apple AppStore and Google PlayStore and then give enterprise an additional 6 months and other developers/publishers can decide if they want to be exclusive and what their timeline is
Plague Doctor
Member
Whoever is in charge of PR at MS must be running a counter op for a competitor.
This is not the time to release this new initiative right during your layoff news.
Atleast wait til shit dies down a little. Fucking ghouls.
Xbox is a bunch of clowns and really deserve to fail.
I really didn't think any other company could beat EA and Ubisoft in the Scumbag Olympics, but here we are.
This is not the time to release this new initiative right during your layoff news.
Atleast wait til shit dies down a little. Fucking ghouls.
Xbox is a bunch of clowns and really deserve to fail.
I really didn't think any other company could beat EA and Ubisoft in the Scumbag Olympics, but here we are.
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ChorizoPicozo
Member
interesting you are thinking in a span of 1 to 2 years... don't you think that's a little
?
It's obvious that you have a very clear idea of how things should evolve.....in a vacuum.
It's also obvious that you're not considering market conditions and external/unforseen factors outside of this perfect plan of your's.
I'm going to say the same thing I said many times when taking about Xbox:
Track Record.
MS's track record is awful regarding building consumer facing business.
and this 1-2 years span should be closer to 10-15 years. (if they stick to it).
Mibu no ookami
Banned
LOL, I don't work for Microsoft. I literally responded to your question with a general framework. It's not a memorandum or business plan. You're going to have dozens of teams working on this.
10-15 years?
Technology doesn't take as long as you seem to think it does.
Snake released on Nokia phones in 1997. The first blackberry phone released in 1999. The first iPhone came out in 2007. 1
Netflix started streaming in 2007 and House of Cards aired on streaming in 2013.
Internet Explorer came out in 1995. Google Chrome came out in 2008. It was the worlds largest browser by the end of 2009...
Fess
Member
Huh? A web based platform not tied to any hardware, hmmm. I talked about this, just with some always online and subscription requirement, which they’ll probably announce soon just wait for it. The puzzle pieces are falling into place. I’ll go back to game on my Commodore 64 soon.
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vaibhavpisal
Member
I will probably not use it.
I mean, I don’t even use apple/google app stores on my device. Just download a few basic apps, thats it.
I mean, I don’t even use apple/google app stores on my device. Just download a few basic apps, thats it.
