Xbox Live appearing on IOS and Android

iroboto

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https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/14/18265214/microsoft-xbox-live-ios-android-games-support-features
Microsoft is bringing its Xbox Live network to iOS and Android devices. The software giant is launching a new cross-platform mobile software development kit (SDK) for game developers to bring Xbox Live functionality to games that run on iOS and Android. Xbox Live features like achievements, Gamerscore, hero stats, friend lists, clubs, and even some family settings will all be available on iOS and Android.
 
This way android and ios games get pulled into the Xbox ecosystem even though your not buying from any ms stores.

Get people wanting to up their gamerscore etc, and hope that means a subset of those gamers feel more aligned with Xbox.
That feeling of being used to Xbox live, I'll stick to those games and services in general.

For devs, easy way to add those functionality that they may otherwise may not bother with.
On the surface sounds like a win win
 
Not a win win for devs, I say as an indie. ;) For Xbox gamers it's great. For cross-platform titles, it's no worse than not having it if you were already going to target XB. For mobile devs, it's yet another ecosystem to implement when you already support iOS and Android native services (which already have (compulsory) achievements, friends, challenges, high scores, etc.). If it became the de facto service and no-one ever need bother with GameCentre and Play, great, but until then, I reckon it'll be a limited thing mostly for cross-platform titles or IPs.
 
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Not a win win for devs, I say as an indie. ;) For Xbox gamers it's great. For cross-platform titles, it's no worse than not having it if you were already going to target XB. For mobile devs, it's yet another ecosystem to implement when you already support iOS and Android native services (which already have (compulsory) achievements, friends, challenges, high scores, etc.). If it became the de facto service and no-one ever need bother with GameCentre and Play, great, but until then, I reckon it'll be a limited thing mostly for cross-platform titles or IPs.
Fair enough, I've not played any ios or android games. Wasn't aware that they had it much less some aspects being compulsory.

Thanks for the clarification
 
If it became the de facto service and no-one ever need bother with GameCentre and Play, great, but until then, I reckon it'll be a limited thing mostly for cross-platform titles or IPs.
Might be useful for current 3rd party in the context of expanding their line ups of popular IPs with spin-off/tie-ins in order to cross promote in game bonus unlocks.

At the same time folks are probably getting irritated with having to setup a new account with each publisher. Microsoft would have to work really hard to get agreements on there though. I dunno what that would look like - just making it easier to link accounts? It seems nigh on impossible for giving MS the keys otherwise.

It could be like how Ubisoft or EA does things?
 
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