Tag Archives: Mobile Gaming

Phil Spencer Talked About Xbox Mobile Store



Microsoft’s mobile games store could launch as early as next year, the company’s head of gaming Phil Spencer has said. Thanks to the new Digital Markets Act — legislation that forces Apple and Google to allow users on its platforms to access apps from sources other than the App Store and Google Play Store — Spencer believes this will create a “huge opportunity” for Xbox, GameSpot reported.

“The Digital Markets Act that’s coming – those are the kinds of things we are planning for,” Spencer said in an interview with The Financial Times. “I think it’s a huge opportunity. We want to be in a position to offer Xbox and content from both us and our third-party partner across any screen where somebody would want to play. 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.”

Signed into law back in September 2022 by the European Market, the Digital Markets Act will officially become applicable on May 2, according to GameSpot. Microsoft has made a big push into the mobile scene with its cloud gaming efforts recently, and the company’s plan to acquire Activision Blizzard is fueled primarily by it’s goal increase its foothold in the mobile market.

If the deal is approved, Microsoft will own Candy Crush developer King, as well as Call of Duty Mobile, lucrative properties in a market that is estimated to have 238.7 million “active” users in the US alone.

The Verge reported that Microsoft first hinted at a “next-generation store” early last year, just a month after the company announced its proposed Activision Blizzard acquisition. The Xbox mobile store is designed to rival Apple and Google’s mobile gaming store dominance, and will rely on content from Activision Blizzard like Call of Duty: Mobile and Candy Crush Saga – two hugely popular mobile games published by Activision and King, respectively.

According to the Verge, while Microsoft is building an Xbox mobile store, it will need regulators to take action against Apple and Google to ensure such a store can thrive on Android and iOS devices. Apple doesn’t allow alternative store on its iPhone and iPad devices, and even rival payment methods aren’t available in most countries.

Engadget reported that Microsoft first revealed it was working on an Xbox store for mobile devices in regulatory documents the company filed with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) last year. At the time, the tech giant didn’t provide a timeline for the plan, noting only its proposed merger with Activision Blizzard would play a critical role.

According to Engadget, Spence was more direct on Monday. “The Digital Markets Act that’s coming – those are the kinds of things that we are planning for,” he said. “I think its a huge opportunity.”

In my opinion, the more places where people can play mobile games – the better! I personally find it rather frustrating when a game I really want to play (on mobile or on desktop) is not available for those who use Apple products.


Game Over Foursquare



Foursquare logoIt’s game over, Foursquare. After several years of intermittent playing, I’ve decided to pack it all in and delete my account from the site. I’m no longer happy to take a service without questioning the value and cost to me and Foursquare doesn’t break even anymore.

Foursquare may have been at the forefront of gamification and I like games, honing skill and strategy to succeed, but the problem with Foursquare was that the limit of expertise was how much time you can spend in a local hostelry. Yes, there were occasional benefits of being a mayor, but most places that rewarded frequent visitors ran a loyalty programme anyway. Of course, the really good shops and restaurants knew you because they paid attention.

The reviews helped maintain interest for awhile but the puerile (“the waitress is hot”) and trivial (“the drinks were nice”) usually outweighed any valuable critical assessment of places to visit. In the end, I didn’t bother putting the app back on my smartphone after changing devices and that was the end of it all.

I’m not going to leave my personal data lying around for the next security breach, so it’s time to delete the account. To its credit, Foursquare make it easy to go.

Delete Foursquare Account

Facebook…you’re next.


The New Line of Turtlebeach Headphones



Turtlebeach, famous for their audio products, has a new line of headphones designed for use with tablets and smartphones, and geared specifically towards mobile gaming. They had the whole lineup on display recently at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and The Tech Podcast Network got a tour.

The M3, for instance, is super portable because it is so flexible and foldable.  It will retail for $39.95.  The M5 is slightly larger, but has the same sleek design and will cost the user $49.95.  There is also a pair of full-size gaming headphones, the X32 and X42,both of which are compatible with the Xbox 360 and are now dual-band, unlike their predecessors.  Both will operate in the 2.4 and 5 GHz range.  There is also a new X300 and X400 line.  You can check them all out in the video below and also visit Turtlebeach for more information.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

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