Microsoft Takes On Apple And Google, Plans Xbox Mobile Game Store On Heels Of Activision Blizzard Deal

Microsoft Corporation MSFT is gearing up to challenge Apple Inc. AAPL and Alphabet Inc.'s GOOG GOOGL Google by building an Xbox mobile store to offer games on mobile devices directly. 

What Happened: The Redmond, Washington-based company has revealed the plans concerning its next-generation store in filings with the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority.

The CMA is currently investigating the $68.7 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition. 

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The authority asked Microsoft for context. The software giant replied in filings that it intends to build its mobile gaming presence. The company plans to use the space to create an Xbox mobile gaming platform and store, according to The Verge.

"The transaction will improve Microsoft's ability to create a next generation game store which operates across a range of devices, including mobile as a result of the addition of Activision Blizzard's content. Building on Activision Blizzard's existing communities of gamers, Xbox will seek to scale the Xbox Store to mobile, attracting gamers to a new Xbox Mobile Platform. Shifting consumers away from the Google Play Store and App Store on mobile devices will, however, require a major shift in consumer behavior," the statement read. 

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Why It's Important: Call of Duty: Mobile and Candy Crush Saga have a considerable following among the mobile games published by Activision and King, respectively. Microsoft could leverage these titles to build a game store to rival Google Play and the App Store. 

Considering Apple's policies of blocking third-party app stores on iOS, it's not clear how Microsoft is planning to compete with iPhones anytime soon, the report noted. 

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